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Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

rjhazeldx
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 8
Registered: ‎19-08-2016

Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Our new fibre cabinet went live 7th July I had placed an order for the unlimited fibre extra a week or so earlier as soon as orders could be placed but no Openreach engineers available to connect up until 1st August ( Speed estimate 60-78mbs).

Lunchtime 1st August I noticed the broadband was down and after some fiddling got the new connection - 7.5mbs down 12.3mbs up - something up!! Next morning no different so long call to plusnet support (#130636369)  my profile hadn't been changed correctly corrected and I got 54.4 mbs down and 13.1 up. Told it would settle down and the speed increase over the next 10 days..... if only.

Rather than increasing the speed actually went down by 4th it was 50.1 & 12.3. Called support again, checks run can see a fault on the line passed to Openreach for further investigation. Eventually 10th August told need to send an engineer as there is a fault at my end. Appointment booked for 15th August between 1pm and 6pm. Made arrangements to stay in and kept the phone close by but no visit and no calls.

Update 'my question' to advise none attendance expecting an early call back - didn't happen so rang in 10:45am next day. No explanation for none attendance and cant re-book will escalate and we'll be in touch soon.

Email 3.14pm 17th "I have been speaking to our supplier at length about your case and they have advised that you case has been passed to the Major System Fault team for further investigation and at this time they are not needing to send an engineer to your property. Once we have a further update from our supplier we will be back in touch."

No further contact and the speed has fallen to 47.0 & 11.1!!

The 'question' has all the data in it. The only thing that stands out to me is a very high level or error packets on the downstream side.

If the problem is indeed a "major system fault" I'd expect Openreach to be 'busting their gut" to fix it and keep the end user informed. Instead despite regularly updating the question with the deteriorating speed and asking what the problem is and when will it be fixed I am no wiser now than day one. To be honest I half expected problems as my order would have been 1st or second on the new cabinet and probably the first connection. The experience is of course much faster than the old ADSL service but not what was purchased by a long way.

The plusnet front line guys are unfailingly polite and friendly but seem to be locked in a system that defines 'soon' as days rather than minutes or hours. These days it is always a long queue to negotiate to get through to them and I relay have better things to do with my time.

Is this a typical saga? anybody found a way to get fast action?

24 REPLIES 24
adamwalker
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 16,871
Thanks: 882
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Registered: ‎27-04-2007

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Hi there,

 

Sorry to hear about the issue and how protracted it's become first of all.

 

Unfortunately some issues like this can meet delays but we would expect any issues identified as part of an MSO to be dealt with as urgently as possible.

 

I'd like to take this issue on and make sure we're pushing back as much as we can so please feel free to send me a PM with the username or a ticket ID.

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Adam Walker
 Plusnet Help Team
rongtw
Seasoned Hero
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Registered: ‎01-12-2010

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Told it would settle down and the speed increase over the next 10 days..... if only. Huh

once again There is no settling down 10 days for Fibre only ADSL , dont know why people are still being told this

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adamwalker
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 16,871
Thanks: 882
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Registered: ‎27-04-2007

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Thanks for the message as requested,

 

I've just been taking a look at this now. I apologise that we couldn't let you know about the engineer not visiting before the appointment, this is because we were unaware.

 

I can see that the fault has been cleared back to us asking us to arrange another engineer visit with you if the fault isn't yet resolved.

 

With that in mind I feel it best that we arrange the visit then I can monitor the fault daily to I can deal with any potential issues that might crop up prior to the visit taking place.


I'll update your ticket shortly.

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Adam Walker
 Plusnet Help Team
rjhazeldx
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 8
Registered: ‎19-08-2016

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Thanks Adam.

Seems like Openreach are playing ping pong with this.

Prior to update the connection was stable at 7.5mbs download and the new router had been in place for more than a week. The connection box at the top of the pole that serves us was replaced about 10 days earlier and a new piece of cable spliced in. The engineer that did that said they had tested the lines and they were good. Nothing on the internal cable has been changed for years. The only difference to most of the charts/diagrams is a small rectangular box at the side of the master socket which is some sort of filter, I think, installed by the Openreach engineer who put the modern side by side master socket in. Seems more likely to be a setting somewhere to me.

Hopefully the engineer visit can be arranged sooner rather than later.

 

rjhazeldx
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 8
Registered: ‎19-08-2016

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

No update showing this morning, No appointment made, another day goes by.........

mattprince
Grafter
Posts: 142
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎19-02-2013

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Plusnet don't care. At best you will get a pretty graph showing your connection is active, so therefore it must be working perfectly. Don't expect any sympathy either as if your quoted 80mb like i was , and it syncs at 68mb instead and then drops like a stone most weekends/evenings and your told its fine, then it must be fine?

rjhazeldx
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 8
Registered: ‎19-08-2016

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

and still no update and no appointment and another two days pass by........

The hydra that is BT needs a few heads chopping off. Whether it is Openrach or Wholesale or Plusnet  it is clear from the posts here and elsewhere the excellent customer service that Plusnet gave in the past has been lost what a shame.

mattprince
Grafter
Posts: 142
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Registered: ‎19-02-2013

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Plusnet are useless and blame every problem on BT. Look at my thread "garbage". 1 reply off someone from Plusnet and then stone silence when ive gone shirty. Im calling them tomorrow and getting it cancelled. If they try to charge me a cancellation fee ill go to the small claims court with my proof to get it back.

rjhazeldx
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 8
Registered: ‎19-08-2016

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Ran out of patience and braved the half hour wait on the phone. Told that they are now switching my connection to an  svlan which isn't over its threshold which will take a couple of days. Should help they say....we'll see.

rjhazeldx
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 8
Registered: ‎19-08-2016

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

The switch was eventually done on Thursday and surprise surprise no change.. No call from PlusNet or even message to say that the change had been made, only found out by calling them and braving the 40min or so to speak to an agent. Promised a call from the faults team before 10:00am this morning which unsurprisingly didn't come.  However, as I type this the 'question' has been updated and the issue is supposed to be an 'unbalanced cable' that should be sorted by end 1st September so nothing until the 2nd perhaps.

rjhazeldx
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 8
Registered: ‎19-08-2016

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Allegedly something was done last week that cleared the fault but the diagnostics showed the connection has slowed yet further when one of the Support team got round to looking at it last Sunday so decided, again, an Engineer visit is needed. Posted available times on the question Sunday night, rang in yesterday, still no action. It seems support staff don't look at updates for at least 3 days. My connection is now down to 38.7/10.5 mbs having started at 54.4/13.1 against estimate 60-78mbs download.

It seems that the excellent customer service PlusNet have provided in the past has been killed off in favour of BT standard which is the pitts. I have never before come across an organisation that did not prioritise long outstanding problems. It also wastes enormous amounts of time for customers calling the support number and finding that access is blocked to the support people actually dealing with the problem. The value of all the customers time wasted must be enormous but no one cares about that.

Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
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Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

I'm afraid that when I've gone to book an appointment there are none available until the 14th September in your area. Can you advise on the ticket of your availability after this date and let us know when you've done so and we'll get that booked in.

Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
rjhazeldx
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 8
Registered: ‎19-08-2016

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Done - as I have said on the ticket please make sure the engineer does actually attend this time and not do something upstream and claim it has solved the problem. The Openreach System seems to have a knack of saying a fault is fixed without the end user confirming that is the case. It would seem that any statistics on fault fixing they produce are significantly wrong. In this case they will claim a few days instead of 37 and counting.

rjhazeldx
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 8
Registered: ‎19-08-2016

Re: Why is fixing a fault on a new fibre connection so slow?

Another 24 hours has passed and still no sign of an appointment.......