intermittentSlow speeds since 4th December on MK FTTP

[#1]

@dave (plusnet)
Is my fttp line part of the issue that BTW are working on as you noted here on Monday 27th January at 15:17?

[#2]

Also noticed some fairly slow speeds earlier this evening. Not as bad it is has been in previous problem evenings though i.e. it's been usable.
I was seeing 5Mbps from the BTW speed test between 6-7 pm. Seems to have picked up again now though, seeing 40-50Mbps at 8:30.

[#3]

Speedtest.net using London server now showing:-


So going back up.
PN is sending a engineer out of Saturday morning so hope it is slow then. The three previous engineers got bored when I couldn't show them anything. Although as it is not my equipment but the exchange where the issue is, I have no idea what they hope to get out of it.

[#4]

Connection back to being fairly unusable again now. BTW performance test reports 0.42 Mbps at 23:30. Can't watch sd streams on iplayer right now.

[#5]

Excellent post from MKWanderer on the bt thread. Perfectly explains the symptoms I've been experiencing and far more eloquently than I could.
https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Infinity-Speed-Connection/FTTP-Problems-0-86Mbps-down/m-p/1155588/hig...

[#6]

Yes, he gives a lot of detail about the problem - this will surely be of more use to BT Wholesale/Openreach than an engineer coming to check the connection. Also, he's actually with IDNET, not AAISP (as I thought he was).
Hippey has a good idea that anyone on there with FVA (Fibre Voice Access/Multicast TV - which will be pretty much just BT Retail customers) should check if these are affected too when the speeds grind to a halt.

[#7]

Yes I've already told PN everything that MKWanderer put in his post but still the mantra of send the engineer persists. Over the past 8.5 weeks I've explain what happens but no-one seems to be taking it seriously. Dave hasn't even confirmed if my circuit is one of the ones that BTW are looking at and he had that data on Monday gone. I've had no info from PN, it is really shocking customer service. Plus I've been billed twice for full service, what a joke.
So I'm getting really annoyed with this situation. There seems to be no ending to it.
Two minutes ago I couldn't even run speedtest.net in London. Now it is

[#8]

Quote from: georgelnx

Yes I've already told PN everything that MKWanderer put in his post but still the mantra of send the engineer persists.

That's not Plusnet's fault - it's the stupidity of BTw and OpenReach who insist on making as many ways possible of wasting everyone's time.

[#9]

@jelv , @AndyH
Hi, I don't wish to argue but my contract is with Plusnet (wholly owned by BT plc) and all my complaints are with Plusnet as they are the service provider and liable to me in law. If they choose to use BTW and Openreach to provide my services then it still means that Plusnet are liable as I am to Plusnet if I didn't pay my bill.
In any case, any profits that BT plc would see from my contract with Plusnet have now no doubt been wasted on not investigating this issue early on. It was down to the actions of AndyH ( a customer) who linked together that this issue was wide ranging and effecting any fttp user in Walnut Tree. Through AndyH's work and myself and other users complaining we might get BT plc to fix this issue but not if we fall into the trap of not complaining to the companies we are contracted to and not raising the issue again and again in public forums.
@everyone else
BTW speedtest is now at 2.43Mbps/18.44Mbps/138.75ms on a line rated 76Mbps/20Mbps

[#10]

19:50 BTW speedtest still 2.3Mbps/18.Mbps/28ms
Cannot run speedtest.net against the London server as the download test never starts.  Against the Newbury server the speed is

Against MK server the speed is

So basically any traffic in Milton Keynes is fine, any traffic on the back haul out to other locations is running slow.

[#11]

@ Georgelnx
The thing I don't quite get is that the traffic has to go through PN's gateways in the first place, which are located in London. So in theory, a London located server should give a higher speed test result than a MK based server. This problem, for some strange reason, seems be very geographic.
In terms of your contract etc. with PlusNet, I appreciate what you're saying. The problem is PlusNet sell a product supplied by BT Wholesale and provided by Openreach. If a customer has a problem that needs a fault raising, PlusNet have to go to their suppliers and follow their procedures.
When there is a more technical problem like this (which is affecting multiple users across various ISPs), it does seem that BT Wholesale/Openreach waste a lot of time (as jelv says) by sending out engineers who are not trained in problems like this. What I am struggling to get my head around is that they have clearly identified a bit of the FTTP kit (most likely in the exchange) that is not working as it should and they have engaged the equipment manufacturer for a solution. If the engineer coming to see you is bringing along a specialist from the equipment manufacturer, then fair enough - it's a positive step. However, if it is just another engineer that is coming to check your line is connected ok, then this is another wild goose chase and a waste of everyone's time.
In terms of PlusNet picking up problems like this, it can be tricky. You were the only one reporting at the time, even though other PlusNet users in Walnut Tree were affected. I only picked up on it by chance because another MKBAG user in Newton Leys was having speed problems. People do need to report any issues because they can be grouped together geographically like this and more info can be sought.

[#12]

Well the engineer has just called in.
I was his 4th call to test fttp and the second in my immediate area. He was sent to do a light check on the cable. As he was the third engineer to test the light, it should be no surprise that he found it to be working perfectly and well within specification.
And that was it. He had no special access to the HLE (Higher Level Escalation) team and wasn't a happy bunny when I told him that PN had told me that he did.
SO a BIG WASTE OF TIME.
I re-iterated to him that unless he makes it clear that the problem is in the exchange then things would not necessarily improve. Nobody believes the customer.
He did say he was going to email HLE and also ask that they stop  checking out perfectly good fibres until after any work is done in the exchange.
I really hope he does.
In the meantime, my speed is still down in the 1Mbps and lower range and now has been since Thursday afternoon. Ping times are in 3 digits most of the time.
Going to stop updating this topic until the issue is fixed. Fed up typing the same things, over and over for nearly nine weeks. Will only update my support ticket from now on.
P.S. Topic should really now be called "DEAD SLOW FTTP".

[#13]

That is disappointing.
Was this appointment on PN's or BTW's request?

[#14]

Quote from: georgelnx

@dave (plusnet) Is my fttp line part of the issue that BTW are working on as you noted here on Monday 27th January at 15:17?

Looks like the problem on your line is separate to that one, the one that was flagged up was affecting ADSL2+ customers not fibre customers (we didn't know who was affected at the time it got picked up). BTW changed out a card at the exchange on Saturday morning which they believed to be affecting you and the other fibre people but the feedback from the BTR customers so far was showing no improvement so they were already investigating further.

[#15]

Current speedtest.net

And the line has been this bad since 19:00hrs on Thursday 30 January with no let ups. At least it used to get better, now it doesn't.
Took 50 minutes to download a 37MB file this afternoon, no other traffic at the time. Normally would take 15 seconds or less for a file from this site.