Pipex/Talk Talk woes, again!

Have been with Pipex for years with no problems, but now they've been
taken over by Talk Talk they're an absolute nightmare!

Due to line length, I don't get the greatest speeds, 1536kbps down and
280 up, but it's normally pretty reliable and consistent. At the weekend
I noticed the download had dropped to 800kbps but the upload had gone up
to 450kbps.

Rang support, did all the normal checks, didn't sort it and was told a
2nd level support person would ring me between 11am and 1pm on Sunday,
they rang me at 8pm!

Went through some more checks, including connecting directly to the test
socket, no improvement. They suggested I try a new router. Which I've
now done, changed the router, all the cables and the filter, no
improvement. Speed has now dropped further to 380kbps, all I was getting
from "support" was text saying "our engineers report your issue has been
resolved, text back if not".

Eventually got to speak to someone again last night, still no
improvement, they say they've checked the line and there's no problem
and want to send an engineer next Tuesday, but if they find a fault at
my end they are going to charge me for the visit. Having changed
everything completely at my end, I can't see how the fault can be at my
end, can it? I don't see how before the weekend everything was fine and
then suddenly down speed halves and up speed doubles when I've not
touched anything can be my end, but I guess we'll see what the engineer
says.

No amount of threatening to take my business elsewhere made the
slightest difference, not to getting an engineer out sooner or waiving
the threat of a charge, they just kept saying "that's up to you".

So pretty much decided to change ISP's, but my contact doesn't run out
until May, so I'm stuck with them for a while yet, so would obviously
like this sorting.

Any tips as to what might be wrong my end or issues I should raise with
the engineer when he comes?
--
Sean Black

On 10/02/2011 09:16, Sean Black wrote:

> Eventually got to speak to someone again last night, still no
> improvement, they say they've checked the line and there's no problem
> and want to send an engineer next Tuesday, but if they find a fault at
> my end they are going to charge me for the visit. Having changed
> everything completely at my end, I can't see how the fault can be at my
> end, can it?

They'll subcontract to someone that will come out and fix your line.
Don't know who they are exactly but don't think I've read anything here
negative about the job they have done, as opposed to the behavior of
talk talk themselves.

--
Adrian C

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Adrian C
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>On 10/02/2011 09:16, Sean Black wrote:
>
>> Eventually got to speak to someone again last night, still no
>> improvement, they say they've checked the line and there's no problem
>> and want to send an engineer next Tuesday, but if they find a fault at
>> my end they are going to charge me for the visit. Having changed
>> everything completely at my end, I can't see how the fault can be at my
>> end, can it?
>
>They'll subcontract to someone that will come out and fix your line.
>Don't know who they are exactly but don't think I've read anything here
>negative about the job they have done, as opposed to the behavior of
>talk talk themselves.
>
Thanks for that. I had visions of them coming out saying the fault was
my end, whether it was or not and charging me for the visit, which is
why I've taken the day off work and will be there myself, rather than
just leave the wife to deal with the engineer. I'll at least have a
vague idea what he's talking about, whereas she wouldn't have a clue and
would have forgotten everything he'd said by the time I got home :-)
--
Sean Black

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, George Weston
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>On 10/02/2011 09:16, Sean Black wrote:
>> Have been with Pipex for years with no problems, but now they've been
>> taken over by Talk Talk they're an absolute nightmare!
>>
>> Due to line length, I don't get the greatest speeds, 1536kbps down and
>> 280 up, but it's normally pretty reliable and consistent. At the weekend
>> I noticed the download had dropped to 800kbps but the upload had gone up
>> to 450kbps.
>>
>> Rang support, did all the normal checks, didn't sort it and was told a
>> 2nd level support person would ring me between 11am and 1pm on Sunday,
>> they rang me at 8pm!
>>
>> Went through some more checks, including connecting directly to the test
>> socket, no improvement. They suggested I try a new router. Which I've
>> now done, changed the router, all the cables and the filter, no
>> improvement. Speed has now dropped further to 380kbps, all I was getting
>> from "support" was text saying "our engineers report your issue has been
>> resolved, text back if not".
>>
>> Eventually got to speak to someone again last night, still no
>> improvement, they say they've checked the line and there's no problem
>> and want to send an engineer next Tuesday, but if they find a fault at
>> my end they are going to charge me for the visit. Having changed
>> everything completely at my end, I can't see how the fault can be at my
>> end, can it? I don't see how before the weekend everything was fine and
>> then suddenly down speed halves and up speed doubles when I've not
>> touched anything can be my end, but I guess we'll see what the engineer
>> says.
>>
>> No amount of threatening to take my business elsewhere made the
>> slightest difference, not to getting an engineer out sooner or waiving
>> the threat of a charge, they just kept saying "that's up to you".
>>
>> So pretty much decided to change ISP's, but my contact doesn't run out
>> until May, so I'm stuck with them for a while yet, so would obviously
>> like this sorting.
>>
>> Any tips as to what might be wrong my end or issues I should raise with
>> the engineer when he comes?
>
>If they're any good, they should send out someone from Openreach.
>However, they might send out a sub-contractor, as some ISPs do, in
>which case, be warned!
>If they find anything wrong with your internal wiring (have you got any
>extension phone sockets?) they will charge you.
>If the fault is between your master socket and the outside world, it
>won't be chargeable.
>Hope that helps.
>
I've basically got a BT socket, into which is plugged a splitter, with
one half going to phone/Sky box with a filter and the other half going
via an extension to the router. All three have been happily playing
together for years, until last weekend.

I've replaced the splitter, extension, router and filters to no effect.
I've removed the connection to the phone/Sky box and plugged the
extension directly into the main socket, I've tried plugging the router,
minus the extension into the main socket and also removing the cover to
the main socket and plugging the router directly into the test socket,
all to no effect. I really can't see how they can possibly say it's
anything my side, but I'm sure they'll try and find a reason to charge
me anyway, which is why I'm taking the day off to see to the engineer
myself!
--
Sean Black

In article <oDF$G6JhPAVNFwD+@virgin.net>, "Sean Black" wrote:
>
> I've replaced the splitter, extension, router and filters to no effect.
> I've removed the connection to the phone/Sky box and plugged the
> extension directly into the main socket, I've tried plugging the router,
> minus the extension into the main socket and also removing the cover to
> the main socket and plugging the router directly into the test socket,
> all to no effect. I really can't see how they can possibly say it's
> anything my side, but I'm sure they'll try and find a reason to charge
> me anyway, which is why I'm taking the day off to see to the engineer
> myself!

When the OR engineer comes, let him see you are running with the router
connected directly to the test socket. You can use a known good filter to
do the BT to RJ11 conversion. (Filters do fail due to component ageing in
the filter causing the line to get slower and slower - I have a socket
converter with no filter inside so this can't be part of the problem - OK
plugs & sockets do wear but...) Let OR plug their test set directly into
the test socket and see what they find. If their test is OK, you can try
your routers and different cables, which you have tested before they
arrive to see if the problem is still there. (Note that OR may go to the
exchange end first and do something there that clears the fault... I hope
you have a good ISP that can monitor their end and log exact times since
they are OR's customer to whom any charge will be made)

Make no attempt to plug in the faceplate back into the test socket until
instructed so to do by your ISP and DO NOT let OR "play" with your house
wiring. You might have a problem with your wiring, but that's not the
reason why you have the OR engineer on-site. If you let them touch your
wiring, then it is a chargeable call. You have a fault at the test
socket so all the testing should be done there.

I assume you have checked there is no other house wiring directly
connected to the BT wiring before the test socket? You don't have an old
Redcare or similar alarm system and there are no incorrectly installed
extension sockets?

--
John W

Meanwhile, at the uk.telecom.broadband Job Justification Hearings, Sean
Black chose the tried and tested strategy of:

> Due to line length, I don't get the greatest speeds, 1536kbps down and
> 280 up, but it's normally pretty reliable and consistent. At the weekend
> I noticed the download had dropped to 800kbps but the upload had gone up
> to 450kbps.

Have they agreed with you that a drop in sync speed indicates a fault? It's
possible for there to be a change in sync speed without there being a
"fault" as such. Have they told you what the fault threshold rate is [or
Talk Talks equivalent - not sure if you're on LLU or not] for your line?

--
<http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) ((E-Mail Removed))
21:11:56 up 1:26, 6 users, load average: 0.11, 0.12, 0.32
"I am utterly appalled at how I have been treated like a criminal"
-- Andrew Crossley, ACS:Law, 13 August 2010

On Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:16:29 +0000, Sean Black
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

Hello

I have had my downstream connection speed (figures taken from the
router) halved for the last 2 days.

Looking at their network status logs there are lots of area codes with
problems - down to BT Openreach it appears.

This has happended before and I'm about to ask for a MAC key!

Cheers

Geoff

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, alexd <(E-Mail Removed)>
writes
>Meanwhile, at the uk.telecom.broadband Job Justification Hearings, Sean
>Black chose the tried and tested strategy of:
>
>> Due to line length, I don't get the greatest speeds, 1536kbps down and
>> 280 up, but it's normally pretty reliable and consistent. At the weekend
>> I noticed the download had dropped to 800kbps but the upload had gone up
>> to 450kbps.
>
>Have they agreed with you that a drop in sync speed indicates a fault? It's
>possible for there to be a change in sync speed without there being a
>"fault" as such. Have they told you what the fault threshold rate is [or
>Talk Talks equivalent - not sure if you're on LLU or not] for your line?
>

Quick update.

After a call on Weds and being told that they wanted to send on of their
(not Open Reach) engineers out and telling me there would be a £30 fee
if the fault was found at my end and the visit arranged for Tuesday as
their engineers didn't do Saturday call outs, I got another call from
them last night.

We went through what I'd tried again, new router, new cables, new filter
even a new splitter plug thing so I can have Sky box/phone on one and
router on the other, she then put me on hold while she went of to test
the line and found it was syncing at 330kbps down and 499kbps up which
she agreed was lower than it should be.

She then went on to say they'd arrange an engineer call out, "but I've
already had one arranged for next Tuesday" I said, but no, they couldn't
find a record of that, so arranged one for tomorrow, Saturday, even
though the other guy told me they don't do Saturdays. OK, suits me, the
sooner it gets sorted the better. Then they said they fee would be £47
if a fault was found my end. I queried why it had gone from £30 to £47
and she said she had no idea why the other guy had said £30. So I
agreed, I just want it sorted, I'll argue about the cost later if it
comes to that.

So then she asked me to confirm my details, so I told her my name and
address. "Sorry, that's not the address we've got on the system". OK....
I told her I'd only lived at this address for the best part of 20 years
and had in fact been a customer with them since March 2002, but she
informed my address was wrong and my name was in fact John Scales, which
was obviously news to me!

She then asked me to confirm my phone number which I did. It was then
she discovered she'd actually got the wrong account up on her computer!
I asked her in that case, if she'd actually tested my line and not John
Scales line, she assured me she had and that she'd just got the wrong
screen open on her computer.

So, I await the engineer visit tomorrow and see what happens, but after
those two phone calls, I'm not exactly brimming with confidence that
anything is going to be sorted, assuming the engineer comes to my house,
and John Scales doesn't get a knock on the door tomorrow morning!

I think my contract is up in May, so this is pretty much the last straw
for me, I shall request a MAC nearer the time and jump ship to somewhere
else.

Shame really as for the most part, especially when they were actually
Pipex, I've had for the most part 9 years of pretty much faultless
service.
--
Sean Black

On Thu, 10 Feb 2011 23:13:54 +0000, Geoff <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:16:29 +0000, Sean Black
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>Hello
>
>I have had my downstream connection speed (figures taken from the
>router) halved for the last 2 days.
>
>Looking at their network status logs there are lots of area codes with
>problems - down to BT Openreach it appears.
>
>This has happended before and I'm about to ask for a MAC key!

Talktalk tell me that the low line speed can have nothing to do with
them. They tested my line and it was OK but they reset the line at
their end and all is well again. May have been that the telephone
cable was knocked by the gas contractors in the road? Who knows?!

Cheers

Geoff

>
>Cheers
>
>Geoff

"Sean Black" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Have been with Pipex for years with no problems, but now they've been
> taken over by Talk Talk they're an absolute nightmare!
>
> Due to line length, I don't get the greatest speeds, 1536kbps down and 280
> up, but it's normally pretty reliable and consistent. At the weekend I
> noticed the download had dropped to 800kbps but the upload had gone up to
> 450kbps.
>
> Rang support, did all the normal checks, didn't sort it and was told a 2nd
> level support person would ring me between 11am and 1pm on Sunday, they
> rang me at 8pm!
>
> Went through some more checks, including connecting directly to the test
> socket, no improvement. They suggested I try a new router. Which I've now
> done, changed the router, all the cables and the filter, no improvement.
> Speed has now dropped further to 380kbps, all I was getting from "support"
> was text saying "our engineers report your issue has been resolved, text
> back if not".
>
> Eventually got to speak to someone again last night, still no improvement,
> they say they've checked the line and there's no problem and want to send
> an engineer next Tuesday, but if they find a fault at my end they are
> going to charge me for the visit. Having changed everything completely at
> my end, I can't see how the fault can be at my end, can it? I don't see
> how before the weekend everything was fine and then suddenly down speed
> halves and up speed doubles when I've not touched anything can be my end,
> but I guess we'll see what the engineer says.
>
> No amount of threatening to take my business elsewhere made the slightest
> difference, not to getting an engineer out sooner or waiving the threat of
> a charge, they just kept saying "that's up to you".
>
> So pretty much decided to change ISP's, but my contact doesn't run out
> until May, so I'm stuck with them for a while yet, so would obviously like
> this sorting.
>
> Any tips as to what might be wrong my end or issues I should raise with
> the engineer when he comes?
> --
> Sean Black

It's difficult to imagine what line fault could decrease the download speed
while increasing the upload speed, therefore I think there's a good chance
that they've reconfigured something incorrectly at the exchange, possibly
they've accidentally taken you off reach extended ADSL onto normal ADSL.

--

Brian Gregory. (In the UK)
(E-Mail Removed)
To email me remove the letter vee.