Plusnet 50% loss of speeds

Robisere

I have returned to Plusnet after 12 months. I was promised a minimum of 13.1 Mbps Download and began with 14+. After 2 weeks it fell to 10 Mbps, then 9. Now my latest Speedtest.net shows 7 Down and 0.28 Up.

Trying to contact Plusnet and sort the problem, is like trying to knit fog. Initially I raised a Question on the website, had a lot of investigation and got to a stable 10+ Mbps. Now it has dropped again and I find that they have unilaterally closed the Question. I tried to contact the Chatline, waited 30 minutes, no joy. Then I tried the phone line, waited even longer, no result. Back to the website, added my information that I had not closed the Question and added another Speedtest file pic. The advice on the website? - Contact the chatline or phone! I have had enough.

ginster_67

not 100% sure but i think they manage their speeds during peak hours ,i left them as their speeds where poor

phillw

ginster_67 wrote: »

not 100% sure but i think they manage their speeds during peak hours ,i left them as their speeds where poor

Whether they manage them or not, at peak times you're going to have to get in a queue.

There are two things that affect what speed you get. The speed between you and the exchange, then the speed between your exchange and the internet. If it's slowing down at peak times then it's the later, if it's all the time then it's likely the former.

With adsl max the connection will start out fast and then drop as it "trains". If there are line problems then the exchange will drop the rate and try again. If you turn your router off over night, or if there is a line fault which upsets your internet when you use the phone, or a dodgy filter. Then the rate will keep dropping.

I once had the opposite problem, it was trying to set the rate too high and it would try slower speeds but not slow enough that it could maintain a connection at all. I had to get that escalated to open reach and took ages as nobody would take responsibility.

you can try a "tap 3" test by changing your broadband user name to speedtest@speedtest_domain (google it)

ginster_67

phillw wrote: »

Whether they manage them or not, at peak times you're going to have to get in a queue.

There are two things that affect what speed you get. The speed between you and the exchange, then the speed between your exchange and the internet. If it's slowing down at peak times then it's the later, if it's all the time then it's likely the former.

With adsl max the connection will start out fast and then drop as it "trains". If there are line problems then the exchange will drop the rate and try again. If you turn your router off over night, or if there is a line fault which upsets your internet when you use the phone, or a dodgy filter. Then the rate will keep dropping.

I once had the opposite problem, it was trying to set the rate too high and it would try slower speeds but not slow enough that it could maintain a connection at all. I had to get that escalated to open reach and took ages as nobody would take responsibility.

you can try a "tap 3" test by changing your broadband user name to speedtest@speedtest_domain (google it)

Like i wrote it was during peak hours but since been with both bt and now ee and their speeds are constant and also the highest i have managed to achieve at my address under ee although they are both the same company

Robisere

I have had a great deal of assistance from Plusnet over the last 48 hours. The list of checks and tests in the Support pages, is far too extensive to display here. In the end, they gave me someting unusual for a customer-serving organisation today: complete honesty. They admitted that they were baffled by my problem. There is a problem at my village location with my FTTC service, that they simply cannot solve. They have emailed and phoned me several times with a full description of what they have done, and followed that with a full story in the Members Centre and my Support Page.

I managed to extract a half-admission that their parent company was responsible for some part of the problem, but clammed up after that. Then they made me a really good offer of a serious reduction in my monthly payment, for the rest of my contract. It is obvious that I would have the same problem if I switched again, and they offered to release me without penalty if I wished. However, I do not believe that another ISP would be as upfront and give enough effort to trying to help. So I am staying with Plusnet for now.

phillw: as I say I have an FTTC service, and the 'queue' you are talking about is contention, mainly relevant to an ADSL service. There is some loss with FTTC, and I am at the end of a long distance (>750m) from the 'Superfast' cabinet.

Tonight I have a fairly good 11.3 Mbps Download and 0.59 Upload. If I can stay within that area, I will be happy, in view of the generous reduction in charges by Plusnet.

Kcj999

Hi

In September I also had problem with broadband speed and was not able to use my broadband due to this. JOHN LEWIS/PLUSNET MONITORED it over a number if days and advised I should have engineer out. Day before engineer was due out speed seemed to pick up. I called john lewis to say thought we should cancelled only to be talked around that it could go again, so said to keep.BT engineer came checked line couldnt find fault, visited the junction box as advised wires could have been disturbed and could be causing problem. He also said that provider had done something like rebooted their end. He did say the main socket was old something about earth wire so replaced it. 3 months later I am contacted to say I am being charged £50 for call out. As provider say it was my fault that broadband wasnt working. Only thing that has changed is the main socket front which I am told is my responsibility, but sure this is BT not me. Can anyone help? John lewis have been terrible and wont even help just saying the fault is on my part . Have had a very rude man say even if I escalate they will come back the same. Will be looking to move provider as not the customer service I am use to from JL. Anyone know who I can talk to at BT to get an understanding. Thanks

JJ_Egan

BT OR do not interface with the public .Your ISP provides all that .
What is this main Socket ?? The BT master socket or one of your sockets .
BT OR call out fee is normally circa £130 .

Kcj999

Main socket is master socket. Have asked for engineers report.

Robisere

Can you photograph and give us a pic of your Master socket?
Are you on ADSL or Fibre (FTTC, although at those speeds I doubt it)

I ask because there is a new BT socket out since Feb '16.

JL have done what they can, which is test the line and call out a BT engineer. I had these problems myself when I first had Plusnet FTTC 4 years ago, they sent an engineer out a total of 5 times and never really sorted it. I went to Sky for a year and they sent out engineers: the last one was by far the best, a young guy really on the ball. He found a problem with the line from the pole to my house and fitted a screened line. Then he found and fixed an underground cable fault. Then he spotted the ancient and corroded "GPO" connection into the house, after which he fitted a new one and moved it to directly opposite a new BT inside socket. For other reasons, I left Sky and went back to Plusnet, the results are in Page 5 above.

Our problem, as I suspect yours may be, is that we are rural, but at the moment I feel we have the best we can get here at around 11.5 Mbps.

Make yourself a b****y nuisance to JL, that's what I did with Plusnet. You may be better off going directly to Plusnet: their website is good and they have given me great help.