No Broadband!

todayisagreatday

I know in the great scheme of things it isn't third world problems but I'm tearingy hair out with Openreach.

At the beginning of January I finally made contact with EE as the broadband had kept dropping out over Christmas and changing channel etc was having no impact. Getting hold of EE was problematic as I'm deaf and the 'use the NT Lite app' to ring technical support was really difficult as it relies on a WiFi connection and yep, you guess it, it kept dropping out so it was impossible to actually get technical support to do anything. After much complaining on Twitter I was filtered to complaints who took over the issue.

Openreach then visited:

Engineer 1 reported faulty router and some kind of line issues but 'fixed' if. Two days later problem started all over again, despite EE sending a new router. EE arranged another engineer to visit.

Engineer 2: Came 22/02 reported no faults. In typical fashion the router stayed connected and no drop outs whilst he was there. 2 hours later broadband died completely and router had lots of red and orange lights flashing. Tested landline and lots of issues too. Reported it again to EE who tested line and said they definitely had a fault but it was showing externally and Openreach wouldn't need access to the house.

27/02 EE said Openreach engineers can't find external issues so need to arrange to come back to the house, for a third time.

04/03 Openreach came today, tried to say it was 'the rain' before eventually discovering an underground problem. EE just emailed and confirmed in a nut shell the planks from Openreach who installed fibre 'over the road' have damaged some cables going towards my house. Estimated date of repair 12/03!!!

I work from home and need secure WiFi to connect to my work government site, my other half works from home and is doing a Masters. We have very poor mobile signal due to our rural area so we can't even get internet on our phones and unless you stand in the middle of the garden you can't even get a phone signal for calls. I also rely on broadband for WiFi calling, Skype etc due to being deaf and it's really inconvenient.

Is there anything I can do? EE complaints are tied up by Openreach timescales and so far no one has mentioned compensation. At this rate we will have to find alternative accommodation with secure WiFi just to work.

pmduk

If you're looking for an SLA you need to consult your business contract customer services point. If you've a consumer contract, you're at their goodwill.

Cisco001

I can't think of anything you can do other than waiting for the repair.

Is all mobile network with poor signal at your home?

todayisagreatday

pmduk wrote: »

If you're looking for an SLA you need to consult your business contract customer services point. If you've a consumer contract, you're at their goodwill.

Its consumer as the amount of homeworking varies as sometimes I'm in the office or have to go to London one night a week.

todayisagreatday

Cisco001 wrote: »

I can't think of anything you can do other than waiting for the repair.

Is all mobile network with poor signal at your home?

We moved last Easter and we have tried every mobile operator. Currently we are with Vodaphone and can just about get a signal for calls if you stand in one room and don't move! Three and EE non existent. O2 slightly worse than Vodaphone. That's what makes it worse, as we'd normally use WiFi calling, Skype, WhatsApp etc or live chat for any issues with other stuff....

Cisco001

Is there any day office you can hire temporarily?

Or do you have good friends or relatives living close to you?

todayisagreatday

Cisco001 wrote: »

Is there any day office you can hire temporarily?

Or do you have good friends or relatives living close to you?

I spent the whole of last week at my parents - they live 40 miles away and I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown after a week with them felt like I was a teenager all over again!

I'm currently overnight for two nights in the Hilton luckily, but due home on Wednesday night though the other half is trying to write and research an easy at home...

Our nearest neighbour has offered me to work from there on Thursday but my other half can't as she is allergic to dogs and they have one....

I'll just keep complaining then, I'm trying to get EE to send a portable WiFi thingy but they would also need some kind of signal booster too as we can't get EE signal so whether it would work is anyone's guess.

onomatopoeia99

todayisagreatday wrote: »

Its consumer as the amount of homeworking varies as sometimes I'm in the office or have to go to London one night a week.

It usually is a domestic consumer grade broadband product when people say they "need" their non-working broadband at home for their work



If you don't have a business grade product for your homeworking, then you have taken the decision that your home broadband connection is not essential for your work. You may wish to rethink that decision in the light of your experiences. You won't be able to get deals, cashback, pre-paid mastercards or other cobblers so beloved of the expert moneysavers on this site, but you should get a provider that can get their wholesale infrastructure provider to act a lot more quickly than a pound shop domestic provider.

Carrot007

todayisagreatday wrote: »

We moved last Easter and we have tried every mobile operator. Currently we are with Vodaphone and can just about get a signal for calls if you stand in one room and don't move!

I am in such an area. I get no signal on mobile in the house unless you are at the right window. However you would be suprised how much your body blocks the signal.


For the first month in the house I used and EE "mifi" (3g) router. Did the trick and got a good signla if I left it on the right window and went nowhere near myself.


As for your options. None. If you want a guaranteed service you have to pay for one. You should get a refund for days without access but expecting anything else is ridiculous. If you wanted competance on a consumber contract you would have gone with AAISP. Yes they are more expensive than the rest but a pitance compared to a commercial contract.

todayisagreatday

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

It usually is a domestic consumer grade broadband product when people say they "need" their non-working broadband at home for their work



If you don't have a business grade product for your homeworking, then you have taken the decision that your home broadband connection is not essential for your work. You may wish to rethink that decision in the light of your experiences. You won't be able to get deals, cashback, pre-paid mastercards or other cobblers so beloved of the expert moneysavers on this site, but you should get a provider that can get their wholesale infrastructure provider to act a lot more quickly than a pound shop domestic provider.

Well my parents, loyal BT customers for over 30 years had a business from home, paid or business provisions to BT - when they had an issue with the line the service was terrible. Now they are only domestic consumer and had a similar problem and equally as poor!

I think it all depends on what are you live as well, both me and my parents live in rural areas and there doesn't seem.to be any difference in service for business or domestic, regardless what you pay for!

todayisagreatday

I'll just wait and see what happens. Apparently the area where the issue is outside the village pub, so worst case scenario I may have to approach the pub and work from there.... Or if it starts to impact on them hopefully they can put some pressure on....