I have had it with BT!!
about 2 weeks ago the internet cr@pped out on me, i get a message on the computer saying that the homehub was not connected and it gacve me a number which i rang.
Now the problem wasnt just the broadband but the phone line as well which was quite crackly so i tell them my phone line is dodgy and the broadband is intermittent and slow. i could see the phone line to the telegraph pole was noiceably older than the rest and point this out to them
anyone who has spoken to BT's indian call centre knows what happens next - but after half an hour of working through the script, doing various tests and them claiming there was no fault on the line they agree to send an engineer, with the warning that it will cost me if it is a problem after the phone line enters the house (about £65 callout)
So the engineer turns up, a broadband specialist. I tell him what i told the call centre, that the phone line is dodgy and causing the broadband to be slow. He was very helpfull actually but couldnt fix the line problems. what he did manage to do was make my broadband more stable and left me with a new homehub free of charge. but not increase the speed any... he leaves still me stuck at 0.1meg, but at least its a consistent 0.1meg, and he had confirmed the line is ery dodgy. BT are going to do some tests and phone back to let me know when to fix the line.
An hour or so later i get the phone call back from BT indiaand without any explanation i am told to ring another number before the phone is put down on me. so i phone the number and get put through to the broadband people in india - who i dont need to speak too since its a line fault! after about an hour of being transferred between the various departments.. a nice game of tennis between the broadband people and the phone line people they finally agree to send out an engineer to look at the line. however they are insistent there is no fault and these engineers will charge you a £115 call out fee +£99 fix fee if the problem is with your equipment - which the call centres are insisting will be the case. but what choice is there!!
Another engineer comes out, again really helpfull. He looks up at the line and says " theres your problem, i will just change that wire". great! SO that gets sorted and i now have a wonderfully clear phone line, the best its ever been... but i do a speed test on my broadband and its still 135k at the most. The engineer says not to worry as it should sync back up to speed in a day or two. fair enough!
BT india phone me to ask if I am happy with the resolution but dont seem satisfied with my andwer that "i will be happy when my internet gives the speeds it should!"
anyway, i wait patiently and nothing changes. the fault on the phone line is now fixed but the internet is still painfully slow!
I have been doing speed tests using BT's site throughout this and this is what i have been getting since the phone line was fixed:
DSL conenction rate: 6848kps (Downstream) 448kps (upstream)
IP profile for your line: 135kps
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test: 117kps
OK, i am not engineer but i see the problem, my IP profile (135k) is clearly way below what my line is now capable of (6848k). Bt dont recognise this as a fault and after another long call centre ordeal and they want to send out another engineer - again with the warning of costs if its my equipment at fault. no body seemed to understand what i was saying about IP profiles.
Engineer comes this morning, and is another very helpful chap.
After fixing a fualt at teh exchange he comes around to see if its working better, it isnt.
he tests the line with his laptop and modem, registers as 6meg.
Tests my computer though homehub, gets 135k
Tests his laptop through my homehub gets 135k
Test my computer through homehub #2, gets 135k
tests his laptop through homehub #2, gets 135k
so from that we know the line is capable of 6meg, we know my computer isnt at fault and we also know its not a broken homehub, because we get the same with both - one of which is brand new. He openly admits he is completely flumoxed and hasnt got a clue what to write in his notes
So BT india phone and ask if i am happy with the resolution, and seem suprised when i say no. this time i repeat all the BT speedtester results and mention the IP profile thing again and for the first time i get someone who doesnt pretend like i am making it up and does seem to have heard of a stuck IP profile before, but he wants to speak to a tech person ....
so now i am waiting for yet another call from BT india to tell me there is no recognisable fault and they want to send an engineer out again!! or hopefully we might be getting somewhere but i have been sucked into thinking that before :x
so all in all, extremely shite service from BT india (broadband and phone line departments)... some very helpful engineers and a forthcoming transfer over to sky!!!
the funniest bit of this whole thing was when the first engineer tried to report the line fault again for me. He had just as much trouble as i did with the call centre. they denied there was a line fault right at the same time as complaining they couldnt understand what he was saying!!
sorry, just felt the need to vent !! apparently its unreasonable when i do it to an indian call centre
