Fucking BT Broadband

[magicroundabout]

For some reason every evening for the past 5 week days my broadband has gone into spaz mode.

I have run the "Full Speed" internet optimization(sp) and it says my line is ruinning at 0.5meg when i have 8meg fucking broadband.

Yet after 12pm or at 7am in the morning my line is running at 6.5 - 7.5meg.

I'm currently downloading an update for Battlefield 2142 and it's running at 25kps  :evil:

yet i bet when i run it in the morning it'll go back up to 300+kps.

why the fuck do they mess with the line all the time. If i'm paying for 8meg broadband then i want fucking 8meg bradband

rant over

[Fred Elliot]

Ive been having problems with BTB for the last 2 months mate

[Dazzza]

It’ll be the contention ratio, you’ll be sharing bandwidth with 50 other users in your local exchange and it sounds like you’re all hammering it at the same time.

Unfortunately I think it’s in the small print of your terms and conditions so they’re not bound to do anything but maybe worth a punt and calling the helpdesk and make a bit of noise and see what they come up with.

[Fred Elliot]

Thats exactly right Dazzza

and they wont/cant do anything

bastards

[magicroundabout]

i'll be glad when my contract runs out at the end of april.
no way will i stay with them.

i'll pay the £10 a month for Sky's 16meg broadband

[Bushey Boy]

my broadbands been down for 3 montsh in office, through lack of effort or knowledge I didnt complain as used another broadband however today I did.  They havent charged me for 3 months and apologised.  There not that bad

[yeo]

Surely Skys broadband uses the same BT exchange?

Or doesnt it work like that?

[lebowski]

i think bt own the exchange...

and that's about as much as i know about broadband.

[Barry Scott]

It's not actually BT. Like Dazza says its the contention ratio. A standard Broadband connection runs at 50-1. Meaning you can share your line with 50 other people. I think this also means that in theory the connection could be worse than dial up.

Very, very few providers will give a better contention ratio, although i think Bulldog used to do 25-1. They're all cunts at the end of the day and it's stated in the t&cs unfortunately.

[Dazzza]

BT Business is 20:1 and a few ISP’s offer a better ratio but you end up paying for the privilege.  

Worth reporting still as they can easily resolve it in the exchange and if you get the standard answer then go via customer services, highlight the fault reference and threaten to change your ISP when your contract expires.

[millom red]

Surely Skys broadband uses the same BT exchange?

Or doesnt it work like that?

Yes it does work like that Yeovil.

All these alternative providers have installed bits of kit in BT exchanges called Dslams(digital subscriber line access multi-plexers) which then allows them to re-sell BT broadband under their own badges and bill for the service themselves. So in effect, your broadband connection is a bit like a local area network extension on BT infra-structure.

 As others have said, contension rates are what slows down the uplink/downlink speed.

No real way around this unless you go for a non-contended fixed line or satellite broadband connection which are expensive,  and satellite links can be vulnerable during adverse weather conditions in my experience.
 :scribe:

Millom

[Ralphy]

BT are useless.

I've been with them 2 weeks now and i've already had enough.

To start with they sent me a BT Home Hub that didn't work.

I rang them to ask for a replacement and they said according to their records i have a Voyager 220v not a Home Hub and i would have to pay £50 for another Hub. :evil:

I spent an hour on the phone to their call centre in India trying to explain that there must be some mistake because i'd ordered a Hub and had one sat on my living room floor that didn't work.

They said they would only send a replacement Voyager. And guess what turned up in the post today? A Home Hub.

They really are useless.