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When Is A Promise Not ‘really’ A promise?
I have been experiencing Broadband issues at home for several months and flagged this on at leart 3 occasions with BT. Several reboots later, the purchase of a new ‘super-duper’ BT TV box & Booster disc and I still have the same issues.
The most annoying being my mobile phone drops to ‘connected to wi-fi but not connected to internet’ randomly and regularly without any explanation, like as if BT cut it off to ‘save internet’? I also think, this occurs with my laptop but that reconnects automatically and is therefore not as noticeable.
Yesterday I reported the problem yet again and I had a call back from a lovely BT tech expert Ellen, calling from Ireland. She performed a Hub ‘Factory Reset’, remotely. She also told me of a website I could use to test my Broadband speeds ‘Ookla’ https://www.speedtest.net. I have since checked and rechecked my speeds which are still really low and nothing close to what I (believed) I am entitled to ‘promised’.
I checked both my laptop (which is brand new and fully up-to-date) and also my Mobile. The speeds are slightly better on my mobile but still way below expectations and what I believed I was promised within my broadband contract. Whilst checking I noticed that there are different servers? There are in-fact choices of many servers?
I was/am connected to a Manchester Server? I am in Liverpool? I tried connection to a closer server but again no significant improvement? I have since tried several. The best server (so far) has been Dudley Urfibre or Liverpool, Baltic District.
I reported this to BT Ellen who booked me in for a home visit with ‘a BT man’ According to the terms of my Broadband plan I am entitled to a FREE home Tech visit once per year. I mentioned potential compensation for past issues and possibly for issues moving forwards? Ellen sort of avoided this by saying, “lets get your system running the way it should do first”?
My Broadband Plan
Normal available speeds – Your normal available download speed will be 500 Mbps Your normal available upload speed will be 73 Mbps
Minimum guaranteed download speed – Your minimum guaranteed download speed will be 425 Mbps
Your Stay Fast Guarantee – You’ll get £20 back if you don’t get the speeds we promise you.
10.30AM 3rd January 2024 OOKLA Broadband Speed Test Results ID: 15704273404 – Tested & Measured on my (brand new) Laptop just six feet away from hub, (Wi-Fi connection), Download 74.06, Upload 72.35. Same test on my EE (BT) Mobile – connected to my home Wi-Fi – Download 191 (no upload).
10.30AM 4th January 2024 – The BT engineer has been and assessed my Broadband. BT man has checked everything and has provided some useful tips re positioning of Hub and booster disc. Apparently just the direction the hub and disc are pointing can be significant? Who’d have known? He also removed some old land line cabling and a filter, no longer in use as I am on fibre no longer copper, which might have also been part of my issues. He also clarified the terms of my BT Broadband speed promise. Interesting as this is completely different to my understanding.
We are led to believe (by BT marketing) that with superfast fibre we are guaranteed 425mbps minimum? What we are not told is that is measured, only on hardwired, at the Hub/Router, not Wi-Fi? What we get via WiFi is irrelevant? However, who hardwires their laptops, their ‘portable’ devices? ANYBODY?
It does seem very much BT are being somewhat ‘deliberately’ economical with the truth?
BT Man – Turns out (today when tested) I am getting ‘very good’ Speed at my Hub (above the promised minimum of 425mbps) and also decent speeds via Wi-Fi (apparently over 100mbps is good!). Although the service I use most (Wi-Fi) is clearly well under the 425mbps I expected ‘was promised’ and often as low as early 90’s.
What can I say other than hey ho, should have read the small print!
All of this still does not fully explain why my Wi-Fi speed dropped to practically zero yesterday? Why my mobile is regularly ‘bumped out’ of Wi-Fi? Maybe the factory reset has solved that now?
I am undecided as to how I now feel about BT Broadband? I suspect all the other providers also are a economical with the truth? All I know is people should read the small print when deciding on where to spend their hard earned cash!
Thanks for Reading
#Peace
Dying to Live 