BB Speed Suddenly Dropped

[Cluster-Lizard]

Ever since I was shifted to FTTC about two years ago my speed has been a pleasingly consistent 35+Mbs.

However last night (28.04.22) I realised my speed had dropped and when I checked it was showing almost 50% slower at 19Mbs. I turned the router off and on again, as is recommended practice, and it immediately went back to the 37 - 38Mbs I usually get.

Today I've just booted up and I noticed  immediately the speed was low and when I checked it I was disturbed to find it at 7.3MBs with the upload speed of 0.5Mbs, actually less than when I was not using FTTC.

Almost needless to say that there have been no relevant or any other changes at all my end and my experience is this sort of thing is always an external problem - wire to cabinet, cabinet, and most likely the connection to the exchange or an exchange problem.

I spent over six years on ADSL 'copper cable'' broadband with speed drops at least a couple of times a year and went through all the disruptive, tiresome and ultimately pointless checks on each occasion just to prove it wasn't a problem my end. It never was.

The fact I've been getting consistent 35+Mbs for two years, maybe longer,  even though the equipment I'm using and the wiring in my house to the master socket was and is exactly the same pretty much proves I was being given the run around as to the cause of the poor speeds for that six plus years before.

So whatever it is this time I can be 99% certain it is not a problem my end unless it is the router which TalkTalk provided me with. It is the same one that was giving me <2.5Mbs the time I last complained about the speed before FTTC was enabled and which 'magically' without any changes has given me the consistent 35+Mbs ever since up until now. 

The fact it reconnected at 37+Mbs last night also suggests it is not the problem.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

I'm sorry for the delay. Have you been in contact with our Tech Team or do you still need assistance with this?

Thanks

[Skynet_TX]

Main customer services number is 0345 172 0088

[Cluster-Lizard]

That is what I thought would be the case - just my luck a problem like this occurring during a Bank Holiday weekend.

So another 48hrs of 3Mbs speed with occasional complete cut offs and the possibility of it being lost completely before an OR visit can even be organised.

BTW what number do I call (using a mobile of course) to arrange things if the internet connection goes completely?

[martswain]

OR engineers cannot be arranged directly by customers, OR only deal with the relevant ISP.

You'll have to report the lack of landline by phone or chat.

Staff will be back here to assist you after the bank holiday.

[Cluster-Lizard]

Thank you for the information - I'd already done a line test before my first post and TalkTalk's own diagnostics reported nothing wrong except that the speed was at 7Mbs, 80% slower than normal.

As said my BB connection now is running at 3Mbs and has been since last night.

The landline is also still as dead as a dodo and as that was tested using both my normal, unchanged physical set up and everything disconnected except the handset using the internal master socket. The hand set is clearly getting no power from the external line.

If you call the landline on a mobile you get the ring tone on the mobile but the landline 'phone itself does not ring. I've tested  three known good handsets just to be certain.

There must just be enough power for the severely reduced BB connection. A faulty connection at the cabinet from liquid ingress, vandalism, accidentally by a previous OR engineer fixing somebody else's fault or in the cables from my property to the cabinet seems the most likely explanation.

The diagnostics I tried via the TalkTalk links here do not report the problem because there is still some sort of connection working or I would not have been able to post this message. But a sudden drop to 7Mbs (now 3Mbs) > 80% loss of speed apparently is not seen as an indication of a fault. 🤔

I'll try the testing again and see if I can arrange an OR visit that way but if not I'm pretty sure this matter is not going to 'fix itself' unless it is an exchange problem. I would not rule that out as I've had, in the past, more than one 24+hrs loss of service with no explanation and then, mysteriously, magically, everything returns to normal.

But in absence of that happening I'll have to try to arrange an OR engineer investigation/visit myself it appears.

EDIT

Tried all the not at all helpful stuff on the TalkTalk web site. Live Chat apparently unavailable, the Live Chat link button did not do anything.

At one point I was believing that the problem might be because I'd reached some unspecified limit on my BB or landline use. But even if it was TalkTalk mistakenly throttling my service the evidence contradicts that as you're still supposed to be able to make emergency calls and be able to contact TT via the landline. But, as said, the line is completely dead.

In any case I've not made any landline calls this month that I can think of and typically my call costs are £0 - £5/month with a limit of £19.

BB Fibre35 is, supposedly 'unlimited' and whilst I've been using it more than usual I've not been using it excessively this month either. You would hope that if it was TT throttling that they might at least warn you beforehand so an extra payment could be made. But that should not be the case here and doesn't fit the evidence either unless my service is being mistakenly throttled.           

[Skynet_TX]

Hi @Cluster-Lizard,

It would be worth going to the Service Centre to run a connection test on your line, if this can clearly detect an external fault it may be able to arrange an engineer callout automatically. You can also access this from the ‘My Account’ site.

If the line connection test doesn't allow you to arrange an engineer then you will need to contact TalkTalk using the live chat or phone if you want help over the bank holiday weekend.

The Support Team on this community probably won't be around until Tuesday now, so you may get faster support by using the live chat or calling customer services on 0345 172 0088 over the weekend, however the Support Team here should respond to this topic early next week to help if you are still having issues.

[Cluster-Lizard]

I don't use Wif-Fi, all wired.

Definitely external - my speed is now down to 3Mbs and I lost it completely for a couple of hours after I posted the original report. Router orange light flashing continuously.

But since then I've tested another PC separately wired to the same router/modem and that reports the same internet speed so certainly not a PC problem..

I then checked my landline and its completely dead no dial tone and no ring tone when I called the number on a mobile. Also I have now tested it just using the internal master plug socket and the problem remains. As expected all the evidence means it must be a fault external to my property.

I once lost the ring tone on the landline years ago and when the OR guy came he confirmed it was a cabinet connection issue. I would not be surprised if that was the source of the problem this time too - a bad connection or a deteriorated connection to or at the cabinet but just good enough for lousy internet speed.

That's just a guess of course; it could be at the exchange.

Wherever it is it needs fixing, ASAP please.

[martswain]

@Cluster-Lizard are the actual downstream and upstream line rates also changing ?

Is the external connection dropping ?

You'll need to log into the router interface to see what is happening.

WiFi speed tests are not always a great indication especially if you have close neighbours and local WiFi congestion.

Does the same occur on a LAN connection to a device ?