Speeds below guaranteed minimum, frequent outages, line won't test from account page

[gdvh67]

I'm not really sure what else to say.

I moved to a new property in early December and brought my TalkTalk connection with me after having been offered a discount by the rescues department. Naturally, I still ended up paying another installation fee 🙄

My connection speed has been consistently below the guaranteed minimum for the area since the connection was set up. Outages are relatively frequent. Trying to run connection diagnostics tests from my TalkTalk account page doesn't work because it tells me there is a fibre line and a copper line to my address. This is not the case: I am plugged into the phone socket and only the phone socket.

Any help at all to work out whether this is a problem that TalkTalk can actually solve would be most welcome. I'm starting to think it might be worth my while to use the below minimum speed break clause in the contract and go with a new provider. Even if I am still connecting with the OpenReach network, it might at least be more in the interest of a new provider to work out any issues with the connection to the property when they are setting up a completely new customer.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

That's great news gdvh67, thanks for letting me know

Chris

[gdvh67]

Thanks, Chris. The engineers came today and they have juiced up my connection to the upper estimated speeds for download, and at least the minimum for upload. As you can imagine, it feels much faster straight away!

I am pleased that we were able to sort this out so quickly once the engineers were booked. Thank you for the help.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

I've booked the appointment for March 05 2024, AM - please let us know how you get on

Chris

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Thanks, I'll book the engineer now and get back to you with the details

Chris

[gdvh67]

Done. Thank you!

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi gdvh67,

Could you just add your post code to the private notes section of your community profile and I'll book the engineer for you

Thanks

Chris

[gdvh67]

Hi Debbie,

I am happy to wager those fees with you, as I think the chance that the issues are being caused by any of my equipment is practically nil.

My work schedule takes me away from home on a fairly frequent basis. I can commit to being in on Tuesday and Thursday next week, AM and PM, and (I think) Tuesday AM and PM the week after. Beyond that, I will be away from home for two weeks until after Easter.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi gdvh67

Thanks for your reply.

Please can you confirm potential engineer charges Engineer charges

Can you also provide your availability for an engineer visit? AM and PM.

Debbie

[gdvh67]

Hi Debbie,

Thank you for checking back in on this. It has been a very busy week!

I have just connected to the test socket and I am getting 34.61mbps download and 5.56 upload, so a margin-of-error improvement on the normal socket!

I am certain the issue is the line itself rather than any of my hardware or anything within the property. Could you send out an OpenReach engineer, please?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi gdvh67

How are you getting on?

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Ok thanks for the update and we'll check back in with you early next week to see how you're getting on.

Thanks

Michelle

[gdvh67]

I will be away from home for the next few days, but I will try the tests when I get the chance on Sunday.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hi again,

Ok thanks for the additional information. Would it be ok to connect the router at the test socket just so we can rule this out? We can also send a replacement router for testing purposes? We just need to eliminate as much as we can before arranging an engineer visit to try and avoid any potential engineer charges if the fault is found internally on non Openreach maintained equipment.

Thanks

Michelle

[gdvh67]

Hi Michelle.

Thanks for this. First, in answer to Keith's initial question from last night, current download speed quoted on the dashboard is a lame 33.91mbps, which just barely scrapes the guaranteed minimum. Upload is also only 5.35. The router is a black WiFi hub with the little circles, and it has worked absolutely fine for two years at two previous addresses, because the connections there were a faster standard connection at first, then CityFibre. The issues with outages here and low speeds are entirely to do with the connection to the outside world.

I am happy that your test has picked up the re-connections and drops in sync speed. I don't have a wired phone, being under the age of 50 (no offence intended to people over or around that age with wired phone connections), so I have no idea how the telephone line is behaving for calls. The socket is a Master Socket 5C, so I am sure it does have a test socket within. I am 95% sure that the issue lies somewhere between my wall and the box on the corner of the street, though. On installation, the engineer was concerned with the speeds and the stability of the connection, and said it should be much better given the proximity of the box. This property had been without an active user of the phone line in a while, from what I understand.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Good morning,

I'm sorry to hear this. I've run a test on the line now which hasn't detected a fault, however I can see that the sync speed has dropped and there are also re-connections on the line.

1. Is your voice service ok with no noise on the line?
2. Does your main socket have a test socket please?

Thanks

Michelle

[KeithFrench]

What is the minimum download speed you have been quoted? Are you on ordinary fibre or full fibre then? If ordinary, please log into the router & check the speeds reported in the initial dashboard area if a WiFi Hub, what are they? If on full fibre, please use a wired (Ethernet) device (e.g. laptop) directly to the ONT in place of the router. Please do a speed test from there. Either way what speeds do you get like that?

What make/model of router do you have, are these slow speeds over WiFi or Ethernet connections or both?