Are TalkTalk slowing my superfast connection?

[cressylock]

Until the end of last year I consistently received 56Mbps download speed.

Since January this year, I have been complaining about the slow performance, spent many hours wasting my time 'chatting' with someone asking the same pointless and mundane questions, and they have always (after about 2hrs each time), reset the line and have increased the throughput above the minimum guaranteed speed, but never to the same performance as last time. 

Apparently there was never a problem with the line, so the only other thing can could degrade the performance is throttling?

On Sat 21st, I noticed my speed had dropped to 14Mbps. I restarted the router and it increased to a whopping 18Mbps. TalkTalk acknowledged a fault and sent out an engineer on Sunday morning. Fantastic, but I wasn't home and he didn't know what he was doing there. All he knew was an address and there was a fault. After several hours he left, leaving his phone number with my partner for me to speak with him. I have tried a number of times but never rings through.

I tested the connection speed from the router each day this week, with the following results: Sun 54.9Mbps, Mon, 54.9Mbps, Tue 49Mbps, Wed 49Mbps, Thu 44Mbps! I am again below the minimum guaranteed of 45Mbps. As the line could handle 54.9Mbps on Sunday and Monday, why has the speed dropped to 44Mbps several days later? 5Mpbs reduction at a time?? TalkTalk must be throttling the connection...

Also, over all this time, their speed dashboard is misleading at best, and must be against some law, as it's a complete fabrication! The dashboard always says "Great! You're getting the download speed of 66Mbps, as expected" Although you click on the Speed History, and it's been 35Mbps or below! I have never had 66Mbps!

Is there anyone from TalkTalk monitoring this forum who can sort this out! Please restore my speed and remove any throttling you may have in place.

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

Booking details sent via PM.

Karl.

[cressylock]

I'm not sure if I should say on here when I have replied to the private message, but I have.

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

All ok, I've sent another PM.

Karl.

[cressylock]

Was my second attempt ok?

[cressylock]

I've signed in again. Hopefully ok this time.

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

I've sent another PM

Karl.

[cressylock]

I think I passed the verification test?

"Secure Verification

Thanks, we'll get back to you soon."

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

OK, we will start the process to arrange an engineer.

I'll drop you a PM for some security info.

Thanks  

Karl. 

[cressylock]

I thought TalkTalk were monitoring this for me.

If that is what it takes to resolve the issue, then yes please - arrange another engineer.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi cressylock,

As there's been no speed improvement we can arrange an engineer visit to investigate further. If you'd like us to do this please let us know and we'll confirm some details with you

Chris

[cressylock]

Still stablising? Almost a week later? My line has been a stable 44Mbps, for 2 weeks. That seems stably slow to me.

During a stablisation period, you would expect the speed to go up and down, while the DLM finds the fastest connection speed without errors.

2 weeks on and you're still below the minimum guaranteed speed, still in breach of contract.

At least your speed test now tells the truth, after many months of insisting the speed was 66Mbps:

   "You're getting a download speed of 40 Mbps.

    Your guaranteed speed: 45 Mbps

    You’re not getting your guaranteed speed

    We recommend that you check everything is OK by clicking test broadband connection."

How much longer is this seemingly 'delay tactic' to continue? 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

An unstable connection can affect DLM from increasing the sync speed until the connection has fully stabilised. The message on the line test from Openreach is still advising that the stabilisation is still happening at the moment. As soon as this message has cleared, if there is still no change then we can book an Openreach engineer visit for you. We will check this everyday for you and will post back here.

Thanks

[cressylock]

Hi Chris

I have to say that I find it strange that Openreach have had some engineering works, and explicitly stated that "submitting a fault to Openreach cannot expedite the restabilisation of the service." if there is no fault?

I have waited again to see how it goes over the weekend and no surprise, it's still 44Mbps, still below the guaranteed minimum and 21% below the speed I used to get when the line was working correctly for years.

I am now using the new router with a new cable and filter connected directly to the test socket, so the issue is not within my house.

Hopefully, you can now chase Openreach again as it's been more than 48hours, and tell them to fix the slow connection speed/high error rate?

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi cressylock,

Line test is showing that there is no problem with the line but the performance may be impacted by recent event. It also says that submitting a fault to Openreach cannot expedite the restabilisation of the service.

Could you see how it goes over the weekend and bump the thread on Monday. We'll then run another line test to see if anything has changed

Chris

[cressylock]

Hi Michelle/Debbie

Many thanks for the updates.

Just to confirm, after several days now, the router is still directly plugged into the test socket with the filter (without the faceplate). The phone is not plugged and there is no extension lead in sight. If the issue was anything with my router, phone, faceplate, etc, etc, etc then surely the speed should have started to pick up by now? 

The engineering works are complete and the line is 'stabilising'. Why wasn't the line reset as soon as the engineering works were finished so that you could monitor the error rate at the higher speed? 

After everything so far this week, the connection speed is still 44Mbps.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

I've re-checked and the planned engineering works have now closed. The notes on the line test state that the line is now stabilising so hopefully the speed will start to improve over the next few days.

Thanks

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

I've re-checked the connection stats and I can see that there is currently planned engineering works happening at the moment so I will re-check the connection stats again this afternoon.

Thanks

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Thank you. We can check the speed and the errored seconds from here, however it will probably take at least 24hrs before we see any changes. We will check this first thing in the morning and also on Friday too and will post an update back here.

Thanks

[cressylock]

I have just removed the test plate, and connected the phone and router to the test socket using the new filter. No extension cable in use. 

Here are the xDSL details with the faceplate and with the filter:

	Faceplate		Filter
	Downstream	Upstream	Downstream	Upstream
Actual Rate [Kbps]	43998	18628	43998	19020
Maximum Rate [Kbps]	56466	18628	58547	19020
Noise Margin [dB]	0	6	0	6
Attenuation [dB]	19	0	18.9	0
Power [dBm]	12.9	7.5	13.3	7.5

A long time ago, it used to be possible to see the error rate, but I can't see those details with the F5368 router. Could you tell me how I could see this, or is this now hidden from the consumer. 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Thanks for the additional information. Would it be possible to connect the microfilter, router and phone back at the test socket (with the extension cable removed) for at least 48hrs so we can see if DLM adjust the speed in this set up? It can take DLM a few days to make any changes to the speed as it will monitor the stability first.

Thanks