G.Fast speeds way below minimum

[ultim8um]

Haven't really spotted it until now but our download speed has plummeted. Over the last few weeks I thought the speed I was downloading files at seemed a bit rubbish but as everything worked I didn't think too much of it. We came back off holiday last week and it was awful (rebooted everythingg as it was so bad, no change). I suspect there is a connection issue on the copper line outside my home as nothing has changed here and the speed has clearly been degrading over weeks or months (maybe water ingress to a junction box?). 

A couple of automatic faults have been logged (REP-13270618 is the current one) but as I am unsure if this will resolve anything, I am logging it here too. Minimum guaranteed speed on our line is 102MB and today a line test came back at 12Mb 😞 Happy to do some tests if needed but as I said previously, I strongly suspect Openreaches copper (especially as the installation engineer told me the cables in the ducts are in a right state!).

[ultim8um]

@Chris-TalkTalk Best days are Wednesday to Friday all day for me 🙂 and yes we would very much like the Openreach engineer visit otherwise we will be stuck with 40% of the minimum guaranteed throughput (or roughly 30% or less of what our line could probably achieve).

Cheers,

Chris

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi ultim8um,

We can arrange the Openreach engineer visit. If you'd like us to do this can you provide availability, either AM (8am to 1pm) or PM (1pm to 6pm) between Monday to Friday.

Thanks

Chris

[ultim8um]

Got through on the phone to a nice chap from South Africa who spoke to my wife etc and then proceeded to run through the usual checks and questions. This resulted in him booking an engineer visit. Said engineer (TalkTalk contractor not Openreach) has been out and tested my internal setup, seemed happy that the fault is a line fault but changed the face plate filter which has got us up to 43mbps (still way short of the 110ish that we used to get). Can someone @Chris-TalkTalk @Michelle-TalkTalk tell me next steps? I assume from the TalkTalk engineer that he will have reported back to the company to say it needs further investigation so just wondering if this means an Openreach engineer going to the exchange and diagnosing the issue from there or if I should be expecting a call / message to arrange a time for another visit to our home? 

[ultim8um]

@Michelle-TalkTalk Yeah she tried the live chat as previously stated. Will get her to ring up at some point over the next few days. 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hello,

I can see that my colleague Karl has sent you a Private Message. If the account holder can contact our Live Chat or telephony team directly then they will be able to book an engineer visit.

Thanks

[Gliwmaeden2]

Staff will be back after the weekend, @ultim8um, - sorry it can't be sooner. 

[ultim8um]

@Chris-TalkTalk 

We have just spent an age using the online chat to try and get an engineer visit and instead the person on chat (adrian) has tripped off a line optimisation as apparently the existing ticket has expired (had to run through the have you rebooted everything, left it off, tried the test socket etc etc all over again). Now as far as I can tell this is about 99.9% unlikely to fix an actual line fault but leaves us stuck waiting 10 days (which I am pretty sure is nonsense for VDSL / G.Fast but does apply to ADSL?)... How do I get you to speak to my wife who is the account holder and confirm that she is more than happy to accept the openreach charge if it turns out to be our equipment causing the issue (because clearly going through the live chat was a mistake!).

[ultim8um]

@Chris-TalkTalk 

I will put it here as well as in the PM, Engineer charges will be accepted (although I would be genuinely amazed if they can find a reason to charge me). Best days / Times for a visit would be Wednesday - Friday all day usually. Could do other days with enough notice (Monday is probably a no no). Mobile number is in the PM.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

OK, if you'd like us to book the engineer visit can you confirm:

• That you accept potential Engineers charges
• Provide availability, either AM (8am to 1pm) or PM (1pm to 6pm) between Monday to Friday.
• Confirm your mobile number

I've also sent you a PM to confirm some other details

Thanks

Chris

[ultim8um]

@Chris-TalkTalk Yes please 🙂

I can be in most days as long as I know in advance (although later in the week is better if it makes any difference).

Many thanks,

Chris

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Speed is still low, would you like us to arrange an engineer visit to investigate further?

Chris

[Chris-TalkTalk]

OK, I'll run another line test

Chris

[ultim8um]

Shed to the rescue, found a new one in a box haha, looks like my DSL sync is happening as I send this

[ultim8um]

@Michelle-TalkTalk 

@Chris-TalkTalk 

By all means although I have thought of a way around it if I can find a short BT style extension lead as I have still got the original BT faceplate splitter from my ADSL days (just dug it out). I will go and check my shed as I used to hoard stuff like this as an IT contractor 🙂

Thanks!

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hello,

Would you like us to send a microfilter for testing purposes to rule this out?

Thanks

[ultim8um]

@Chris-TalkTalk 

Not sure we still have any floating around tbh 😞 

Checked the last TalkTalk box (we are using our own mesh router) and there wasn't one included but I think I may have been sent another one years ago that we similarly didn't use so will try to find that... We only have one socket in the house.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Yes you would need to connect the modem with a micro-filter. How many telephone sockets do you have in your home?

Chris

[ultim8um]

@Chris-TalkTalk 

Apologies but without the faceplate in site I get nothing from the modem (do I need an old style ADSL micro-filter???) I have plugged the phone back in and have tested the dial tone (present) but there does appear to be a lot of clicking in the background? I have tried the modem cable with the contacts up btw (not that it appears to make any difference but that is where the centre contacts appear to be).

[Chris-TalkTalk]

OK, I'll just run another line test

Chris

[ultim8um]

@Chris-TalkTalk 

It wasn't but I have now unplugged the phone and hooked the G.Fast modem to the test socket.