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I've just spent another hour with BT tech support in India regarding my broadband. It's an absolute joke. Symptoms of the fault are that during the day all works ok and I can achieve about 5.5M download. Since last weekend however at night this drops to 500k. I raised the fault with BT on Thursday night on their broadband fault line 0800 1114567 and so far the responses have been
Thursday
Me - my broadband service is only giving a download speed of about 500k.
BT agent- Your download speed is 4M.
Me - no it isn't it 500k according to speedtest.net.
BT agent - no it's 4M.
Me - it's 500k.
BT agent ok let me remote assist on your PC. Oh it's 479k according to speedtester.bt.com.
Me - that's what I told you 15 minutes ago
BT agent - It's your local area network.
Me - no it isn't I've already disconnected that and have my primary PC plugged into the back of the router.
BT agent - Oh. It's your filter.
Me - OK I've just changed that and it's still 500k
Me - the fault is the exchange. As I am an ex BT data manager it is obvious the fault is that the broadband equipment in the exchange is over subscribed. That's why I achieve 5M during the day but only 500k at night. The exchange has just been upgraded to fibre to the cabinet which means you are giving more people higher bandwidth but haven't obviously increased the bandwidth out of the exchange to the greater network.
BT agent - I'll raise a fault which will be sorted by Saturday and I'll call you on your cellphone.
Today
Needless to say no call on my cellphone but when I got home from my dog walk this morning BT had called my land line to say all was working. Well no it wasn't - it's a Saturday so more people are a home so my speed is down again. I called back and spent over an hour on automated services or music on hold. Eventually I got through - again to India - asked how to spell my name (J A M E S).
BT agent - It is electrical impulses on your line caused by devices within the home.
Me - you are talking complete and utter rubbish. On what do you base that statement?
BT agent - Ok the line is rain affected.
Me - that's even more rubbish. Let me speak to your supervisor.
At which point I was simply put back in the automated service queue. I eventually hang up. I called 151 only to find myself back in the same broadband fault queue. I called 100 and asked to speak to someone in the UK with regard broadband - I end up back in the BT India broadband fault queue. I have a blinding idea and call their sales. I interrupt the sales pitch from what is obviously a UK callcentre and go into my Mr Angry mode threatening to cancel all BT services if this goes on. I'm put on music on hold and then passed back to BT India broadband faults callcentre - at least this time to 2nd level support. He asks me what the problem is - at this point I go into meltdown.
Can anyone recommend a good, well supported broadband provider? I live in a Virgin cabled area and I'm within 3km of the local BT exchange. I'm looking for one that has UK support - not offshore. It needs to provide line rental and unlimited calls to UK lines free as well as I'm not prepared to deal with two different suppliers. Oh and last thing I will not give a red cent to anything Murdoch.
Rant over..................
Thursday
Me - my broadband service is only giving a download speed of about 500k.
BT agent- Your download speed is 4M.
Me - no it isn't it 500k according to speedtest.net.
BT agent - no it's 4M.
Me - it's 500k.
BT agent ok let me remote assist on your PC. Oh it's 479k according to speedtester.bt.com.
Me - that's what I told you 15 minutes ago
BT agent - It's your local area network.
Me - no it isn't I've already disconnected that and have my primary PC plugged into the back of the router.
BT agent - Oh. It's your filter.
Me - OK I've just changed that and it's still 500k
Me - the fault is the exchange. As I am an ex BT data manager it is obvious the fault is that the broadband equipment in the exchange is over subscribed. That's why I achieve 5M during the day but only 500k at night. The exchange has just been upgraded to fibre to the cabinet which means you are giving more people higher bandwidth but haven't obviously increased the bandwidth out of the exchange to the greater network.
BT agent - I'll raise a fault which will be sorted by Saturday and I'll call you on your cellphone.
Today
Needless to say no call on my cellphone but when I got home from my dog walk this morning BT had called my land line to say all was working. Well no it wasn't - it's a Saturday so more people are a home so my speed is down again. I called back and spent over an hour on automated services or music on hold. Eventually I got through - again to India - asked how to spell my name (J A M E S).
BT agent - It is electrical impulses on your line caused by devices within the home.
Me - you are talking complete and utter rubbish. On what do you base that statement?
BT agent - Ok the line is rain affected.
Me - that's even more rubbish. Let me speak to your supervisor.
At which point I was simply put back in the automated service queue. I eventually hang up. I called 151 only to find myself back in the same broadband fault queue. I called 100 and asked to speak to someone in the UK with regard broadband - I end up back in the BT India broadband fault queue. I have a blinding idea and call their sales. I interrupt the sales pitch from what is obviously a UK callcentre and go into my Mr Angry mode threatening to cancel all BT services if this goes on. I'm put on music on hold and then passed back to BT India broadband faults callcentre - at least this time to 2nd level support. He asks me what the problem is - at this point I go into meltdown.
Can anyone recommend a good, well supported broadband provider? I live in a Virgin cabled area and I'm within 3km of the local BT exchange. I'm looking for one that has UK support - not offshore. It needs to provide line rental and unlimited calls to UK lines free as well as I'm not prepared to deal with two different suppliers. Oh and last thing I will not give a red cent to anything Murdoch.
Rant over..................
) 
(phone services can be free nationals and reduce costs to virgin mobs or prepay mobs and nationals - which is cheap if you make lots of calls eg work from home 
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