BT Fibre Optic Broadband.

[Poprin]

The issue with almost all fibre services provided by anyone that isn't virgin media is it's not fibre all the way to your premises. In fact in some instances the fibre backbone is quite a way off. Virgin media uses the cable network effectively giving you fibre all the way to your front door and then just a short run of copper into your house. With BT and anyone else using BT's network... which is practically everyone is it's only fibre to the exchange and then delivered by copper the rest of the way. Now if you live in an old or established area where the copper network is ancient and you are lets say a mile from your nearest fibre exchange the connection speed will likely be similar to straight up ADSL. Also you are more likely to see big dips in speed at certain times of the day when the network is busy.

I personally have grown to hate virgin media and have tried my best to sever ties with them. However I work in IT and work from home 90% of the time and I need the connection speed for work. Basically they are the only option for the performance, that being said their upload speed is capped which ADSL / FTTC services are not which is a bit troublesome.

If you bang your postcode into here:
https://www.homeandwork.openreach.co.uk/when-can-i-get-fibre.aspx

It will show you how close the exchange is to your premises which before you order something like BT Infinity will give you an idea of how good a service you will actually get.

Openreach (who basically used to be BT but now aren't and effectively are responsible for the network) can provide fibre all the way to your house but this costs mega bucks.

 

[t-tony]

Tony, I can't stand BT but if you are getting 20 mbps download when you do a speedtest it should work fine, you may well have a faulty router, I was a media engineer with VM, its well worth removing the front of your telephone point as the connections can corrode, however I think your hub is at fault

Thanks Sean, as I say I'll speak to them tomorrow and have all this info to hand, appreciated mate.

Tony.

ps. Make sure young Bozzy gets his car clean enough to go in your workshop too, it was mingin' when it was here today. Says he who hasn't bathed his car in a month ................................... mine is proper mingin'

 

[t-tony]

The issue with almost all fibre services provided by anyone that isn't virgin media is it's not fibre all the way to your premises. In fact in some instances the fibre backbone is quite a way off. Virgin media uses the cable network effectively giving you fibre all the way to your front door and then just a short run of copper into your house. With BT and anyone else using BT's network... which is practically everyone is it's only fibre to the exchange and then delivered by copper the rest of the way. Now if you live in an old or established area where the copper network is ancient and you are lets say a mile from your nearest fibre exchange the connection speed will likely be similar to straight up ADSL. Also you are more likely to see big dips in speed at certain times of the day when the network is busy.

I personally have grown to hate virgin media and have tried my best to sever ties with them. However I work in IT and work from home 90% of the time and I need the connection speed for work. Basically they are the only option for the performance, that being said their upload speed is capped which ADSL / FTTC services are not which is a bit troublesome.

If you bang your postcode into here:
https://www.homeandwork.openreach.co.uk/when-can-i-get-fibre.aspx

It will show you how close the exchange is to your premises which before you order something like BT Infinity will give you an idea of how good a service you will actually get.

Openreach (who basically used to be BT but now aren't and effectively are responsible for the network) can provide fibre all the way to your house but this costs mega bucks.

Thank you, a friend who has an IT business told me on Tuesday that one possible problem could lie in the "wire" from the pole outside our house across to the house. This was originally put in by BT in 1984 and he said it is possible that it is not even a copper wire but merely an Aluminium, copper dipped cable as these were used around that time?

Tony.

 

[Sean d]

The issue with almost all fibre services provided by anyone that isn't virgin media is it's not fibre all the way to your premises. In fact in some instances the fibre backbone is quite a way off. Virgin media uses the cable network effectively giving you fibre all the way to your front door and then just a short run of copper into your house. With BT and anyone else using BT's network... which is practically everyone is it's only fibre to the exchange and then delivered by copper the rest of the way. Now if you live in an old or established area where the copper network is ancient and you are lets say a mile from your nearest fibre exchange the connection speed will likely be similar to straight up ADSL. Also you are more likely to see big dips in speed at certain times of the day when the network is busy.

I personally have grown to hate virgin media and have tried my best to sever ties with them. However I work in IT and work from home 90% of the time and I need the connection speed for work. Basically they are the only option for the performance, that being said their upload speed is capped which ADSL / FTTC services are not which is a bit troublesome.

If you bang your postcode into here:
https://www.homeandwork.openreach.co.uk/when-can-i-get-fibre.aspx

It will show you how close the exchange is to your premises which before you order something like BT Infinity will give you an idea of how good a service you will actually get.

Openreach (who basically used to be BT but now aren't and effectively are responsible for the network) can provide fibre all the way to your house but this costs mega bucks.

VM don't actually have fibre to the house, (they do but only on very new house builds) the Fibre terminates at a base unit that will be close by and that depends on the network that was initially installed, however it will be withing 300 m of your property and then its good old copper from there to your house.

 

[Redline]

VM deliver on coax from the street cabinet and I suspect they must use a fibre backbone. BT (and everyone else who isn't VM who use BT infrastructure) use your phone cable from the street cabinet (or local exchange if BT haven't out fibre into the street cabinets) except on totally new builds where its inexpensive to install up front.

We've had 150MBit/s for over a year now on VM. Its not cheap but way better than any alternative. Not everyone has access to it though.

As far as you're router dropping service. I presume that your wifi is stable and it is the internet connection.
The best policy is to restart your router. Its not uncommon for some instability after a service change. Its possible that BT have sent some new config to your router but a power cycle reset is needed to get to up to proper config. The downside is that might just totally break what service you do have. Might need to do it a couple of times.

It certainly won't be any parental controls or site certificate issues.
Best to diagnose connection issues using a wired connection to your router - just to remove one potential cause. It sounds like a packet size problem or something like that. Have you changed anything in your router? I don't expect BT to let you change stuff unless you go into an advanced features menu to be honest.

Not having had any BT internet for quite a few years I can't tell you what BT allow you to do on your router, but, my son has both BT and VM at the house where he is living so I'll ask him how his is configured and what they can do and what to check on the router. What version of BT router do you have?
Have you installed a new DSL splitter on your phone line?
Have you had any indication as to what speed you should get?

 

[t-tony]

Hi Ian, BT supplied a brand new hub (Gen 6) and so I would expect it to have no configuration problems, the reason I say that the streaming issue is "switchable" in the router (hub) is because my mate told me on Tuesday that was likely to be the reason and I had no problems with this before the switch over?

Tony.

 

[Redline]

Hi Ian, BT supplied a brand new hub (Gen 6) and so I would expect it to have no configuration problems, the reason I say that the streaming issue is "switchable" in the router (hub) is because my mate told me on Tuesday that was likely to be the reason and I had no problems with this before the switch over?

Tony.

I'm guessing that by streaming and switchable you mean QoS settings. If the only other thing you have going on is a bit of browsing and email that I don't think it's going to make much difference. If you had lots of other traffic vying for bandwidth it would but if it's virtually the only traffic it should work ok.
It isn't something that switches streaming on and off - it simply gives time sensitive traffic priority.

 

[t-tony]

I'm guessing that by streaming and switchable you mean QoS settings. If the only other thing you have going on is a bit of browsing and email that I don't think it's going to make much difference. If you had lots of other traffic vying for bandwidth it would but if it's virtually the only traffic it should work ok.
It isn't something that switches streaming on and off - it simply gives time sensitive traffic priority.

That went completely over my head mate. What I mean is that streaming programs is controlled by/in the parental controls of the Hub. That isn't something that you time to be allowed but allowed at all, or not. I can't think that we're "overloading" the bandwidth because we're doing nothing more than we were last week and the system just isn't working, it crashes. It didn't do that before switching to Fibre Optic B/B

Tony.

 

[Redline]

Oh - I see the problem. If I were you I should tell BT that getting your parents to configure it might be difficult.

I'll speak to No 1 son tomorrow and get some advice on your router. I'm used to setting them up but the BT routers sound a bit odd - they also run BT Wifi connections over your system that you don't see. I think you can switch it off - unlikely but that might be a cause.
You should get BT to run a full loop back test to your router. There will be event logs buried in there to that will say what's going on (or that can be enabled).

 

[mrscalex]

I think most of the likely fixes have already been mentioned. However I had a similar problem once, rung up the helpline, he told me it was wifi interference and he'd talk me through switching to another channel. I told him I only used wired connections and it was mumbo jumbo. But he told me it would work. Well b*gger me it did.

So if you're still struggling will try to dig out the procedure which I noted.

 

[Shelly]

We were switched over to this set up last Monday and up to now it's proving to be a very bad move. Internet connection keeps dropping and takes a while to reconnect. I can't watch any streamed content (ie. Kodi on Amazon Fire stick) any Sky catch up, any YouTube videos) . Driving me and Shirl batty, has anyone else had a similar experience please?

Tony.

Problems ............
BT are a pain in the bum
It took us about 7 weeks to be connected to this @t-tony
With lots of phone calls saying we had problems in the line connection
A week ago Saturday we were connected
Yippie
But to tell you the truth it's not much better than what we had before
We thought it would be 100 percent better but we still get buffing and still having problems streaming
So it's not really done what we thought it would do
So we're in the same boat as you
It's not all it's cracked up to be

 

[billz]

I was informed that the suppliers such as Sky and BT give you the lower end speed and ramp it up over a 10 day period until it is stable.(so you dont get more than you need) We found this when we switched from BT to Sky. Internet was forever dropping then after about 2 weeks bingo no problems since

 

[Shelly]

I was informed that the suppliers such as Sky and BT give you the lower end speed and ramp it up over a 10 day period until it is stable.(so you dont get more than you need) We found this when we switched from BT to Sky. Internet was forever dropping then after about 2 weeks bingo no problems since

Hopefully by next Saturday all our problems will be solved
I'm keeping my fingers crossed

 

[Shelly]

Today @t-tony my internet is much quicker
But tomorrow it could be on a go slow again
I haven't watched anything not yet
So problems might arise yet today

 

[Redline]

The internet is a complex place.
I can understand that wifi channel can affect your broadband speed in as much as contention from many routers on the same channel can not only slow your wifi but also, the cpu on your router might spend lots of time sorting out the contention even if you're not using the wifi giving less time to routing traffic from wired connections. That will be the case on cheaper routers I would have thought. Use a channel at one end rather than the standard ch 6 especially if you have lots of close neighbours.

The most frequent issue on download is not your access link but the backbone across BTs network to your ISP or your ISP itself. Your connection is shared with others as soon as you hit the street cabinet or exchange. At peak times that becomes congested. BT provide back haul services across their network to other ISPs. Those ISPs pay for that and frequently undersize their requirements. In many cases it simply isn't work them installing their own equipment out in BTs premises. They won't admit that backbone is congested or that they themselves use BT though. However capacity is cheap nowadays and measured in gigabits.

I was trying to figure why an BT and others would slowly increase your link capacity over a period. Commercially it doesn't make sense. You quickly end up with a new but p*ssed off customer. Technically it only takes a few seconds to measure your phone line performance and set it up accordingly. The way capacity is added is complex - I can see they add carriers until you get the optimum speed. It's why I hate BT - they assume everyone is dumb and don't tell you what is going on.

The other issue Tony is that you are probably on different network in BT land. If youre late to the party in your village it could be the back haul from the street cabinet to the exchange is already overloaded. Do speed tests at different times of day.

 

[Antm72]

My Sky connection was 10 days to stabilise i was told it would give a min of 34 on install it was 24 but after the 10 days achieved the 34 and is stable.
From experience wifi is not a responsibility of the provider the connection is, this is why when you speak to them for diagnostics they want you to connect via a ethernet cable.
I visit 10 wifi jobs a day all routers should give you access its your wifi.
The issue with 'Smart Wifi' is it is clever but the kit you connect to it more than often is not....
Two wifi signals are now used 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz
2g has 13 channels plus an Auto setting
5Ghz is new and clean so usually requires no attention unlike the 2.4Ghz.
Everything uses 2.4 cirdless phones , doorbells smart heating and interference is very common.
I found that the new dual band wifi routers are switching and provide what they think you kit needs in a Vm service this can result in a 200 Mbps connection only providing 60-70Mbps @2 Ghz but 200plus @ 5Ghz
The auto connection is normally default and by default normally channel 6, ipads (apple) hate it with a passion more than often working / not working / disappearing even.
It sounds like a parental control issue and they should be switchable vms is like having half an internet connection when on!
If you have a hardwired connection (ethernet) i would get some thing set up on this to start to see if it lies with the service or the router/wifi.
If it persisits hard wired its service if its doesn't its wifi config and you should be able to change this.
A quick google says you can change it.

You can change anything you like and sort the parental controls a quick search says the Hub 6 is a bit of a mare and far from 'Smart' i would speak to them they should be able to remote config the settings for you but probably quicker to do it yourself if you feel you can .

 

[t-tony]

First thing I have done is remove our range extender in case it was causing any interference with the BT system. I used the Ethernet cable to connect Shirl's laptop to the BT hub, got into parental control section and switched them off and can now watch YouTube videos to full length not just 30 seconds or so so will try the Kodi later.
Speed test result from laptop is as follows,

Which is acceptable. On my phone via WIFI it's download 22.69 and upload 12.62 again ok.
So now I'm going to contact BT and have a word with them.

Tony.

 

[Antm72]

That looks good can you see the wifi config page ?
You should be able to adjust the wifi i would do it with Shirls laptop hardwired then any changes if no good you can undo.
You should find a tab with wireless then in there signal this should show you the current set up
Your looking for the 2.4Ghz setting you click on the drop down and i recommend selecting channel 1 and then at the bottom applying it .
After 60 seconds you should find the wifi connected stuff to be back on.
If you want to go further and split the 2 networks you need the security tab in there you will see two connections again 2.4 and 5 both will have the same Name SSID
I would just add -2G to the name of the 2.4
And -5G to the name of the 5Ghz .
Applying this will make the two networks visible rather than 1 not all things will see 5Ghz but ipads mobiles etc should be ok.
Be aware when you rename them you will lose all wifi as it technically becomes a new network but just click and add your password back and you will be sorted.
This gives you a choice on how to connect and certainly the wifi channel may give you back the speed your losing.
Worth a shot.

 

[Tearoom]

You can get problems with interference from other electrical devices in the house, I've heard stories of broadband dropping out as soon as you switch the Christmas tree lights on. It might not be a problem with the broadband signal from the exchange, which is normally fibre to the green street cabinet and copper the rest of the way.

 

[t-tony]

You can get problems with interference from other electrical devices in the house, I've heard stories of broadband dropping out as soon as you switch the Christmas tree lights on. It might not be a problem with the broadband signal from the exchange, which is normally fibre to the green street cabinet and copper the rest of the way.

Our cable was fitted by BT 32 years ago, we've been a customer ever since, but I was told last Tuesday by someone in the know that around that time they used an aluminium, copper dipped cable for cheapness sake and that doesn't help!

Tony.