They of course want us to send SFI engineers with a risk of them charging a crazy amount instead of allowing us to pre-empt if the modem may be faulty by sending a test one out to a customer - like, proper ISP support should be like!

But if it is the modem that's faulty, the engineer will swap it FOC, it of course being Openreach property, and therefore their responsibility. It might also be noted that they will be carrying these as van stock, and thus save the ISP having to arrange to hold stock, delivery without it being damaged, (that's how they first split the atom, having Royal Mail deliver it ) making sure the EU is in to accept it, etc.
What if it isn't the modem ? D-side fault, faulty FTTC DSLAM port ? The SFI will do all this as well, FOC. All on the one visit. You send out a modem as you suggest, it's not the cause, you have wasted money, and the EU's still out of service. Is this what 'proper ISP support' would like ? I suspect not.
You bemoan the risk of having to pay for the cost of an SFI visit ? You wait until VDSL goes self install, THEN look at all the visits that end up to be EU internal wiring/set up. Just like good old DSL.

My ADSL was BT engineer installed a decade ago, FTTC again was an engineer install a few months ago. In my opinion, I'd prefer it every time. Never had to have filters hanging out of every phone socket in the house.

In those 10 years I have never once had to call out BT to come and repair any of the sockets or wiring they have installed.

I am most certainly not a fan of Indian call centres, in fact I hate them with an avengance, and dread ever having to ring BT about anything but I have no complaints at all with the work BT have done for me over the years.

I agree, however it costs far less to send out a test modem to a customer, and have then try it, than to risk an SFI engineer charge which costs both us and the EU. Most customers who have issues with FTTC still have a service, but it's running at a degraded state. Many times it has been the modem, hopefully this will change with the newer versions of the modem that they are now supplying.

I know it will get swapped FOC, but if we've sent a test modem out first, and it doesn't solve the issue, we know that it's not the modem and that the EU needs to make double sure that it's nothing else internal before they agree to an SFI engineer.

As you say, with ADSL it's simple, as many customer have a spare modem/router, and can self-diagnose, or we can send them a test one. We only do it to prove that it's not (or is) their own equipment at fault before we book an SFI.

Naturally, of course it could be a bad port, faulty DSLAM, cable fault etc, but we have to rule out the device the customer has access to first - and that's the modem.

It's all about trying to protect the EU from an SFI charge at all costs basically. If we can help in that, we will.

Do you get to keep the modem if you Cease the service?

If so, a work-around would be to sign up to a new one and cease an existing one. One spare modem!

As its a 12 month contract that wouldn't really work

How long have you to go on your earliest contract? I was assuming not too long.

Edited by RobertoS (Thu 01-Sep-11 11:48:55)

We have some early customers on their 14th month, so outside the contract now, but still, ceasing would incur a cost, a new provide would incur a cost, downtime would be involved, and a new 12m contract in place, so it's still not viable just to get a spare modem

Edited by Adsl24 (Fri 02-Sep-11 08:51:46)

In reply to a post by billionuk:

The Billion 8200N works fine as a replacement to the BT VDSL modem.

But it's very expensive and almost impossible to get hold of.
The "online resellers" listed on the Billion website, which don't appear to sell the 8200N: -
Amazon.co.uk
BroadbandBuyer.co.uk (list it, but not in stock)
BroadbandStuff.co.uk
Buy.com
Equanet
Expansys

I could go on, but when six out of the first six sellers (listed on the Billion website) don't sell the 8200N, you have to ask why.
In fact; a quick Google search produces zero sellers (who I've heard of) that actually have any to sell.

Does the product even exist?
In my experience; if Amazon don't sell something it means the product is nigh on impossible to get hold of.

Do you have any suggestions (maybe other manufacturers) which work AND are actually available to buy?

Cisco 877VA

Post deleted by Garyilka - thought I'd found a couple on eBay, but even there they are showing it as a 'backorder item'!!

Edited by Garyilka (Fri 02-Sep-11 12:27:46)