Why Can't I Get BT Infinity?

Hi,

I'm moving into a new property soon which is served by Cabinet 68, which is enabled for BT Infinity. Every other property on the street is able to get BT Infinifty according to the online checker, including both properties immediately adjacent to it, so it's obviously not a problem related to distance.

The property was recently refurbished and split into multiple flats - I'm perhaps wondering if this has caused an issue with the online checker. The staff on the phone were very unhelpful when I rang in.

Any idea if anything can be done?

Thanks

The postcode/address system has probably not updated to the point where BT recognise the property, so computer says no.

Once you have managed to get an active telephone line installed things should improve, probably.

Well, I can select the flat within the property on their address checker, it just says its not enabled. They weren't able to offer me any explanation as to why. Don't particularly want to order a phone line with them if i'm just going to have to go with Virgin anyway, (and I'd rather not go with Virgin unless I have to..)

Do Virgin do flats. I thought not.

On the virgin, sometimes, sometimes not.

VM have not put there own cable network into flats for a fair few years now.

It could that the RDSLAM is at full capacity, in which case you will need to wait for a port to become free or hope a new fibre card is installed due to demand.

I don't think that is the case as he's already said other properties in the street can get FTTC.

I wonder if the flats have been put on a DACs, do they show on the checker?

Edited by R0NSKI (Sun 01-Dec-13 09:54:36)

If its in the last year or two, they are supposed to have stopped using DACS I thought, since they stop both ADSL2+ and VDSL2

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Do Virgin do flats. I thought not.

Depends what you mean by flats. All the 2 storey and 3 storey blocks here in Farnborough and the ones I know in Fleet have ALL got VM cable. For many people it was the only way to get internet, as the distance from the exchange was too far for ADSL (no sync).

In reply to a post by evrelia:

I'm moving into a new property soon which is served by Cabinet 68, which is enabled for BT Infinity. Every other property on the street is able to get BT Infinifty according to the online checker, including both properties immediately adjacent to it, so it's obviously not a problem related to distance.

As you haven't mentioned FTTC, what does the information on the checker say about the type of connection available to other properties which can get Infinity? i.e. FTTC or FTTP?

In reply to a post by evrelia:

The property was recently refurbished and split into multiple flats - I'm perhaps wondering if this has caused an issue with the online checker.

If you are in an FTTP area and your building is now divided into flats, that can cause issues with wayleaves regarding installing FTTP equipment into communal areas of the building. It may be easier to side-step that problem if you are in an overhead-fed FTTP area (as opposed to underground-fed) as it may sometimes be easier to supply individual flats that way.

I wondered if it was an FTTP area as well, just couldn't remember what the problem was about it, so didn't ask the OP.

It's not an FTTP area as far as I can tell. And yes, the flats do show up on the checker, just when you select them it says its not available in the area. It's definitely supplied by the same cabinet as the other houses on the street.

I could pm the address to an admin or something to check themselves?

Edited by deleted (Sun 01-Dec-13 13:43:55)

Is there a BT phone line in the flat?

If there is, I do not know what it is. (I move in on Jan 3rd).

I think we are assuming you have used this checker to get the cabinet number. If FTTC or FTTP is expected that should show it. As well as confirming the cabinet.

If it doesn't, put in the address of somewhere you know gets it. That will show whether it is FTTP or FTTC. Infinity is whichever is available.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

I think we are assuming you have used this checker to get the cabinet number. If FTTC or FTTP is expected that should show it. As well as confirming the cabinet.

If it doesn't, put in the address of somewhere you know gets it. That will show whether it is FTTP or FTTC. Infinity is whichever is available.

For the other houses on the street, it shows FTTC. For mine, it shows ADSL 2+. No mention of FTTP. Cabinet number is 68.

Edited by deleted (Sun 01-Dec-13 14:16:19)

http://fttc-check.alc.im/results.php?postcode=ME157UY


For my house:

Address ********** on Exchange MAIDSTONE is served by Cabinet 68
WBC ADSL 2+ Up to 8 -- -- Available
WBC ADSL 2+ Annex M Up to 8 Up to 0.75 -- Available
ADSL Max Up to 6 -- -- Available
WBC Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available
Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available
Other Offerings
Fibre Multicast -- -- -- Available


For the one next door:

Address ********** on Exchange MAIDSTONE is served by Cabinet 68

FTTC Range A (Clean) 80 79.9 20 20 -- Available
FTTC Range B (Impacted) 80 77.6 20 19 -- Available

WBC ADSL 2+ Up to 17 -- 10 to 19.5 Available
WBC ADSL 2+ Annex M Up to 17 Up to 1.5 10 to 19.5 Available
ADSL Max Up to 7.5 -- 6.5 to 8 Available
WBC Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available
Fixed Rate 2 -- -- Available
Other Offerings
Fibre Multicast -- -- -- Available

Edited by deleted (Sun 01-Dec-13 14:55:02)

I'm guessing those results are because the flat doesn't have a BT phone line. If you get a BT phone line, you should be able to get Infinity.

Virgin have just within the last few months hooked up a block of new build flats in Leicester City. They've used a thick co-ax heading into the basement and run the cable down the street to its own amplifer. Virgin can to do a site survey during the construction phase of new multi-dwelling premises through their online form.

I think perhaps BatBoy is right. Are the other flats occupied?

Note the huge difference in the other speeds quoted as well.

In reply to a post by evrelia:

http://fttc-check.alc.im/results.php?postcode=ME157UY

Surely you used the address checker: http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/ADSLChecker.address ? The postcode one does not distinguish between properties.

Yes, I did use the Address checker, hence why I posted the results for different properties. The link you quoted was something else.

I don't know if the other flats are occupied, but the flat that I'm moving into on Jan 4th is currently occupied by another tenant.

Edited by deleted (Sun 01-Dec-13 17:42:43)

There's an alternative possibility too... that your phone line does not route the same way as all your neighbours.

The 3 flats in my building all route the phone lines out the back, to a pole in the back alley, and from there back to one cabinet.

The houses either side of this building (all of which are big old victorian piles) route out the front, to a different cabinet. They get slower estimates, even though their cabinet is roughly the same distance away.

In our case, the routing is obvious because it shows a different cabinet in the checker. But routing via a different DP, and then different routes back to the cabinet, is also possible.

Possible, but perhaps not likely.