BT Speedtester fail

For a long time I have not been able to run a speedtest via the BT.com facility. I always get the same result - this error message.

Test Error. The Performance Tester is currently unable to run a speed test for your broadband connection. Please try again shortly, however if this problem persists, raise the issue with your service provider.

This is the same problem encountered on this exchange (SWPM) by another forum member who is on the same number range as myself. Today I decided to do what the error message advised and raise the issue with my ISP, so I called Enta.

The Support staff I spoke to wasn't interested, telling me "we don't control that its nothing to do with us", when I countered that the error message advises reporting a prolonged fail to complete "to your ISP" and also raised the issue (often reported in these very forums) of BT usually requiring a speedtest from this particular facility to deal with issues, he told me to "use speedtest.net and we can progress it that way", and it was clear from his tone that he considered the matter closed at that point. Entas' previously excellent and helpful support does seem to have gone downhill(s) since some members of staff departed around the time of the WBC debacle.

It all seems strange to me that BTw say report it to your ISP, but Enta are not interested in progressing the issue, preferring to point me at a site that in the past has usually given an over optimistic report when compared with tests run both BT and Think Broadband. So who is right? BT saying tell your ISP or Enta saying go play with Speedtest.net? I am after all stuck with BTw services so it seems very strange that a BTw line cant run a BTw provided speedtest.

Maybe its time I resumed my quest for a new ISP, but given that SWPM is in a "BT investment not spot" there are almost none that stand out, this is a 3 km line but has stability issues from random re-syncs that no one can be bothered to look into... It was hard enough to persuade BT that the service was off on both occasions when the line failed completely.

Oh for a REAL choice!

Edited by deleted (Wed 16-Feb-11 15:19:19)

I have had a fault on my line since November last year and have to say Enta have been great and very supportive
Not once have they tried ot fob me off and have always called back and stuck up for me when BT have said no fault
Thanks to Enta i have never had a call out charge even when the engineer reports no fault
They have been in my corner from day one and are on call 24/7
You tell me another ISP with British call centre 24/7 7 days a week

As for your error
i get that and sometime get the server is to busy
Enta dont have control over BT speed test
And just because the website tells you to call you isp, that does not mean its your SP fault

Well disinterested is what I said and what I experienced. the tech didn't even ask for my user-name/line details, clearly he wasn't interested in looking into this. I am well aware that my sp probably isn't at fault here but you seem to have overlooked the fact that faults on the BT infrastructure (of which the BT speedtester is part) have to be reported through your ISP! The BT tester has additional functionality which the likes of Speedtest.net lacks, further Speedtest.net has proven to be quiet optimistic in measuring throughput on some lines, a fcat that I have noticed myself in the distant past when comparing it with both the BT tester and the TB tester.

Busy is one thing, but for this to fail at every attempt at any hour of the day or night ( I keep irregular hours) for a period well in excess of 12 months suggests more of an issue, especially when I have a pretty good success rate when I try the same via my sisters line, in fact last night I managed to remotely run a test from my line here through her pc via team viewer when my line was unable to test directly. That suggests to me a problem!!

We often see people mentioning that BTw require a BT speedtest before they will investigate throughput problems, the test exists, it works for other people on the same exchange & ISP in this town. (albeit on a different number range) so why not for me on my own line when it is fine whenever I try on another line in my family?

So to recap, this isn't about sometimes busy this is about more than a year without success at every single attempt. Enta support has in the past been OK during outages here, but this time support has been less that helpful, and that annoys me.

However I didn't start this thread to debate the worth of Enta support, I was seeking opinions on the validity of Entas view that the speedtest is nothing that they need concern themselves about - despite the advice that is given in the error message that I would assume is the advice of BTw... so again... anyone have any advice about that? I know a lot of resellers and support people use this site along with some very knowledgeable members and site staff, I'm hoping that some of them can give me a steer on this, so I can work out if I bounce this straight back to Enta tomorrow.

In reply to a post by warweezil:

Well disinterested is what I said and what I experienced

No, "uninterested" is what you said and experienced. They weren't unbiased & impartial.

On your point, BT cannot compel you ISP to act on the deficiencies of some BT software. Perhaps the msg should be more vague, like "try to see if your ISP is willing to look into it".

Perhaps you should report it direct to BT "Contact Us" as a bug on their website: http://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact#h=ImNhdD03NjVfMjk...

with every fault i have reported, not once have they asked for a BT speed test result
so no you don't need it and once again its not upto enta to report bugs about some ones speed test site
Tell bt
don't bring down your own ISP because they have more urgent things to deal with like helping customers who have actual broadband faults
does everything else work
if yes then go and enjoy it
If not then report the fault to Enta and i can assure you they will fight in your corner till the very end

Edited by deleted (Thu 17-Feb-11 02:02:01)

I'm not!

I already told him to report directly to BT bugs on their site.

But thats the point. I dont think it is a "site bug", surely a site bug would be affecting more than just me.

Another line on the same exchange but in a different number range has no problems accessing the test at pretty much any time. I can run tests on the 62xxxx line at will - even when using team viewer to remote admin that machine from here but I cant run the test on my line on 68xxxx.

My line has several machines with different configs, all are unable to comlete the test. This being a BT wholesale facility means that I have no access to report it except through my ISP - I would have thought that passing on a report wouldn't be too taxing for their support team.

It has all the appearance of a fault specific to either my line or my number range - as another person on the same range at this exchange reported a similar issue last weekend I'm waiting to see if solving their throughput issue also solved the speedtest issue.

Maybe you have never been asked for a test result but I have on several occasions, both with Enta and with Pipex previously, specifically the BT.com test.

The BT test is a part of the diagnostics procedure and does clock results against your circuit as well as revealing your IP profile so I agree that it should work as it's part of "the system".

I wonder if there was a bit of database corruption for that number range, clutching at straws.

Thank you Phil. I was thinking of some kind of system glitch and you have identified such a possibility, and one that my ISP would need to take up with BTw, not something I would be able to achieve as a lowly customer of a resold BTw service.

I still don't think it should be upto the isp to tell bt there is a problem with there speed test and you
And if that site is so vital to fault finding then why did bt never once ask for me to run a speed test during my 3 months with faults