Plusnet exchange checker

For a long time there has been an exchange status checker on the Plusnet Usertools site. It was created by someone who is now a Plusnet employee, it is only ever updated by the same person.

It wasn't updated at all between June and towards the end of September when some of us kicked up a fuss towards the end of September. Since that update it hasn't been updated again.

Today Plusnet have pointed the finger of blame for the lack of updates at the Plusnet Usergroup (the person who created it was a member of PUG at the time).

I'd advise anybody looking at the information it provides to take a careful note of the date of the last update as it could be very misleading.

You'd also have to ask why after all this time Plusnet have been incapable of either introducing better automation of the update procedure or monitoring to ensure that it is done in a timely manner.

What I find really annoying is that there are links to the exchange checker on the Plusnet help pages and that the very same person who has pointed the finger has been known to point people to the information it provides. If they are going to direct users to the exchange checker they should take some responsibility for ensuring it is updated regularly.

To avoid duplicating what's already being discussed on another forum, anybody interested is advised to have a read of this before replying to this thread.

One of the great strengths of PlusNet is the open, honest and creative approach to support and customer service. Resulting from this, a group of active PlusNet customers, along with users from the sister vISPs Free-Online and Force9 have come together to produce this site.

http://usertools.plus.net/

I don't understand your point. Are you complaining that a PN employee is pointing a finger at the PUG because a tool created by an ex member and hosted by the usertools site is not being updated regularly?

Has PN at any time been approached to take over the updating of the checker?

Many, many, many, many, many, many times.

The person who has updated it for the last two or three years is a Plusnet employee and does it in his own time.

In fact I believe getting the data to update it can only be done by ISP personnel as it is downloaded from BT Wholesale.

This one seems to be up to date. (Link supplied by nredwood).

I just looked at it. Not as comprehensive as the PN one, and requires the actual phone number.

It was created by someone who is now a Plusnet employee, it is only ever updated by the same person.

It was created and in use before he became a PN employee.

I believe getting the data to update it can only be done by ISP personnel as it is downloaded from BT Wholesale.

So I assume PN agreed to do that, is that the case?

In reply to a post by jelv:

Many, many, many, many, many, many times.

The person who has updated it for the last two or three years is a Plusnet employee and does it in his own time.

In fact I believe getting the data to update it can only be done by ISP personnel as it is downloaded from BT Wholesale.

Guys, as I've mentioned in the the two other threads regarding exactly the same subject over in the Community and PUG forums: I'm currently looking into streamlining the process for getting the exchange checker updated in a more timely and regular fashion.

Once we have something in place this should cease to be a problem.

With respect not everyone reads the PN Usergroup forum, I get the impression you are rather irritated that it has been posted here.

Having kicked up a fuss a few weeks ago it was updated - once. I'm rather irritated that it's needed another lot of prodding!

I had no intention of posting on here about it - I just posted a reminder on the Plusnet Community forums on Wednesday. But then on Thursday we had this post pointing the finger of blame at PUG when I knew it was not their fault. As a direct result of that post I thought I should alert people that the information provided by the checker is unreliable and that Plusnet were trying to wash their hands of it.

As I said on the PN Community forums "out of date/misleading information is worse than no information" - they should either do the job properly or not at all. After all the promises to look at it by various staff members it still hasn't been updated.

I must admit I had understood that if the checker was posted on the usertools site, then it was the PUG that should be doing the updating. However as you have pointed out only an ISP can obtain the info, and as PN have numerous links to the checker they should be taking very large steps to ensure that the checker is accurate.

The information about exchanges and congestion can be accessed by ANYONE by going to the following link and downloading the weekly updated spreadsheet:

http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/products/llu/exchang...

I'll admit you do have to do a tiny bit of searching but it's just as easy to use and up-to-date

Looking at the spreadsheet I've downloaded from that page I can't see any information in it about VP capacity on the backhaul which is the information provided by the PN exchange checker.

What it does show is the capacity for new ADSL connections on the frames:

Capacity 'RED' Warning List: These frames are recorded by Openreach as having 20 (or less) blocks available on each side of the frame or less than 10% of the frame capacity, whichever is smaller. Information based on last available survey. Note : this list is not exhaustive and is provided for information purposes only. All PoP build and additional tie orders will remain subject to survey.

I think if there was a publicly available VP (or other) exchange congestion list, Nicola would have posted it.

I'm not sure what you are getting at here!

I said

In reply to a post by jelv:

In fact I believe getting the data to update it can only be done by ISP personnel as it is downloaded from BT Wholesale.

WelshWArrior said I was wrong and gave a link where they said the information could be obtained by anyone.

I responded pointing that they wrong, VP/backhaul capacity information is not available from the link provided so my original statement is correct.

(BTW who is Nicola?)

I was actually agreeing with you, and pointing out that if it was as simple as WW said then Nicola (nredwood) would have given the link long ago.

See my first post in this thread.

Two weeks on and it still hasn't been updated - any ideas when this might happen Bob?

Pardon my ignorance. What does the PN exchange checker do that, say, samknows doesn't?

In reply to a post by meldrew:

Pardon my ignorance. What does the PN exchange checker do that, say, samknows doesn't?

Have you looked at the Plusnet exchange checker, particularly the congestion (VP) page which is what is being discussed, and can you find anything similar on samknows?