How to get BT to investigate an issue

Can anyone suggest how I can get BT to investigate a problem with my ADSL broadband?

I have had ADSL at this property for about three months (VDSL was not available and is now on the cabinet but BT won't sell it to me as the predicted speed is only 3mbps). When installed I was getting a connection of about 3.8-4.2 mbps, not great but just about usable for streaming iPlayer etc.

Last week, however, this dropped to a connection of 1.8 mbps along with a lot of apparent packet loss leading to a download speed of less than 1mbps. Web pages are taking several minutes to load. My wife and I both work from home frequently so this is not workable.

I reported this via the BT website but the speed test failed and the system recorded the problem but failed to run the diagnostics. I cannot now re-run the test as it says I have a report open (which has not been followed up in the past 5 days). I tried the online chat today but got nowhere - after 'resetting' my line I was asked to 'pin hole' reset the router. I explained that I have tried several routers with the same result - the problem is not on our end but I could not seem to get them to take it seriously.

As for my own investigations I am fairly certain something serious has happened on the line but I can't seem to get this across. There were some roadworks all down the local roads last week (preparation for resurfacing) so I guess damage is possible but I don't think all that likely. Phone lines are a mixture of underground and overground from the cabinet.

We are about 3km from the cabinet and 4.5km to the exchange which explains the poor rates on both ADSL and VDSL but the predicted 3.1mpbs on VDSL is looking rather attractive right now.

Any suggestions?

For reference this is the data my homehub is reporting:

1. Product name: BT Home Hub
2. Serial number: +XXXXXX+XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
3. Firmware version: Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.204.1.11 (Type A) Last updated 16/11/15
4. Board version: BT Hub 5A
5. DSL uptime: 0 days, 01:29:57
6. Data rate: 64 / 1920
7. Maximum data rate: 196 / 2048
8. Noise margin: 5.0 / 7.1
9. Line attenuation: 29.5 / 63.1
10. Signal attenuation: 29.5 / 60.8
11. Data sent/received: 17.4 MB / 141.6 MB
12. Broadband username: [email protected]
13. BT Wi-fi: Yes
14. 2.4 GHz Wireless network/SSID: XXXXXXXXXXX
15. 2.4 GHz Wireless connections: Enabled (802.11 b/g/n (up to 144 Mb/s))
16. 2.4 GHz Wireless security: WPA2
17. 2.4 GHz Wireless channel: Automatic (Smart Wireless)
18. 5 GHz Wireless network/SSID: XXXXXXXXXXXX
19. 5 GHz Wireless connections: Enabled (802.11 a/n/ac (up to 1300 Mb/s))
20. 5 GHz Wireless security: WPA2
21. 5 GHz Wireless channel: Automatic (Smart Wireless)
22. Firewall: Default
23. MAC Address: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
24. VPI/VCI: 0 / 38
25. Modulation: G.992.1 Annex A
26. Latency type: Interleaved
27. Software variant: AA
28. Boot loader: 1.0.0

Roadworks may mean lots of kit generating radio frequency interference.

You have verified that the line stats are identical when in the test socket, and a telephone plugged in with no ADSL kit connected to the line works and has no extra noise on it?

The 64Kbps upload rate points at something bad, from you having a phone plugged in without a microfilter to a joint or cable problem. Upload uses the lower frequencies so should survive much longer distances.

Do you know what the stats were like when everything was good?

If the problem is on the copper from the cabinet to you, then VDSL is likely to be even more affected than the ADSL.

Follow up on the comments from the other two first.


BT will sell you an FTTC product at that speed - just not BT Infinity. If you really are 3km then the 3Mbps estimate is about right - friends are at around 2.9km (ish) and get around 3.2 to 3.5 Mbps. You just need to find an adviser who knows what they are talking about.


As you both work from home and rely on the connection - do you have a Consumer or Business grade product? If you have a business grade you will find BT support a lot more responsive and they have a NBD or 2 day target for most problems.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

If the problem is on the copper from the cabinet to you, then VDSL is likely to be even more affected than the ADSL.

True but it does at least rule out the leg from the exchange to the cabinet. I'm clutching at straws since BT don't seem to want to send an engineer.

I can confirm that I am testing directly on the Mk3 master socket with nothing else connected (indeed we have never had anything but a single base station connected to this socket and nothing has changed. I haven't actually connected to the test socket as that would mean moving a large wardrobe but I may give that a go this evening.

Unfortunately I don't have a full set of stats for when the line was better but the upstream connectivity was certainly better as it gave ookla results of 0.45 up (3.55 down) and I am now getting 0.06 up and 0.95 down.

If in a MK3 socket that is a filtered socket, and those can fail, so its uninstall the faceplate to reveal the actual test socket as per http://www.coolwebhome.co.uk/faceplate/

In reply to a post by MHC:

As you both work from home and rely on the connection - do you have a Consumer or Business grade product? If you have a business grade you will find BT support a lot more responsive and they have a NBD or 2 day target for most problems.

Neither of us run a business so it would not be economical to have a business line, my wife is a vicar and does all her admin at home and I am a consultant and am based at home when not on a client site - I can get away with a hotspot from my company provided phone if I absolutely have to but signal is weak so that is not great and drops out fairly regularly.

Not economical?

Why not? Both of you should be able to claim the cost against tax, we certainly do. For a Business grade service it is easy, claiming for a consumer grade invoice, a few eyebrows may be raised.

Neither of us can legitimately claim the tax back - priest tax is very complicated but, at best, she could claim a small percentage against her work and, since I have a mobile provided by my firm, I cannot claim any although if I were self-employed it would be easier I guess.

I would complain about any crackle on the line and try to get it fixed.

The cross talk caused by someone else taking an ADSL service using the same multicore cable that supplies your service will reduce your speeds.

Did you make a note of the downstream attenuation when you were getting higher speeds?

Edited by Michael_Chare (Mon 24-Oct-16 21:36:21)

There is no way that cross talk from another ADSL signal should cause upstream sync to drop to as low as 64 Kbps

64kbps upload - 100% a major issue. Fault should be reported to BT.

Can you not report fault here?
https://www.bt.com/consumerFaultTracking/public/faul...

If there are issues with the landline report those first as usually fixing the landline fixes the broadband.

Call 0800 800 150

Edited by ukhardy07 (Mon 24-Oct-16 23:54:14)

Yes, that's what I thought but it didn't seem to sink in with the support persons. I did report the fault last week but the status hadn't been updated - indeed it is still looking the same this morning but, suddenly my ADSL is back to 'normal'. I can only assume that either an engineer decided to take a look but none of the fault reports were updated or, coincidently, some other work was done that fixed my problem. At least it saves me from emptying and dismantling the cupboard.

Stat's now look much more healthy, in particular the attenuation is down about 10-12dB and the noise margin is up a little. For those that suggested reporting a crackle I could not hear anything unusual on the line so that would have been hard to pass off.

Product name: BT Home Hub
2. Serial number: +XXXXXX+XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
3. Firmware version: Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.204.1.11 (Type A) Last updated 16/11/15
4. Board version: BT Hub 5A
5. DSL uptime: 0 days, 17:59:17
6. Data rate: 448 / 3936
7. Maximum data rate: 1004 / 3936
8. Noise margin: 17.0 / 7.8
9. Line attenuation: 29.5 / 50.2
10. Signal attenuation: 29.5 / 48.5
11. Data sent/received: 193.4 MB / 1.1 GB
12. Broadband username: [email protected]
13. BT Wi-fi: Yes
14. 2.4 GHz Wireless network/SSID: XXXXXXXXXXX
15. 2.4 GHz Wireless connections: Enabled (802.11 b/g/n (up to 144 Mb/s))
16. 2.4 GHz Wireless security: WPA2
17. 2.4 GHz Wireless channel: Automatic (Smart Wireless)
18. 5 GHz Wireless network/SSID: XXXXXXXXXXX
19. 5 GHz Wireless connections: Enabled (802.11 a/n/ac (up to 1300 Mb/s))
20. 5 GHz Wireless security: WPA2
21. 5 GHz Wireless channel: Automatic (Smart Wireless)
22. Firewall: Default
23. MAC Address: XXXXXXXXXXX
24. VPI/VCI: 0 / 38
25. Modulation: G.992.1 Annex A
26. Latency type: Interleaved
27. Software variant: AA
28. Boot loader: 1.0.0