BT online checker fixed, what should I ask for now

Thanks to Mr Saffron BT's online checker finally reports I can get 1mb, til now BT refused to give me anything over 512k as that dictated my maximum. And even though I upgraded recently to ADSL Max (Total Broadband option 3) my lines still locked at 512k D/L 256 U/L

My lines steady at Attenutation 49.0 SNR Ration 31-32. Which seem quite good as I'm quite far from the exchange... maybe 4.5km or so

I'm planning to ring BT again to get it upgraded, should I ask for the 1mb and see if its stable then look at asking for 8mb Max later or just ask or the Max setup to be re-ordered?

Plus what do I say?, "you wouldn't give me over 512k but I've asked someone to update your checker so can I have 1mb now" Don't want to say the wrong thing & have them turn round saying the checker shouldn't of been updated and resetting it.

ask them to put you on the Max service you are paying for, as your upstream service speed shows you are not on it.

That was the problem, they let me regrade & I got the homehub etc. When I asked why it was still 512kb they finally admitted it was because they reckoned my line wouldn't take Max as it only supported 512k. So they had decided they would keep me on 512k as it would be more reliable.

I argued I'd gained nothing but they then said I was stuck in a new 12mth contract at that speed and couldn't even go back to my old 512k package.

I spent hours on the phone arguing the toss with them, especially as neighbours nearby get 1mb as standard. The final outcome was they cancelled the 12 month contract tie-in so I could leave for a faster ISP if I found one. But they said there was nothing else whatsoever they could do to give me more speed as the system said 512k was it.... until Mr Saffron came along

so now the checker gives them no defence, why not ask them again (or just take the hint and migrate).

Thought about migrating a few times but apart from the speed issue its reliable, and they now have the unlimited downloads for existing customers which few ISP's do, so If I can get more speed I'm happy.

Will give them a ring and see how it goes, gonna be fun explaining all this to the indian call centres.

the key is not to explain it all but to stick to the single point of getting regraded to Max. The more you say the more BS they will respond with

FYI, my line had a very similar 512k SNR to yours, with attenuation at about 42dB. I'm about 4km from the exchange as the twisted pair runs.

On Max, I can get around 6.5Mbps maximum sync speed but with more disconnections than I want so I have set my router to sync at 5120kbps and I get about a 12-15dB SNR now.

WIth an SNR that high there is no reason they can't give you Max.

Ok, just got off the phone to them.

They guy didn't seem 100% on how to go about doing it but they apparently have put an order in for 1mb, to be completed by tomorrow.

He says my line doesn't support Max at all as it doesn't support even 2mb so it can't handle 2-8mb Max. He kept saying the system won't give him the option for it.

To me that doesn't sounds right, dissappointing if it is. I tried to explain Max works in a different way but the conversation was getting more and more confusing as he just kept repeating the minimum 2mb bit.

If I'm 4.5-5km away I can still get Max can't I? will wait till the 1mb goes through then get onto them again I think, hopefully i'll get someone a bit more knowledgeable next time.

its a start at least

Edited by Nixdorfer (Wed 03-Jan-07 13:45:20)

If I'm 4.5-5km away I can still get Max can't I?

Yes.
As they've removed the 12 month tie-in, just migrate to a decent ISP that does allow ADSLmax on longer lines (most do).
It's not a problem with ADSLmax, nor is it a problem with BT Wholesale/Openreach. This is a problem specific to certain ISPs. One of these ISPs, that believes ADSLmax only works on lines that can support 2Mbps fixed speed, is BT Retail (AKA BT Broadband).
Go figure - A major division of BT doesn't know how ADSLmax works! A bit worrying, ain't it?

http://www.faster.bt.com/faqs.asp#speed
Q20. Is the new service available to all existing BT Broadband customers?
A. Up to 8Mb BT Broadband is available to existing 1Mb and 2Mb BT Broadband customers.

Existing 512k customers please note:

We will estimate your speed as part of your order for up to 8Mb broadband. If you are currently a 512k fixed-speed customer, it's possible that the new technology used in the up to 8Mb service may now enable your line to support a higher speed of up to 1Mb. If the line speed estimate is 1Mb or above, then we'll provide up to 8Mb Broadband. If not, then we'll continue to provide you with 512k fixed service, this being the most appropriate product for your line.


Some background for the reasoning.
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/2622-another-max-product-update.html

Edited by deleted (Thu 04-Jan-07 01:31:30)