Well, the modem is plugged into the master socket with no extensions, so whatever is before that is not my responsibility but the supplier's (be it BT or Zen or whoever). This is what I wanted checked out.

Totally understand that it's highly possibly (and likely, probable) that switching ISP won't resolve the issue, even if they do decide to get a competent engineer out.

You hit the nail on the head with other utilities - why can't broadband be like that and why does noone care?

In reply to a post by David_W:

There is no 14 day cancellation period for Fibre Broadband - the terms you linked to are for ADSL services and set the notice for terminating an active ADSL connection as 14 days to expire on or after the minimum service period. They do not give a cooling off period for an activated service..

Pants... it's a minefield these contracts. Ah, the corporate world.

Of course, will do various tests, though there are no visible "faults" as such - phone is fine and BB is stable and zippy. Just not as zippy as I think it should be.

The issue is that Zen are not doing a good job at convincing me that the sync is as good as it can be. They are just fobbing me off with "it's within the allowed range" speech. They haven't given me any remotely technical reason as to why the sync is as low as it is. I had far more information from normal users on this form than from Zen - how is this acceptable?

In reply to a post by Fastman2:

if you had a self install that means your speeds then move to impacted rather than clean as liklely the internal wiring is at faulyt or the wiring behind the socket -- the network will deliver at the termination point -- fastman always recommends a managed install -- you can lose up 5 meg per each extension socket you have in the house

Self install. I am getting a new face plate tomorrow for the master socket, though I doubt it will improve things. I am using a normal dangly splitter hanging off the socket that came with the modem.

I have no extensions in my house - no need for them with DECT phones. It's all plugged into the master socket. So there's nothing on my side of the socket that could be wrong.

A quick look on Google shows a lot of problems with DECT phones and ADSL. Not sure if this would apply to FTTC. Have you tried removing the phone?

General advice on Google seems to be to keep the DECT base unit as far from the router/modem as possible.

Anthony.

I'm perhaps in a similar boat with Zen, though I haven't contacted them yet. Had FTTC engineer installed about a month ago. My clean estimate is 80-68 down and 20 up. I'm syncing at 46 down and 10 up. Not sure if that is a big enough difference to declare there is a problem that needs fixing.
The Openreach engineer who did my install seemed pretty good, was here for a couple of hours and involved disconnecting all extensions and fitting / relocating a new master faceplate (to one of the extension points a few metres away from the original master). When I queried the initial slow speed test he spent about another 45 mins double checking and then trying to figure out if there was anything external to the property he could do. As our entire area is served by underground cables he seemed a bit stuck. All the testing he did suggested the line was performing at its maximum (on a gadget he was using it was 100 % of expected).
So maybe it is just what it is, 40/10 seems ok for me but I would have been happier with a 40/20. I probably do need to move down to the Fibre 1 package for the £3 saving. My ADSL 2+ was 20/1.
In my case having the engineer install worked well as to some degree it has reassured me that it could be as good as it gets in the short term. Self install I would have thinking it was all the master socket or extension wiring.

In reply to a post by CaptainJack:

The issue is that Zen are not doing a good job at convincing me that the sync is as good as it can be. They are just fobbing me off with "it's within the allowed range" speech. They haven't given me any remotely technical reason as to why the sync is as low as it is. I had far more information from normal users on this form than from Zen - how is this acceptable?

The reason why the downstream sync speed is acceptable is a commercial reality, not a technical one.

In an ideal world, the sub-optimal nature of the wiring would be noted and appropriate engineering work undertaken to bring your line up to best practice standards.

In the real world, if the speed is not wildly under estimate and there are no phone or broadband faults, Openreach will reject any fault report. If the ISP insists an engineer is sent, the likelihood is that the fault will be closed as 'no fault found' and a visit charge raised. Openreach typically refuse to carry out even relatively cheap cabling work to raise speeds, not least because this will wipe out the wholesale profit on the line for years. It might be worth a fight if the line was way below expectations, but 15% falls into the 'barely worth it' bracket in my opinion. In practice, you will struggle to notice the difference between the 42.5 Mbit/s you have and the 50 Mbit/s you were predicted.

There is no guarantee that remedial work will produce a speed increase. The noise floor might be higher than normal in your area for some reason other than proximity of your wiring to the electricity supply.

I would think your only significant hope of remedial action is if the current setup fails to meet safety standards. As has been pointed out, nothing telephone related should be on the meter backboard, which might give you grounds to argue for regularisation of the line onto an NTE5 free of charge. That is the angle I would be attempting in the circumstances, not arguing on speed grounds.

Though willing to bet that Openreach will contend that they would never have done that sort of wiring in the first place and place the bill for the work with the end-user

What is probably wrong is blindingly obvious is you see a picture of where the line is located, i.e. next or even attached to the mains backboard.

To resolve this information has been given, or request a regularisation visit to fit an NTE5 and argue over who pays the £125+VAT

In reply to a post by CaptainJack:

In reply to a post by David_W:

There is no 14 day cancellation period for Fibre Broadband - the terms you linked to are for ADSL services and set the notice for terminating an active ADSL connection as 14 days to expire on or after the minimum service period. They do not give a cooling off period for an activated service..

Pants... it's a minefield these contracts. Ah, the corporate world.

Of course, will do various tests, though there are no visible "faults" as such - phone is fine and BB is stable and zippy. Just not as zippy as I think it should be.

The issue is that Zen are not doing a good job at convincing me that the sync is as good as it can be. They are just fobbing me off with "it's within the allowed range" speech. They haven't given me any remotely technical reason as to why the sync is as low as it is. I had far more information from normal users on this form than from Zen - how is this acceptable?

Because believe it or not it's not down to Zen to tell you why your phone wiring is not up to optimal standards. You seem to expect too much from them.

David suggested a good point. Do a 17070 quite line test and see what happens. If you get buzzing or noise then it's your phone line that needs looking at - so raise a voice fault with them.

Broadband over copper always has and always will need a good line to work properly. I've been with AAISP and they sold me a router (techs mind not sales) saying it would work when I switched from ADSL to FTTC and now it's in the bin. Don't assume they know what they are on about either.

As Andrew says - being that close to the mains supply is not good. it's going to be causing so much electromagnetic interference I am surprised it's even working.

Edited by deleted (Sat 12-Sep-15 10:44:53)

Andrew is right. Even a non-techie like me can see that from your photographs this installation is a DIY disaster. I can't believe that a BT engineer would stick the incoming box beside the incoming mains, securing it at an angle with what appears to be a single screw. The cable itself appears unsecured and to be bound with insulating tape. Could I suggest a remedy?

Our house/phone is 45 years old and the incoming phone line for the Trimphone (anyone remember those?) was installed from a pole across the road to our gable wall, then round the eaves to about 10m of spare cable in a coil above the mains consumer unit in the hall, terminating in a junction/drop box which led to the master socket in the hall.

The cable coil might have been designed to pick up interference from the mains unit a foot below it, but of course BB hadn't been invented when the GPO installed the line. While I wouldn't dream of shortening the cable myself as BT would reposition it for a mere £230, I removed the securing screws from the box and without disconnection was able to reposition box and cable along the roof ridge well away from any mains cabling. This improved ADSL2 speed by about 10%.

From your photos you may be able to unscrew the box and move your incoming line away from the mains. One might say you might as well disconnect it if necessary as it has already been tampered with, no doubt by the previous owner, though of course you will not do so as it would be an offence. I hope this helps.