BT_Broadband_Problem ?

[Clunkclick]

Yesterday I downloaded 2GB of GTA5 updates which is not in my normal usage pattern. I also assume that OSX Sierra and iOS10 for 3 devices in the house amounts to a substantial chunk of bandwidth that is not the 'norm' for me. There's plenty of reasons your usage could have spiked.

I don't see how you can prove your router was switched off if their logging shows network traffic, and being out of the house doesn't mean your internet suddenly stops working if you have connected devices (and ditto to how you prove they weren't connected).

I see the tactic is complain until they give up and write off the debt. But I don't see that happening. Even the Ombudsman, faced with "He says he didn't do it, our evidence says he did", doesn't sound like it'd fall in your favour?

But good luck with it, I'll keep an eye on the thread to see the outcome

Oh. Thank you. 

 

Best of, with  the future practice of your telepathic skill viz-a- viz the intention of others. Seems like a fair  and an even handed approach to fellow forum dwellers.

 

Are you an authority figure, by any chance ? Any links to BT ? Involved Hacker ?

 

What is it with the younger generation on here,  talk about unqualified (In the unrestricted sense !) marketing fan-boys is an understatement.

 

People of my generation, are quite used to raising  genuine issues with Companies and getting an equitable resolution to all concerned.

 

Why is the (Convenient) asumption always  made that everybody is on the "Ear-hole" ?

 

That said, I'm hardly a vexatious customer. The last time I had to contact BT, was in 2009, when they cocked-up installation of Infinity 1. And, at that time, the  "Resolver" facility on MoneySavingExpert site wasn't availble. So, in the end, after suffering  weeks of incompetence and  staff disinterest, I had to write to the CEO to get the issue resolved and he appointed his PA to oversee resolution of my case. And it was . . resolved . . to my satisfaction.

 

If BT's record keeping is up to muster, they'll be able to draw on  that as an example of genuine intent.

 

Is customer satisfaction that difficult a concept to understand and accept ?

 

Nick

Edited 5 October, 2016 by Clunkclick

[Clunkclick]

Some commentators on here are making valid points - for instance, it would be good to know, what sites have been vsited that have contributed to the excess use. 

 

That would soon determine for my purposes whether it was me or some other cause.

 

I know during July/ August, in the exceptional use category, I downloaded two different copies of Windows 10 for my tablet.

 

As far as I'm aware  that only added 3GB per occasion. Consequentiail on that, One Note had to be re-established twice @ 200Mb per occasion. Additionally there were  4 x Skype video calls @ 30 mins each, - no more than 800Mb ?

 

As a standing feature, I have at least 6 "Push"  HTML format E-Mails a day i.e. so, even @ 1Mb per E-mail that's only going to be less than 200Mb per month. But that would have been a constant all this year.

 

So, in total. my estimation of my excess usuage is far less than excess of 60GB that's claimed.

 

Hence the queries directed to BT.

 

 

Nick

Edited 5 October, 2016 by Clunkclick

[KenONeill]

Ignoring HTML tags an HTML e-mail should be not much more than plain text plus the address headers.

[Clunkclick]

Oh dear !

 

https://blogs.which.co.uk/technology/broadband/which-works-for-you-excessive-bt-broadband-charges/

 

 

Sufficient to warrant an across-the-board  investigation by nationwide Department For business/Trading Standards/ Police ?

 

There you go PM, ordinary people begging for protection by government.

 

 

Nick

Edited 5 October, 2016 by Clunkclick

[@Lee]

Nick. Serious question.

If you're that pi55ed off why don't you just change provider. You can even do it simply online (data allowance usage may apply)

 

I'm sure you'll get a lovely letter from Mr. Patterson thanking you for your custom and how glad he is you've now switched.

[gadgetman]

What does your router admin tools report your usage as? It should show FON usage too.

Have you removed all connected devices via the router, and reconnected them?

Have you disabled FON?

Have you set your own WiFi password as per the which article?

[PetrolDave]

A curve ball question...

 

Is your house anywhere near a bus stop?

 

BT Home Hubs not only broadcast a personal WiFi network but also public WiFi such as BTWiFi-X and BTWiFi-with-FON that can be used by other BT subscribers and subscribers to FON.

 

Many people say ANY data used by guests attached to those networks (e.g. while is a queue at a bus stop) comes out of YOUR data allowance - how true this is I can't confirm, but maybe it's something worth considering?

 

I've disabled the WiFi on my HH5 and only use it as an FTTH modem connected to a separate 802-11ac router (via a 3G dual WAN router giving us a backup connection using EE 3G if/when BT broadband fails).

[KenONeill]

That sort of makes sense. My sis and several of her neighbours have wireless routers. She has passworded her's  (but some of them haven't done their's), so she fires up a laptop (she has several for work) and lets the bandwidth fall where it may.

[gullyg]

A curve ball question...

Is your house anywhere near a bus stop?

BT Home Hubs not only broadcast a personal WiFi network but also public WiFi such as BTWiFi-X and BTWiFi-with-FON that can be used by other BT subscribers and subscribers to FON.

Many people say ANY data used by guests attached to those networks (e.g. while is a queue at a bus stop) comes out of YOUR data allowance - how true this is I can't confirm, but maybe it's something worth considering?

I've disabled the WiFi on my HH5 and only use it as an FTTH modem connected to a separate 802-11ac router (via a 3G dual WAN router giving us a backup connection using EE 3G if/when BT broadband fails).

It's supposed to be tagged differently so it doesn't count although it's conceivable that it tagging hasn't worked correctly.

I believe you can disable the additional wifi stuff from the HH's advance interface.

[PetrolDave]

I believe you can disable the additional wifi stuff from the HH's advance interface.

As I don't need the WiFi at all I've disabled all WiFi via the advanced interface.

[Clunkclick]

Nick. Serious question.

If you're that pi55ed off why don't you just change provider. You can even do it simply online (data allowance usage may apply)

 

I'm sure you'll get a lovely letter from Mr. Patterson thanking you for your custom and how glad he is you've now switched.

That's clearly a typical response of the marketing "Fan-boy" types found on these fora.

 

Just changing the supplier will not yield any improvement if they all operate the same way i.e. turn a blind eye to poor and inaccurate data accounting, technical glitches (Such as "Cross talk" referred to earlier on this thread) and downright fraud (Where third parties are tapping into a system).

 

Post Brexit voite, Marketeers should take a leaf out the politicians book and realise that the days of taking ordinary customer for mugs is coming to an end.

 

As said, the matter was placed with the "Resolver" service accessed through the Money Saving Expert website.

 

Currently, it has, after about a month's worth of correspondence, just been escalated by me up from the first line "Customer Service" droid level to the "Customer Service " Manager.

 

To date, despite requesting daily usuage figures from BT for July, August and September, and monthly usuage figures for prior months (Which they offered to supply), all they have provided are the Monthly totals for July to september. Hence the escalation. If there's nothing to hide, why the delay ?

 

At this level, hopefully I will be able to ask (And get a response to) some meaningful questions - like are they able to separate out FON  or WiFi-X from my usuage and whether I would incur charges for any FON and WiFi-X usuage routed through my HH5.

 

If we don't get anywhere there, then it will end-up on Mr Patterson's desk, where, no doubt, he will be asked what the BT corporate and his personal attitude would be to over-charging by BT's suppliers.

 

Nick

[Clunkclick]

What does your router admin tools report your usage as? It should show FON usage too.

Have you removed all connected devices via the router, and reconnected them?

Have you disabled FON?

Have you set your own WiFi password as per the which article?

There's no separate figure for FON usuage on my HH5.

The only connected devices are this tablet, the BB Playbook and a BB PAYG phone and the latter only has an active Wi-Fi connection when the phone is charged with a month's worth of usuage (Hasn't been re-charged since last year !).

Fon isn't disabled on this HH5 - not sure how I would do that without disabling the web-based FON presence.

Wi-Fi on own password.

Whilst there is a bus-stop about 50 meters  away, recent experience showed that I couldn't even pick-up my Wi-Fi signal @ 20 metres in the residents car park.

 

N

[Clunkclick]

A curve ball question...

 

Is your house anywhere near a bus stop?

 

BT Home Hubs not only broadcast a personal WiFi network but also public WiFi such as BTWiFi-X and BTWiFi-with-FON that can be used by other BT subscribers and subscribers to FON.

 

Many people say ANY data used by guests attached to those networks (e.g. while is a queue at a bus stop) comes out of YOUR data allowance - how true this is I can't confirm, but maybe it's something worth considering?

 

I've disabled the WiFi on my HH5 and only use it as an FTTH modem connected to a separate 802-11ac router (via a 3G dual WAN router giving us a backup connection using EE 3G if/when BT broadband fails).

See previous responses.

 

N.

[Clunkclick]

A curve ball question...

 

Is your house anywhere near a bus stop?

 

BT Home Hubs not only broadcast a personal WiFi network but also public WiFi such as BTWiFi-X and BTWiFi-with-FON that can be used by other BT subscribers and subscribers to FON.

 

Many people say ANY data used by guests attached to those networks (e.g. while is a queue at a bus stop) comes out of YOUR data allowance - how true this is I can't confirm, but maybe it's something worth considering?

 

I've disabled the WiFi on my HH5 and only use it as an FTTH modem connected to a separate 802-11ac router (via a 3G dual WAN router giving us a backup connection using EE 3G if/when BT broadband fails).

I could do that and go wired-only thru the tablet's USB ports (Using a USB to RJ-45 connector), but that defeats the main advantge of the tablet, portability and, as said previously, I can't receive my own wif-fi signal from the HH5 @ 20 metres outside the house (Double cavity brick walls and double glazing (Metal coated "K" glass) applying), why should it be posible for anyone else ?

 

That said, i can pick-up other people' hub signals (About six or so) within my housing block.

 

N

 

N

Edited 21 October, 2016 by Clunkclick

[gadgetman]

Ok so what does your HH5 say usage is? It's in there.

[GentleGiant]

It's supposed to be tagged differently so it doesn't count although it's conceivable that it tagging hasn't worked correctly.

I believe you can disable the additional wifi stuff from the HH's advance interface.

 

I am sure I mentioned this before, but there have been numerous  occasions where BT have managed to lump both together and bill the customer for the excess.

 

I would consider changing the password to something else, even a string of random letters and special characters to see if this is someone "borrowing" your connection.

 

Also, although your phone/tablet might not detect your network, other makes and models may have better antenna; my step fathers old phone couldnt detect the house wifi from 50m away, but his new one can get a usable connection at 200m away.

[Clunkclick]

GG

 

Roger, all  points.

 

It seems over the last month that usuage has gone back to normal , max .5 GB a day, but of course I reported it to BT about a month ago. For instance, to date, for October, I've only used  month 13.68 GB out of the monthly allowance of 45GB - per the report (Graphic) in my BT on-line account (Which i'm now taking regular screen shots of).

 

And, I know that this month, I have downloaded, amongst all the other odd You  Tube snippets and ocassional streaming radio, at least 2 x copies of an AMD catalyst display driver (One for the tablet and one for the desktop), 200Mb of a Windows update, which had to download 5 times in succession before it finally installed on the sixth attempt.

 

Looking at my BT on-line account, I see that they have already "Front-loaded" my forthcoming quarterly bill with Excess Use broadband charges (they call it FUP charges on the bill, I wonder what that is short for ?) of £125. Broken down as follows:-

 

1. FUP charge for July - £37.80 (21GB) 

2. FUP charge for August - £63.00 (39GB)

3. FUP charge for September - £19.80 (11GB).

 

As previously said, I don't recall ever having incurred an excess charge for broadband use in six years.

 

For comparision and to give an idea of my normal  rate of consumption of BT services, the Off-plan call charges  for the period from 10th August to date are £4.56 !

 

It just doesn't correlate with my normal usuage.

 

And, as previously said, BT have been petitioning me regularly both before and after this event to take-up their Unlimited usuage and higher data rate Infinity 2  Broadband package for an extra £6 a month (i.e. £72 a year).

 

I just wonder whether, yet again, I am witnessing a repeat of the circumstances of  2010, when I was, for all intents and purposes, compelled me to take up Infinity 1 at extra cost, because the original 2MB ADSL Total Broadband service started to fail consistently over  three month period in 2010, following a previous 9 years of uninterrupted service

 

In, marketing terms, would I be, in effect, "Bed blocking" the marketing masterplan, by not vacating the local Infinity 1 service  ?- Do BT want to flog it off to some other provider because every body else round here is using Virgin.

 

Equally, I'm constantly being petitioned, through mail shots, by Virgin. And i've noticed that the rmail shot frequency always increases around the dates when BT are changing their service i.e. the transition from ADSL to VDSL Infinity 1 in 2010 and the move from Infinity 1 to 2 going on now. Given the shennigans which took place at Heathrow  some years ago, regarding competition for landing and take-off slots, you wonder if this is just a natural progression across the marketing departments in  corporate entity.

 

There may, of course, be a totally innocent explanantion for this,

 

For instance,  I note that the period of greatest excess use corresponds, from my records, with the summer temperature highs i.e. from the third week in July to the 2nd week in September, temperatures in my place were averaging 25 -30 C and sometimes excedded 30 C - there were some weeks when the temperature in my place was 30C in the bedroom at 02:00 in the morning and that was with all the windows open and the fans on. It could be a piece of my kit/wiring malfunctioning or a box/wiring in the road.

 

At the moment, I don't think it would be fair (Crikey, there's an historic concept), to lay this all at the feet of BT marketing, solely because their first level customer service response has failed to provide the detailed daily data use information that I requested - that may be just the standard stonewalling they give to all customers in my position

 

Or it could be hackers, downloading films on my data allowance - that's where the daily figures I asked for would be very revealing.

 

I'll wait to see what the second line response is from customer services.

 

And commentators on Newsnight were expressing concerns about the corrupt state of American politics !

 

Nick

Edited 22 October, 2016 by Clunkclick

[GentleGiant]

You left the windows open??

 

 Thats it then, squirrels sneaking in to download nut porn while you were asleep.

 

 

 

(JOKE ALERT!!!!!)

 

(You have to say that, or some idiot on here will take you seriously)

[Clunkclick]

Or have they been testing this for rollout of G.fast:-

 

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/06/bt-openreach-reveals-g-fast-broadband-cabinet-extension-pod.html

 

 

Nick

 

 

[@Lee]

Did I mention that SWMBO had an email from BT back in the summer saying they were having problems with their usage monitors and if she went over her allowance she wouldn't be charged?

I thought I did?

 

My bad, sorry.

 

(lol)

[Clunkclick]

The ISPpreview article I quoted above also refers to airflow problems in the cabinets.

So, take your pick, two possible lines of causation of malfunction, both within BT's exclusive realm as service provider.

N.

[@Lee]

I can't see anything about airflow in that article. It's about G-Fast which hasn't been deployed anywhere yet AFAIK.

[Clunkclick]

In the comments.

ISPPreview article from last year stated that BT intended to conduct prelimianry trials in Huntingdon and other areas and a further article refers to a second round of testing in other areas, with roll-out of a "User ready" service in the second quarter 2017, starting mainly in the areas where commercial interests are concentrated i..e. the connurbations.
Would it reasonable to expect that engineers across the country have already been tasked to make preliminary arrangements for introduction of this service. Such arrangements may include testing to determine what are the best local pairs to use for high speed data transmission at G.fast rates (160-300Mbps), re-arranging wire layout in cabinets. Of course, sales people may be involved in housekeeping by ensuring that best lines are vacated for use by the new service.

 

Would high speed testing of existing lines and cabinet re-configuration offer an increased possibility of "Cross-talk" and data accounting going haywire ?

 

Interestingly, I was told that the cabinet that my domestic line connects to is the one abutting the wall of the local supermarket.

 

N

Edited 23 October, 2016 by Clunkclick

[@Lee]

In the comments.

N

the one that says "cooling. Not enough airflow in a PCP"

 

That bloke hasn't a clue.

[Clunkclick]

None of the PCP boxes are ventilated then ?

 

Should be.

 

The box I'm connected to  faces due west - gets all the sun from midday on wards. And its painted light green !

 

And the modern PCP boxes are lightweight tin (Much cheapness) and not like the cast metal roadside boxes of old, which acted like a wacking great heat sink. 

 

Customers would have none of these problems if BT just grasped the nettle and took the policy decision to run fibre to every premise. Unfortunately, at the moment, they are using every technical advance to retreat on that proposition.

 

Kitten-me, BT are even proposing to give back part of the Government subsidy for extension of fibre to rural areas, leaving loads still out-of-reach of high speed internet.

 

 

Nick

Edited 23 October, 2016 by Clunkclick