BT (nuff said)
Shaun Allan
different BT numbers to find out information that none of them (even
the number I was given by letter from BT theselves) could give me.
And this is without the phone calls I've had to make during the week.
I was not a happy chappie.
Basically (and you might want to watch out for this) on the 18th
November, my connection speeds suddenly dropped. I could only manage
about 24000 (26400 if I was lucky) when I had been getting a minimum
of 31200. I've just got a 56k V90 modem too, and wanted to take
advantage of the fast connection speeds, but couldn't get above these
speeds. Zetnet kindly informed me that BT would up the gain of my
phone line for free to see if that did the trick, so I gave them a
call. Apparently, on the 18th, BT put in what they call a DACS
system, which made mine a shared line. This was what had caused my
drop in speeds. Oh. OK. Can they put it right? Yes, no problem.
A couple of days later I rang BT to check on progress and was told
that they only guarantee voice quality on a standard line and the
speeds I was getting (24000 & 26400) were all I should expect to get.
So unlucky.
I rang the complaints department and, after a few heated words, was
told that I'd been given the wrong information and, yes, they would
sort it out. Ah. Good.
Today I got a letter saying that data speeds are only garanteed on
ISDN2 lines. If I wanted to invest in a 'low loss data line' then
ring a certain number (the information I was after today - I wanted
to see how much I had to pay to get back to the service I had only a
week or so ago). As I mentioned, 5 calls later, and no-one knew.
The letter basically said, tough, unlucky, never mind eh?
Yeah right. According to the letter, what they did to me was a
standard 'service'. I wonder how many others are going to find drops
in connection speeds. I also wonder if those subscribing to BT
Internet suffer the same.
Anyway. After a severely heated call to the customer services
manager, they agreed that they were going to put me back to my own
line, which would restore my connection speeds. I didn't even get
the chance to threaten to call Oftel and Watchdog. I almost felt cheated.
So if it happens to you, don't leave it. Even though they say it's
tough, let them know how you feel, and they'll put it right in the
end. I've to wait until Wednesday before they say it will be done,
so I'll let you know....
Shaun
Ag@whd
wrote these words:
>I've just had the pleasure of spending about 45 minutes ringing
>different BT numbers to find out information that none of them (even
>the number I was given by letter from BT theselves) could give me.
>
>BT put in what they call a DACS
>system, which made mine a shared line. This was what had caused my
>drop in speeds. Oh. OK. Can they put it right? Yes, no problem.
Yup this is what they do when they run short of lines, DACs two lines
together.
They can do this autonomously - WITHOUT even telling you. As for records
I have been informed that they often do NOT update them. BT engineers
will tell you (if you can find one to talk to - I know how to BTW!) that
they do not under any circumstances absolutely trust any such records.
>A couple of days later I rang BT to check on progress and was told
>that they only guarantee voice quality on a standard line and the
>speeds I was getting (24000 & 26400) were all I should expect to get.
Yup. That's all they're contracting to supply.
>So unlucky.
>
>I rang the complaints department and, after a few heated words, was
>told that I'd been given the wrong information and, yes, they would
>sort it out. Ah. Good.
Nope. Bollocks.
>Today I got a letter saying that data speeds are only garanteed on
>ISDN2 lines. If I wanted to invest in a 'low loss data line' then
>ring a certain number (the information I was after today - I wanted
>to see how much I had to pay to get back to the service I had only a
>week or so ago). As I mentioned, 5 calls later, and no-one knew.
>The letter basically said, tough, unlucky, never mind eh?
Yes, they'd like you to upgrade ...
>Yeah right. According to the letter, what they did to me was a
>standard 'service'. I wonder how many others are going to find drops
>in connection speeds. I also wonder if those subscribing to BT
>Internet suffer the same.
>
>Anyway. After a severely heated call to the customer services
>manager, they agreed that they were going to put me back to my own
>line, which would restore my connection speeds. I didn't even get
>the chance to threaten to call Oftel and Watchdog. I almost felt
>cheated.
They'll just DACs someone elses line.
>So if it happens to you, don't leave it. Even though they say it's
>tough, let them know how you feel, and they'll put it right in the
>end. I've to wait until Wednesday before they say it will be done,
>so I'll let you know....
Here's some more information from "naother place":
>In article <911765272.18531.0...@news.demon.co.uk>
> an...@andyweb.demon.co.uk "Andy" writes:
>
>} >2) Asked wether I have DACS on my line, BT said I don't.
>
>Can I clear this one up. Or rather confuse it further.
>
>BT as in BT have absolutely no knowledged of the true state of a line
>DACSed or not DACSed. The DACS may be specified in the record of a job
>when the line was provided. It may be removed and kept when a new cable
>is pulled in, no records are necessarily updated. BT have so many
>incompatible databases it is a standing joke in BT. Never believe what
>the equipment record says.
Bastards!
>BT engineers *WILL* insert them on any line when fixing another line,
>no records will be made. If an ISDN line goes bad [BERT errors] BT
>engineers *WILL* steal a nearby line, DACS two lines together in the
>cabinet to get a good exchange side pair. These alterations are NOT
>recorded as they are not "legal".
Bastards!
>In my area they are now refusing to remove DACS and insisting the if
>the customer wants a high speed modem then they must get ISDN/HH.
Bastards!
Thanks for cheering me up, I'm keeping fingers very very crossed that
when my neighbour has C&W torn out and returns to BT they can still
use his original lines rather than DACSing him with me, now I've
finally got decent connects.
BT or C&W, some choice.
Adrian
WWW WWW Adrian Gothard
WWW ww WWW White Horse Design
WWWWWWWWWW
WWWW WWWW w...@zetnet.co.uk, http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/whd
---
Designers of video capture/filter/processing systems for aircraft
Rob Nicholson
DACS is a pain. They use it when they're running out of connections at
the box. My facts a little vague at this point but I think it limits
you to 28,800 baud.
As you've found out, BT are not legally obliged to guarantee any kind
of data speeds - just speech quality.
A friend of mine was tempted by the BT 2nd line offer recently so he
could use the Internet and still answer calls.
BT in their wisdom converted him to DACS thus reducing his otherwise
healthy 48,000 connection to 26,400. He was not impressed and finally
got BT to remove the 2nd line, re-imburse the charges and take him off
DACS. I think he's looking at cable at the moment :-)
Rob.
Guy King
from Shaun Allan <salla...@zetnet.co.uk> contains these words:
> So if it happens to you, don't leave it. Even though they say it's
> tough, let them know how you feel, and they'll put it right in the
> end. I've to wait until Wednesday before they say it will be done,
> so I'll let you know....
I had a similar problem, except mine was caused by water. I told them
quite clearly that it only gave a bad line (and it really was bad, I
could hardly hear the chap on teh other end of the 151 number), they
still sent a chap to look at the box in the house.
When I pointed out that it didn't often rain indoors, they finally
changed the cable to the top of the pole. That didn't do it, so I
nagged them until they swapped me to a spare line right back to the
exchange. Now I usually get 33k6 or a tiny bit less. Except today
when it dropped right off.
A call to BT discovered that during one of their regualar auto
maintainance runs they had set the gain to something other than zero.
When they changed it back it got better!
--
| |\_/|
Guy King |~~(o o) My mother warned me about
Hounslow, Middlesex | /=(Y)= loose cars and fast women.
guy....@zetnet.co.uk |(
www.users.zetnet.co.uk/gking/ | \