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[art37]

Last week we lost our broadband connection for 6 days following (as I was told) the rollout of updated OTS software on the BTW network. This put a cease on my service and I lost my connection after a router re-boot. On investigation, I was told that BTW had identified a large number of accounts which would cease if a router disconnection occurred.

The problem was 'fixed' just before 5pm last Friday and my connection was finally restored at 8.44am last Monday. (Does BTW work weekends?)

The ISP was as frustrated as I was. Projected fix times did not appear to be something that BTW is prepared to provide to the ISP. I was told that BTW as a wholesaler is unregulated. My question is this; do ISPs have any comeback against BTW? What can an ISP do when a fix is firmly outwith its grasp? All OfCom could suggest was I should raise a complaint against the ISP: how is this fair on the ISP?

[spudgun]

Are you with Aquiss?

If not, I wonder how many other providers were impacted by this

[art37]

Yes. The issue seems to have been (as indicated to me) that BTW rolled out updated OTS software that changed the switch protocol from new supplier confirms the newly-provided service and then the old connection is ceased, to BTW putting a cease instruction on the line ahead of the change of service provider. The connection would then cease if there was a router disconnect in the period from the cease instruction through to the time that the new connection was established.

It would seem that my line and many others were caught up in this change when Aquiss changed customer block IPv4 static allocations. The BTW system appears to have treated this as a migration. My line went offline when my router tried to reconnect after a firmware update: it failed the CHAP authentication process. BTW identified numerous other lines where this would have happened if the router had lost connection.

FWiW, BTW did eventually treat it as a serious incident.

It is the lack of any progress information on the repair that I see as the issue.

[Chrysalis]

I am curious to know more of this specific bug, setting up cease software to kick in based on a change of IP (subnet?) seems a bit stupid.  BT wholesale doing something that stupid seems a bit bizarre to me.

Also on BTw not being regulated, might be why they getting away with only providing EE access to the fastest FTTP product they sell.

[art37]

I cannot help. All I am going on is what my ISP told me and I have no reason to doubt that what I was being told was true. Apparently, my ISP had been changing IP allocations in batches and had no issues until the OTS software update was rolled out. This link provides more information:

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/10400-exclusive-bt-wholesale-changes-on-monday-11th-november-seem-to-be-causing-one-touch-switching-problems

[spudgun]

Yes. The issue seems to have been (as indicated to me) that BTW rolled out updated OTS software that changed the switch protocol from new supplier confirms the newly-provided service and then the old connection is ceased, to BTW putting a cease instruction on the line ahead of the change of service provider. The connection would then cease if there was a router disconnect in the period from the cease instruction through to the time that the new connection was established.

It would seem that my line and many others were caught up in this change when Aquiss changed customer block IPv4 static allocations. The BTW system appears to have treated this as a migration. My line went offline when my router tried to reconnect after a firmware update: it failed the CHAP authentication process. BTW identified numerous other lines where this would have happened if the router had lost connection.

FWiW, BTW did eventually treat it as a serious incident.

It is the lack of any progress information on the repair that I see as the issue.

Apologies for the delay in responding. My parents are with Aquiss and had exactly the same issue - however, whilst I have seen the thinkbroadband article that you linked to in this thread, I haven't seen results of any other ISP being affected by this. Have you seen anything?

[Chrysalis]

I cannot help. All I am going on is what my ISP told me and I have no reason to doubt that what I was being told was true. Apparently, my ISP had been changing IP allocations in batches and had no issues until the OTS software update was rolled out. This link provides more information:

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/10400-exclusive-bt-wholesale-changes-on-monday-11th-november-seem-to-be-causing-one-touch-switching-problems

I dont doubt what Aquiss have said, I was just curious to know more of how it happened, thanks for sharing the link.

[Chrysalis]

Finally got round to reading that article, I recall reading somewhere Aquiss were doing some kind of network switch, so I think the static IP change, might be more than a IP change, and the underlying reason may actually be the network switch?  If I remember correctly they were moving away from the old entanet network.