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[gooner78]

i was passed this URL by a user on Moneysupermarket.com and told to ask the people here what our best course of action is with regards to this fault.

we have a problem with our broadband with multiple ISPs out in a village of several 100 of houses that previously had a reasonable but occasionally up and down service, it previously used to vary between 1.7 - 2.2Mbs on and off.

But a couple of weeks a go i got back from being away and found it appallingly slow for lots of people on our estate, of around 50 (according to the BT engineer, further down this post), and called the various ISP support departments the next day. We already tried alternative routers, speedtouch, zyxel etc, filters and the master/test socket, to no avail. it was getting worse and slower, and attenuation 60db+, with a service boarding on between 10-100Kbs when not off completely.

we eventually after several days or so got a BT appointment, and they eventually showed up and the guy said he'd been on the estate for about a week looking for a REIN (Random Electrical Impulse Noise) issue, where apparently he'd been trying to isolate a ton of noise on the lines for the whole estate, ruining the broadband for everyone.

He had isolated it to a rogue SKY box back feeding on to the PSTN, and had spoken to the owner, but claimed legally couldn't go any further, but got assurance from whoever it was that they'd turn off the box when not in, until one of SKYs people would come and replace it. it was off at that time, and we rebooted a few routers at 12.50pm and it was 2.5Mb till 7pm, then died again

Since then however, obviously most people aren't in during the day, and when back in the evenings this guy probably is too, as the service continues to be appalling, basically not fit for purpose.

it has been coming up for 2 1/2 weeks since the fault, that still exists, and a week since the BT engineer found the cause.

I am aware that there isn't much many of the ISPs can do, and its probably not specifically faulty BT equipment as such. But are wondering if there is anything we can do? the ISPs say its not their fault, BT Wholesale ignore end users, Sky isnt responding as we arent customers, BT have a duty to the pstn and circuit provision it was thought, and by Clauses 3.2(d), 3.3 and 6.5 here http://www2.bt.com/static/i/btretail/panretail/terms/pdfs/bt1049.pdf surely they have a compulsion to the service if the quality is reduced, and one of SKYs boxes have been proved as faulty equipment reducing service quality

We have been told by ISPs that BT they have said they have told SKY about this issue, but our question is, what is currently being done about it specifically at this moment? has a replacement or fix been sought yet? etc, questions only they can answers, so I am wondering what we can try to get some resolution?

Thanks for your feedback

Gooner

[Pwiggler]

it is still BTs resposibility to ensure their copper is doing its job.  If someone can proove that it is this particular sky box  which is causing the problem and BT is informed of this, they should investigate the issue at the sky box owners house.

if he refuses to do anything about it then BT can disconnect his line.  This in turn will stop his sky broadband working so this will force sky to replace the faulty box or i'd suspect the customer will cancel his contract with them.

so ..... a BT customer needs to report the address from  where the fault is being created.

[Ezzer]

From what I understand BT tried to get an amenment to the regulations for just this sort of situation, it was unsuccessfull. Unfortunately BT dosn't have any direct power to do something about a 3rd party causing inteference on the line.

I had a REIN issue in the evenings to look into, pinpointed it to one of 2 neighbouring properties. Neither would answer the door, nothing I could do about it apart from detail what I found in the job notes for the SFI team to take on board

Recently there was a situation localy where a chap was adamant some new bt cabling was responsible for his inability to lock his vehicles within a 50m radius. Turns out this is no longer sorted by the post office, but a division of OFCOM. They had a specialist come out with some nice gear o locate the source. Wether they have any powers to enforce something about 3rd party interference I'm not sure about.

(incidentaly the interference turned out to be a trickle heater in his mobile home, and he got >£300.00 bill for OFCOM's visit)

[kitz]

Like Ezzer says, unresolved problems of this nature fall into OFCOMs remit who have a special investigative team

Ofcom also has teams dedicated to investigations and enforcements actions relating to spectrum (such as radio or television interference) and broadcasting content and standards.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/bulletins/comp_bull_index/

In the past Ive heard them getting involved with a few cases such as this which related to the interference of broadband connections.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[gooner78]

Thanks for your input, I approached Sky too (fully expecting the reply i got, if they'd even reply)

they did reply with;

Thank you for contacting Sky Broadband.
Under the Data Protection Act 1988, as you are not the account holder we are unable to assist unless we have the express permission from the account holder.
For further advice please contact the Customer Service team on 08442 41 41 41.
Kind regards
Darren
Sky Broadband Customer Services

I just thanked them for the acknowledgment of a fault/issue 

I guess we'll see how it goes, i was told by some ISPs they had spoken to BT, and BT had said xyz and told SKY etc, but this lack of any update to the end user is the most frustrating, the way we are expected to sit in silence waiting for the magic fix to return it to normal suddenly

As it is the synch speed has been creeping up (from 140Kbs, 500Kbs, 2000Kbs), but the attenuation remains at about 65db and actual throughput on the BT Speedtester as 85kbps

Regards

[kitz]

It must be most frustrating for you.

I wonder if you and other neighbours affected by this issue could all get together and draft some letters to

The house concerned
Sky
BT
OFCOM

then send them off en-mass. 
Hopefully they will be more responsive if they are getting several complaints about the same thing.

[Pwiggler]

is this a recent thing ezzer?

someone told me a couple of year ago of a similar situation where some unidentified equipment attached to a BT line was effecting neighbours.  after BT found the house which was causing it, they wrote to them but the tennents of the house would not tell BT what equipment they were using so their line was disconnected.

if someone is compromising BTs network, surely they can do something about it?

[Ezzer]

not something I'm aware of

[kitz]

hmmm  actually now you mention it - I think I do recall hearing something in the past whereby cases like this may be brought and BT can disconnect the BT line.

wish I could remember exactly what it was now - but I think it comes under BTs T+Cs for line rental.

[Oranged]

Part of the Telephony Supply T&Cs - "Using the Service"

27. You agree not to connect equipment to our network:
that does not bear the European Consumer Equipment Standards 'CE' mark; or
that may harm the network or other customers' equipment.
If you do, you must disconnect it immediately.

Also clause 22 & 23

22. You must not use the service or allow the service to be used:
in any way which breaks any law or the conditions of any licence or rights of others or, if you have a service from us that gives you internet access, our acceptable use policy which we may amend from time to time (you can find this at www.bt.com/acceptableuse and may be amended from time to time;)
to make offensive, indecent, menacing, nuisance or hoax calls or to cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety;
to send, knowingly receive, upload, download, or use any material which is offensive, abusive, defamatory obscene or menacing; or
in any way which we reasonably think will, or is likely to, affect how we provide the service to you or any of our customers.


23. We take the types of misuse described in paragraph 22 very seriously, and you agree to take all reasonable steps to make sure that it does not happen. If we reasonably believe you have misused the service, we may take immediate action to suspend the service or end your agreement with us without telling you first, even if you were not aware that your service was misused.

[kitz]

Knew I'd seen something somewhere

Mike (Babylon5) answered it.

I'm not sure that this is correct. In my view (usual caveat of ianal), BT's T&Cs for Access Services contains scope under which BT could compel the owner of the Sky box to either disconnect it or take whatever remedial action was required, especially as it could easily be argued that this is affecting "other customers" (such as yourself). Specifically, clauses 3.2(d) and 3.3, and 6.5.