Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jaydog]

Anyone else on Access and getting really bad speeds in the evening? I hardly download anything, and O2 say I am not being traffic managed, it's just how it is!
I use my own Netgear router, and have tried using the supplied router but no luck. Still the same.

It appears to be only in the evening. I am getting 2mb speeds now, but in the evening I get about 0.3mb.

I used to be able to get over 3mb when I was with ADSL24!

I have complained, and they gave me a choice of either 3 months free, or a MAC code. I chose the 3 months free as I was under the impression I was out of contract now, but they now claim I upgraded something in Sept last year when I didn't! They can't even tell me what I upgraded. Hopefully the complaints team will email me back with my MAC code... however, if I don't use it, will I still stay with O2? I.E. they won't cut me off after a few weeks of giving it to me right?

Also, any ideas how I sort the slow speeds?

Thanks.

[waltergmw]

Hi Jaydog and welcome,

If you are on an exchange with contention then you can do nothing about it unless you can choose a LLU provider.
See

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/adslchecker.php

This page will also tell you if you have any BT Wholesale problems on that exchange together with a resolution date.

EDIT to add:-

This link might give you some more data:-

http://usertools.plus.net/exchanges/

The act of obtaining a MAC has no effect whatever. If you don't give the MAC to another provider to transfer to them, it will expire after a month.

Kind regards,
Walter

[jeffbb]

Hi
Basically you are stuck with the contention problem . O2 access is way over subscribed . They have been offering people their MAC code with no penalties .Have a look at the O2 forum .It seems as if they do not care about the Access package.
Regards Jeff

[jaydog]

I have emailed them in reply to the complaints reply they sent me a week ago. They seem to think I am still in contract as apparently I upgraded my account in Sept but I didn't, and they don't even know what I upgraded!!!

I will wait and see what they say in their reply.

[waltergmw]

Hi again Jaydog,

Just to clarify a little, Jeff & I are both talking about your contention problems using O2's Access services.
This includes the local BT exchange equipment and O2's "pipes" back (i.e. the back haul) to their internet services.
If you can choose another provider with LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) services, that would avoid BT's equipment altogether and you would then be limited by that new provider's equipment and back haul. If your exchange doesn't have any LLU providers you might still improve matters by choosing another ISP who buys greater capacity from BT. You will see ISPs such as Zen Internet who specifically state they ensure they have sufficient capacity for the numbers of clients they have in a particular area.

However all providers calculate their requirements to include some safety margin capacity. The cheaper** ones often have a lower margin and are thus more heavily contended at peak periods which are usually in the evenings. There are sometimes peak loads on the internet at other times e.g. when the Wimbledon final is playing.

** Where O2 have LLU equipment their services are quite reasonable; they will be offering their Standard, Premium and Pro services. It's probably safe to say they don't have their equipment in your exchange. If you use the Kitz link I included above you can see if any ISPs do have LLU facilities in your exchange.

Good luck with your e-mail !

Kind regards,
Walter

[BritBrat]

If you are in the first 30 day's LEAVE NOW.

Ask for MAC but never use the word CANCEL.

Forget above I see you are in contract.

If you are in contract monitor speeds and when really low below 600Kbs make a complaint through the ISPA and hope you can leave without penalty.

Failing all that try and get thrown out but they may still hold you to contract.

Take a click over to forum and have a read:
http://forum.o2.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=14

I left a month ago and now with Plusnet and they are far better, but I would/will be going back to Zen next.  If I had known about their June changes I would have waited then got straight to Zen.

Below is how it was for me:


[attachment deleted by admin]

[Oranged]

O2 say I am not being traffic managed, it's just how it is!

O2 do traffic-manage their Access broadband product.

As stated by Sharon@O2, the control is meant to prioritise normal web browsing :-

We are also making the service run more efficiently by updating the hardware and software that runs the Access service. This will improve the prioritisation of the real-time activity, such as streaming, over less time-sensitive activities such as P2P.

but it has been reported that is not the experience of many Access users.

Here are just a couple of links to the users forum :-

http://forum.o2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=38198&start=0

http://forum.o2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=40855