New Build FTTP Help!

[Jason_E]

Evening all, figured there may be some people in the business of interwebzzz and IT. The bold bits are the main points of note, the bits in between are the reasoning...

Basically we moved into a new build at the start of September. The Developers (Dorchester Living) told us we have FTTP installed, and the ONLY company we could use for the internet was one called "See The Light". We would have protested, but the speeds and prices were pretty decent so we went with them.

The first attempt to install didn't go great, the guy tried pulling the fibre cable through into the cabinet specially installed in the cupboard under the stairs and failed. Resulting in my Dads new front lawn being dug up. The second installer was rude, and I had to ring up as he forgot to activate the line.

Since then its been pretty Okay. Up until 5 days ago when we started having connection drop outs during peak times (Between 6pm and 11pm). This ranged from happening every 20minutes, to happening every minute. I ditched the dodgy LINGLONG "ZTE" router a while back in favour for a TP Link Archer C7. I monitor the Up/Down time of the WAN connection on there so I can see how long it stays live for. No issues with WIFI to report.

Upon ringing them this morning, I got the usual bullplop of "Switch it off and on, have you tried updating your toaster, are you sure its not YOUR macbook sir?" Before being told I had to do 2 Ping tests (I had to wait for the guy to google how to do it on the Mac, as he didnt know) one via Ethernet to the Router and one directly to the ONT box.

Problem is, I don't have an ethernet port. And my Late 2013 MBP simply doesnt register the USB Ethernet adapter.. thing. Bit odd to want to use ethernet on a notebook in this day and age... but in his own words "We have to rule out its not you".

What irks me the most is most the people in my street are complaining of exactly the same problem, and they've also rung up and have been told to all run different stupid tests. Or have been told to move their router away from the hoover, or w/e.

Basically, the support is s**t and we want to leave. I just don't know if anyone has had any dealings with See The Light and specifically in finding other suppliers? Or if we have to stay with See The Light? We only have Fibre and no conventional phone line.

Bit long winded I know but any help by people in the industry is appreciated.

 

[Gally]

Why no phone line ad why are you so limited? Seems s**t.

 

[Jason_E]

Why no phone line ad why are you so limited? Seems s**t.

So 99.9% of Fibre Optic internet on the Market is only fibre up to your street/cabinet, then its standard copper to your door. This is fibre all the way from the exchange to your house. Therefore "IN THEORY" the most reliable, and definitely the fastest possible. It means you get your phone over the fibre too and the ONT box splits the fibre signals into phone and broadband. We have a couple of panels in the same cupboard under the stairs where you can send Ethernet throughout the house (or phone signals).

It's actually a pretty good system, one which a lot of business' already use. And it's been installed in more and more new builds. I don't full believe we can ONLY use this one provider, I just think Dorchester are getting commission... thats why I ask.

There are still Phone sockets in the house, and we still have a home phone and it still works the same its just through a fibre line instead of a copper one. BT Do offer a service too.. but wether our hardware works with it? Not sure.

 

[Typhoon]

@fairm010 is a data basher - he may be able to help.

 

[Cookie]

BT do have trials out in the wild of FTTP, worth giving them a ring and seeing if they can take over the service. If they have no kit in your exchange though, it could well be you're tied to these cowboys for your service
Edit: http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/adslchecker.welcome
Dunno if that's any help (although it does show FTTP being available for my number, but BT won't let me order it)

 

[fairm010]

As Cookie said, contact BT and see if they can take over the line. Chances are See The Light are only using their infrastructure anyway. Unless they've rolled out their own stuff, a la Virgin, which is a huge undertaking.

We have FTTP at work, the line is provided and maintained by BT (Openreach) but operates through another company.

 

[H182]

Just bullshit and tell them you're connected to the router via WAN when testing. The monkey on the phone will never know.

Can't help on moving to another service though.

 

[ElusiveHB]

The same company were in the news last year for a new housing estate, the biggest complaint seemed to be that you couldn't move provider unless you got BT to install a phone line which starts at 250quid assuming the rest of the infrastructure is there, which it wasn't.

As already said, ring BT and check anyway. But you'll have a 'mare explaining to the sales monkey what the score is. Imagine the headlines if BT or Google supplied your internet and told you you couldn't move providers!

They want you on the wire to rule out interference, its a fair request to run proper line checks but it sounds like it won't help. Certain versions of the current BT home hub drop macbooks off the network every few minutes so being on the wire is the avoid problems like that.

 

[Jason_E]

So Update:

First off, we have rang other providers (such as BT). However, the issue is the developer (Dorchester) currently own all the roads. And as such, the entire infrastructure in place is basically a "See the light" one. Until all of the building is complete and they hand all the roads over to the council, other providers cant actually move in. It's pretty common place with new developments right now.

As for the Fault, it seems to have stopped tonight. Other neighbours have all rang "See The Shite" and been fed the same bullshit. They've been told all sorts of stuff, basically avoiding at all costs sending out an engineer. The main thing that's annoyed us all though is the statement: "We have no record of anyone in your area logging this fault" Which they've now told everyone thats rang to complain of the same fault! (Not to mention all the other issues people are having with installation engineers, EG last week they were meant to turn up to install my friends internet, didn't and told him the site manager wouldn't let him on site. Site manager says nobody ever came)

Anyway, there is ONE other option. http://www.directsavetelecom.co.uk/ . We've decided to switch to these. Other people in the local area have done so, and said the support is 24/7 and a lot better. Prices are also pretty good. So we've gone for the 100meg package. If we still have the fault, hopefully they will appear. I do know from the Village Facebook Group a lot of other people on other broadband companies have had issues, and I did see an OpenReach van Yesterday at the bottom of the main road. So maybe, just maybe its getting fixed?

What annoys me is, I've told the dingo over the phone I can see my WAN status and know its not a wireless issue. Yet he was trying to get me to do Ping Tests. Surely the remote test from them to our ONT unit will prove wether its my Wifi or not? Every other company I've been with have been able to do this. Surely a Direct to Property Fibre line can do this!?