Broadband in Kirkdale

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Georgie1234
Posts: 2
Joined: 9 Feb 2019 11:30

Broadband in Kirkdale

Post by Georgie1234 »

Hi all - sorry first post here, so sorry if there's another thread that I've missed! I've just moved to Kirkdale and signed up to TalkTalk for broadband but almost two weeks later and it's not working. They've said that this also includes BT and that their network engineers are looking into it. I can't work out if I'm just being fobbed off and they don't know what's wrong, so is anyone else in Kirkdale experiencing the same issue with their wifi?
stuart
Posts: 3635
Joined: 21 Sep 2004 10:13
Location: Lawrie Park
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Re: Broadband in Kirkdale

Post by stuart »

Do you mean wifi or internet connection?

Wifi is how any of your wireless devices (phone, tablet etc) connects to your TalkTalk router. It has nothing to do with BT. Can your wireless devices 'see' the router? Do you have a laptop or desktop connected to the router directly by cable?

BT provide the infrastructure and cabling to connect your router to TalkTalk's network. First step is to check with your router's documentation as to what lights indicate whether you have a physical connection. If not then that usually means a BT engineer visit to somewhere between you and the telephone exchange unless your router is faulty.

If the appropriate lights are on but when you login into the router it says 'no internet connection' or similar then that's because something hasn't been setup correctly down the line. It could be BT or TalkTalk. A real engineer can diagnose that quite easily from the other end but you will probably be talking to someone reading from a script (clue: how many times have you been asked to reboot the router?).

Sadly TalkTalk has a bit of history on the Customer Service front. If you are within the 14 days cancellation you could risk threatening that as a way of escalating the handling of your issue to a real engineer. BT (or more accurately Openreach) are not bad and fixing issues but they can't do anything until TalkTalk have raised the fault with a decent diagnosis and chased the job effectively. It would seem some ISPs are more efficient at doing this than others. The rules unfortunately prohibit you from talking to BT Openreach. Only TalkTalk can do that.

So you are in their hands. Your choice is how much you value your connection. The 'value' ISPs do cut corners to deliver that. OK when things are fine but can be disasterous if not. There are a couple of ISPs who use the same BT Openreach infrastructure but get a lot more out of it reliably. But you would be paying rather more. Expert service doesn't come cheap but if your business relies on it then it could be a small price to pay.

HTH
Stuart

PS Somewhere BT Openreach has a 'status' page which indicates where they have area issues (exchange or network but not individual). Try googling for that to see if it says anything relevant about this area. I doubt it or this forum would be much quieter ...
Georgie1234
Posts: 2
Joined: 9 Feb 2019 11:30

Re: Broadband in Kirkdale

Post by Georgie1234 »

Thank you for your response Stuart – it’s clear I'm confusing the terms.

Basically I can connect to the router, it recognises it on both my laptop and mobile, however the internet doesn't work.

I was aware that TalkTalk rent BT's lines which is why they have said anyone who is also using TalkTalk or BT in the road is having the same problem. They said their network engineers are investigating this with no known resolution time.

I guess what I'm trying to work out is whether anyone else in the area is also suffering or whether I'm the only one... And whether they’ve been given a better timeline for it to be fixed than I have. I have a feeling it's just my issue otherwise as you say it would be shouted about more on here! Which is a relief in some ways as means if I switch provider I should easily be up and running :)

Thanks for taking the time to reply! Georgie
stuart
Posts: 3635
Joined: 21 Sep 2004 10:13
Location: Lawrie Park
Contact:

Re: Broadband in Kirkdale

Post by stuart »

If what TalkTalk is saying is correct (don't bet the farm on it) then it points to a cabinet issue if your landline is still working OK. Is your connection fibre or straight ADSL? If its a fibre issue the link between the streetbox and exchange then people also on fibre will have the same issue (slower adsl might still be fine). Knocking on doors should be the quickest way (and make new friends?). If it is the cabinet then it should affect all ISPs (apart from Virgin of course).

However I do find it difficult to believe in the no time to fix issue. If it is the street then its an engineer dispatch which should have a service target. If its digging up the road then things get more difficult but - it doesn't take very long to diagnose exactly where the break is. "Still investigating" is the bit I find difficult to swallow.

Stuart
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