Spark Fibre 200 with Landline (Voip)

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Spark Fibre 200 with Landline (Voip) - New Plans

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#1306766 17-May-2015 19:27

it wont be a few thousand, and if it is change companies to one who can do it cheaper

stevenz

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#1308704 20-May-2015 18:09

I've had my plan changed to the 100/20 plan (I actually wanted the 200/20 plan but can sort that out later). No mention of the cordless phone, but I did get a new modem\router which actually seems like a pretty good unit, the Huawei HG659b. I don't actually need it as I've got an Asus RT-AC68U on "modem" duty, but might be handy as a backup I guess.

Plugged the phone cable into the ONT and looks like the VoIP line is working happily.

FWIW - Speedtest is giving me 98/21

@KnightNZ

GregV

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#1308768 20-May-2015 19:58

I've got a call in with the Connections team, as my plan was supposed to be upgraded this evening (from Fibre30 to Fibre100+LL) - after being requested again last Tuesday, after the previous order was 'cancelled' mysteriously. No-one I've talked to so far has been able to get back to me about the cordless phone offer.

Tonights chat experience was the worst one I've had so far in terms of usefulness:
Me: I was told that my upgrade to Fibre100 would be completed by 5pm today - do I need to restart ONT or Modem?
Spark : Thanks for holding. I see the installation was scheduled for today. Has the technician been there to install the fibre land line today?
Me : I already have UFB, and don't need any internal wiring, so shouldn't have required a technician visit. I haven't had any contact about a visit
Spark : Yes, but in order to covert you from copper to fibre for your land line the technician will need to go into the property and install a separate outlet close to the ONT box on the the wall. Is the fibre working at the moment Greg?
Me : No outlet is required, as I will be plugging my only phone directly into the ONT. Fibre is working
Spark : I see. If that's the case you don't need a tech visit then to install the outlet. It looks like you are on the faster fibre plan then. Have you tried plugging your computer with an Ethernet cable to the modem and run a speed test?
Me : still on 30/10 by the looks (wired PC to spark.co.nz/speedtest)
Spark : O.k., there is nothing connected on the internet while you ran the speed test?
Me : nothing that would be using 70down and 10up while I was running the test...
Spark : I see. What was the actual speed you were getting there?
Me : 28.33 down and 9.58 up
Spark : Have you restarted the modem?
Me : That was one of my first questions to you - "do I need to restart ONT or Modem?"
Me : no i haven't
Spark : O.k., that will be the first thing you need to do Greg. However provisioning wise you are still on the 30/10 speed though so I don't think restarting will help at all. Looks like it may not have switched over yet.
Me : Are you able to tell me when this will occur?
Spark : It was suppose to be completed today by 7pm but I see you are still on 30/10 speed on your fibre profile here. What you can do is call our connection team on 0800 800 123 Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm and Sat - Sun 9am - 6pm and we can provide you more updates on what is happening.

richms

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#1308769 20-May-2015 20:00

OMG! what a useless intereaction. "We are useless and not done it so waste your time calling us during these hours when you are probably working" is a craptastic answer.

Richard rich.ms

GregV

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#1308772 20-May-2015 20:03

Fortunately I was able to catch the Connections team on the phone tonight, and a very helpful person (didn't catch her name) was going to get it followed up with urgency. I would have been really mad if I had spent hours on hold on the phone to get the information I got above...

wsnz

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#1309039 21-May-2015 08:03

stevenz: I've had my plan changed to the 100/20 plan (I actually wanted the 200/20 plan but can sort that out later). No mention of the cordless phone, but I did get a new modem\router which actually seems like a pretty good unit, the Huawei HG659b. I don't actually need it as I've got an Asus RT-AC68U on "modem" duty, but might be handy as a backup I guess.

Plugged the phone cable into the ONT and looks like the VoIP line is working happily.

FWIW - Speedtest is giving me 98/21

Did you call or make the change online? My address throws an error in the provisioning database, so I asked for a direct link through to the Downer provisioning page. On the last page of the application it made mention of the phone offer, which duly turned up the following day. Perhaps if you call, you don't get the phone offer?

The phones don't provide great voice quality, but they're useful to us none the less!

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GregV

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#1309052 21-May-2015 08:28

Not sure of Steve's experience, but in my case I was still showing as VDSL, so couldn't complete the upgrade from Spark's page. Online chat gave me a direct link to the Downer page, but even there I received 'Invalid credentials' after entering my account number and phone number.
Here is a screenshot showing the disparity between Spark's upgrade page, and MySpark

I've gone from being an enthusiastic day-one adopter to being a bit jaded by the whole process. It seems that as soon as I couldn't complete everything online due to the above, it has been a battle to get things sorted.

stevenz

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#1309086 21-May-2015 09:15

I was already on UFB but still had to fill in the Downer form, presumably as I was switching from copper POTS to fibre VoIP. I might have to chase them up about the phone as my existing one is actually pretty awful so it'd be really useful to have.

I used the online chat initially and they had to go away for a couple of minutes as they weren't aware that the new plans were even available, then they got someone to give me a call back who was quite helpful and was going to sort it all out.

I got an email from her the following day saying that I had to do the Downer form (presumably for the reason above) and it'd be changed over 5 days afterwards.

I was going to do the form in the first place, but it wouldn't load in Chrome at work, I had to end up doing it from home.

The system still has a few kinks but hopefully they've got things mostly sorted by now and know to differentiate between existing xDSL\Fibre and/or POTS\Fibre connections prior to the upgrade.

@KnightNZ

cyberhub

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#1309087 21-May-2015 09:15

Great to see the price of unlimited prices coming down. No doubt all those other smaller ISP's will have to follow. Hats off to Spark.

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GregV

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#1309196 21-May-2015 10:57

I just tried the Downer form again, and this time was able to access the signup process. It only made a casual mention of the phone "Instructions on how to plug in your new DECT handset will follow in the confirmation email".
Note that I had to choose 'yes' to having the special jackpoint and loopback cable already installed (I don't), as selecting 'no' was going to send a technician to my house (and most likely remove the phone offer). There needs to be a third option of "I'll plug my phone directly into the ONT".

Still no word about my plan change from Fibre30 to 100 though

cbrpilot

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#1309235 21-May-2015 12:11

GregV can you please PM me your details incl when your order was due and I'll see what we can do for you.
Thanks

My views are my own, and may not necessarily represent those of my employer.

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hobsonlea

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#1309398 21-May-2015 16:40

GregV: Moving from Fibre30 to Fibre100+LL, and it has been a slow process. I understand that there were new things for the CSRs to learn, but my order placed over the phone on the 5th - launch day - was actually cancelled with no notification to me. It was only when I contacted Spark to see how the plan change was going that I was told about the cancellation. Resubmitted on Tuesday, and I now have a reference number, so fingers crossed.

How long should it take to do the plan change, and VoIP cutover (no wiring visit required)?

I had exactly the same issue - ordered on 5th May, on 6th got email saying new modem on way, modem arrived a day later, but then it went quiet... I managed to find the original ref no,- only when I rang up on the 12th to find out status, did they tell me there was an issue - that they needed to stop the copper and move me to VOIP and had cancelled the order. Eventually got a new Ref number for the job ... still no action as of 20/5 - I asked for update and was told "it is still in our (Spark) system and then the handover to Chorus will take 5-10 days ... they continue to insist I need a technician onsite.. the ONT is next to the existing main RJ45 outlet - where the one Cordless base station sits.. sigh....

Pete

GregV

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#1309401 21-May-2015 16:41

cbrpilot: GregV can you please PM me your details incl when your order was due and I'll see what we can do for you.
Thanks

Thanks for your help Dave/cbrpilot

hobsonlea

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#1314254 29-May-2015 17:30

hobsonlea:
GregV: Moving from Fibre30 to Fibre100+LL, and it has been a slow process. I understand that there were new things for the CSRs to learn, but my order placed over the phone on the 5th - launch day - was actually cancelled with no notification to me. It was only when I contacted Spark to see how the plan change was going that I was told about the cancellation. Resubmitted on Tuesday, and I now have a reference number, so fingers crossed.

How long should it take to do the plan change, and VoIP cutover (no wiring visit required)?

I had exactly the same issue - ordered on 5th May, on 6th got email saying new modem on way, modem arrived a day later, but then it went quiet... I managed to find the original ref no,- only when I rang up on the 12th to find out status, did they tell me there was an issue - that they needed to stop the copper and move me to VOIP and had cancelled the order. Eventually got a new Ref number for the job ... still no action as of 20/5 - I asked for update and was told "it is still in our (Spark) system and then the handover to Chorus will take 5-10 days ... they continue to insist I need a technician onsite.. the ONT is next to the existing main RJ45 outlet - where the one Cordless base station sits.. sigh....

Pete

Sigh a number of more interactions with Spark.... Seems my
1 order / 2 modem arrived / 3 delay / 4 sorry its wrong order needs to be re-entered correctly / 5 new order / 6 new promises new dates... / 6 DECT Phone eventually arrived after a couple of calls .. / 7 sorry wait anther 5-10 days then we can pass over to chorus... / 8 so called today / 9 sorry wrong order in system - seems I need to do the order online / this generates the sending of the modem (already here...) and this generates the sending of the DECT Phone (here) and this generates the booking of Downer for the switchover to occur...

which is now scheduled for one month after the order was placed accepted... crikey it shouldnt have to be this hard... I must have spoken to >10 people and had >10 Chat sessions and about 10 emails.... sigh.. so 5th June supposedly something happens in a switch somewhere - and I move my Phone to the ONT port and 200Mbs will pour down my new speedy Fibre Connection...

GregV

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#1314259 29-May-2015 17:35

Yeah - definitely some teething issues. Took me much longer than expected, but I now have internet and phone coming off the fibre. As soon as I could authenticate with and complete the Downer online form, things happened as and when they should (there was still an issue with the cordless phone offer, but that was resolved by cbrpilot on here). Plan changed, and voice was cutover on the day/time agreed.

I'll give it another go moving parents over to FibreLL solely using the online process. Hopefully it is smooth sailing.

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