Fault Diagnosis - Broadband $145.12

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kiwiandy

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#196645 7-Jun-2016 19:25

So I moved house about 6 weeks ago, and after spending 2 weeks waiting for my phone & broadband to be reconnected at the new address, I found that my connections speed in the evenings was so slow that I could not even load the speedtest website to do a test, opening a trademe page often resulted in errors..

While the speed seemed sort of ok in the mornings the best I could ever get was about 1MBPS download speed.

fearing that I had a fault I called VF and reported the problem, and stepped through all the usual diagnostic process to try to eliminate any modem/installation issues as the source of the problem/ After not finding any issues they said they would get a technician to come out and have a look, but I would have to pay if there was a fault on my installation.

Subesequently I get a call at noon on a Saturday from a technician who tells me he is doing a test on my line and I have a 3.9MBPS connection, and everything is ok. While he is talking to me I do a speedtest and managed 1.9MBps. I suggest that he do a speedtest to my connection on the evening, however he says he has done all he can... blah blah.. i only work here.. thats the best you are going to get from this cabinet....etc etc

Phone bill arrives and I see that I was also billed $145.12 for his Fault diagnosis... just felt like i've been raped and then charged for the service!

Phone history
Now:
iPhone4 (XT)
HTC Desire HD (Softbank)
Google (HTC) Nexus One (XT)
iPhone3 (spare)
Chinese Kamakuza iPhone4 with Dual Sims & android ( for travelling)

before:
Google (Samsung) Nexus S
HTC Desire (XT)
Google (HTC) Nexus One (VF)
Blackberry's, Palm Treo 750, several WinMO smartphones from

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#1567388 7-Jun-2016 19:25

Hello... Our robot found some keywords in your post, so here is an automated reply with some important things to note regarding broadband speeds.

If you are posting regarding DSL speeds please check that

you have reset your modem and router
your PC (or other PCs in your LAN) is not downloading large files when you are testing - you are not being throttled by your ISP due to going over the monthly cap
your tests are always done on an ethernet connection to the router - do not use wireless for testing
you read this topic and follow the instructions there.

Make sure you provide information for other users to help you. If you have not already done it, please EDIT your post and add this now:

Your ISP and plan
Type of connection (ADSL, ADSL2, VDSL)
Your modem DSL stats (do not worry about posting Speedtest, we need sync rate, attenuation and noise margin)
Your general location (or street)
If you are rural or urban
If you know your connection is to an exchange, cabinet or conklin
If your connection is to a ULL or wholesale service
If you have done an isolation test as per the link above

Most of the problems with speed are likely to be related to internal wiring issues. Read this discussion to find out more about this. Your ISP is not intentionally slowing you down today (unless you are on a managed plan). Also if this is the school holidays it's likely you will notice slower than usual speed due to more users online.

A master splitter is required for VDSL2 and in most cases will improve speeds on DSL connections. Regular disconnections can be a monitored alarm or a set top box trying to connect. If there's an alarm connected to your line even if you don't have an alarm contract it may still try to connect so it's worth checking.

I recommend you read these two blog posts:

I am the Geekzone Robot and I am here to help. I am from the Internet. I do not interact. Do not expect other replies from me.

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hio77

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#1567405 7-Jun-2016 19:31

This sounds like a conklin situation.. assuming that is the case, realistically the vodafone tech should have identified this and not pushed to the fault stage at all.

the fee you were charged is most likely a "No fault found fee" this is generally what you agree to when they send a tech.

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kiwiandy

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#1567409 7-Jun-2016 19:34

What is conklin?

muppet

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#1567413 7-Jun-2016 19:37

So I had a similar issue with TelstraClear years ago.

I spent ages on the phone, screaming at them even.

But it was, embarassingly, my fault. I had an Earth Loop in the router I was using. I had even "ruled out" the router being the issue by plugging in a new ADSL modem... into the router with the Earth Loop. The full sad "I'm a muppet" story is here.

TelstraClear came out and did fault diagnosis and their own modem/test showed great line speed.

Anyway, this probably doesn't help you, but there's a reason they charge for this stuff - people like me. I swore black and blue it was their fault (I thought I'd ruled it out by swapping modems!) but it wasn't. It wasted a lot of their time and it wasn't their problem.

If you can someone to prove it's their fault though you can claim that money back.

hio77

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#1567416 7-Jun-2016 19:41

kiwiandy:

What is conklin?

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/sbiddle/8780

ild recommend a read of steves blog post on them, essentially low speed cabinet.

as i said though, based off your post im assuming that is the case. would have to confirm it.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

mattwnz

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#1567418 7-Jun-2016 19:41

If I was in this situation, I would tell them that my connection is so poor, that I am moving to another ISP, especially as that may solve the problem anyway. They can then either put it right at their cost, eg. they pay for the testing from their end, or they can let you move to another ISP. That is a big fee to pay when it isn't something that is totally outside your control. I wonder if line insurance (eg the $5 many people pay each month) would cover this type of situation too.

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richms

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#1567420 7-Jun-2016 19:46

mattwnz:

If I was in this situation, I would tell them that my connection is so poor, that I am moving to another ISP, especially as that may solve the problem anyway. They can then either put it right at their cost, eg. they pay for the testing from their end, or they can let you move to another ISP. That is a big fee to pay when it isn't something that is totally outside your control. I wonder if line insurance (eg the $5 many people pay each month) would cover this type of situation too.

No it doesnt.

They equally could have gotten a totally useless chorus tech like my flatmate had once. And I had the luck of getting when my connection went to crap a year afterwards. Basically was saying that we were too far for vdsl to work it would never work it works fine at the cabinet there is no fault at all nothing to fix etc.

I got lucky in that he did find a fault with my connection that got my speeds back to the barely acceptable ones that they are, but the flatmate had no luck and got the same BS fee added on.

Richard rich.ms

atomeara

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#1567425 7-Jun-2016 19:54

I normally argue it when it is clearly a Chorus fault or issue.
They have tried to charge me a number of times (once 3 times for the same fault)
I have always had the charge reversed in the end.
But these have all been Chorus faults.

kiwiandy

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#1567438 7-Jun-2016 20:07

hio77:

kiwiandy:

What is conklin?

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/sbiddle/8780

ild recommend a read of steves blog post on them, essentially low speed cabinet.

as i said though, based off your post im assuming that is the case. would have to confirm it.

Yes im pretty sure im suffering from a conklin!.. talking to the neighbours they all suffer the same and im told our connection is VDSL1..

kiwiandy

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#1567440 7-Jun-2016 20:08

atomeara:

I normally argue it when it is clearly a Chorus fault or issue.
They have tried to charge me a number of times (once 3 times for the same fault)
I have always had the charge reversed in the end.
But these have all been Chorus faults.

I guess it could be worth atry calling them, as the fault isnt with my installation.

hio77

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#1567444 7-Jun-2016 20:11

kiwiandy:

hio77:

kiwiandy:

What is conklin?

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/sbiddle/8780

ild recommend a read of steves blog post on them, essentially low speed cabinet.

as i said though, based off your post im assuming that is the case. would have to confirm it.

Yes im pretty sure im suffering from a conklin!.. talking to the neighbours they all suffer the same and im told our connection is VDSL1..

ADSL1 not VDSL1 but that almost confirms it then.

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kiwiandy

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#1567446 7-Jun-2016 20:14

hio77:

kiwiandy:

hio77:

kiwiandy:

What is conklin?

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/sbiddle/8780

ild recommend a read of steves blog post on them, essentially low speed cabinet.

as i said though, based off your post im assuming that is the case. would have to confirm it.

Yes im pretty sure im suffering from a conklin!.. talking to the neighbours they all suffer the same and im told our connection is VDSL1..

ADSL1 not VDSL1 but that almost confirms it then.

Oops!.. yes typo should have said ADSL1

hio77

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#1567454 7-Jun-2016 20:26

ild recommend looking into RBI alternatives and checking if your cabinet isnt due for an upgrade.

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richms

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#1567458 7-Jun-2016 20:37

If they didnt look into that you were on conklin and still sent a tech out without reviewing details of the sync speed etc first then I would say that it's vodafones fault.

But really it is choruses fault for selling you a connection which is not fit for use and never will be.

Richard rich.ms

hio77

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#1567474 7-Jun-2016 21:13

richms:

If they didnt look into that you were on conklin and still sent a tech out without reviewing details of the sync speed etc first then I would say that it's vodafones fault.

now if only competent techs were put on the other end of the phone...

richms:

But really it is choruses fault for selling you a connection which is not fit for use and never will be.

if only it was truely seen that way...

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

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