This is my experience moving from one ISP to Orange... Sorry it's so long, but it may help someone.
I'm a very long standing Orange customer (about 13 years or so). I recently got a new phone (SPV M5000) and decided to take the free broadband offer at the same time. I was looking to move away from Metronet since PlusNet took over and ruined it.
The 2gb cap was unrealistic, and I've been meaning to get 8mb for a while, so I ordered the 8mb version for the extra tenner a month.
The livebox came two days ago, and I set it up yesterday. First problem I found was the fact the username on my welcome letter was wrong. It ended .co.uk. but the real username has a @fs on the end. It doesn't tell you this anywhere, but the installation software says something like "for example, ....@fs" - now, to me, "for example" doesn't mean you must ignore the welcome letter and add @fs to the end! I wonder how many customers give up and pay the 70 quid for the installation (which was conveniently advertised with the welcome letter) ?
Anyway, that problem overcome I was connected. I did a speed test and was dismayed to discover it was 1.8mb! I called Orange and explained there was a problem and that I was obviously on the 2mb service and not the 8mb service. I was assured the 8mb service was "up to 8mb" and I am getting the best possible speed. I assured her that I was very much on the 2mb service and "up to 8mb" does not mean "less than 2mb" ! (at least not where I am).
Anyway, after a long call (15 mins) I was finally told that I was on 2mb after all and that someone had made a mistake. I was promised I would be switched over and that I would be called back later that day with to be told when it would happen.
I received no call. Surprised? I wasn't.
I called back this morning and have just ended a call that lasted 56 minutes and 50 seconds.
It appeared nothing had been done from yesterday, I certainly wasn't told anything had been done. The operator insisted, again, that it was "up to 8mb" and that they could only give me the maximum available and I was on it. He insisted that I couldn't get 8mb from my exchange (an exchange in Manchester covering a very populated area!).
I insisted he was either unaware of the facts or he was trying to deliberately mislead. I questioned how many other people who are paying for 8mb are actually on 2mb.
Eventually he came back and accepted that I was on an exchange that could get 8mb, although I had to basically force him to concede I was right. Then he said I would be moved on to 8mb the next time a batch is done but there was no way of saying when that would happen.
I asked to speak to his team leader. After a while on hold I was told she would call me back. I refused this as I know they don't call back. Eventually I spoke to his team leader.
She insisted that nothing could be done. I pointed out that I am a very long term customer and that they are not fulfilling their contract and that if it wasn't sorted by the end of the phone call I would be moving my broadband to another ISP and cancelling my Orange contract as they had broken it. I questioned whether she wanted to be responsible for losing a customer that has paid thousands over the years to Orange and would pay further thousands over the coming years as long as I am not put into the position of having to leave.
She insisted again nothing could be done and that all she could no do was email provisioning and wait 48 hours or so for (hopefully) a reply. I told her this wasn't good enough and that she has to call provisioning again. She refused saying it would do no good. I insisted she did.
Basically we argued for 10 minutes or so.
I was put on hold for almost 20 minutes, although she did pop on once to check I was still ok to hold.
When she came back she told me that someone did email BT asking for a switch yesterday. Great... except they asked for a switch from 2mb to... 2mb... !
She has now told me the switch has been escalated and will be rushed through in half the normal time (which is 10 days apparently) so I should be on moved over in 5 days. She has promised to telephone me personally every day to let me know the status.
Will it happen? I'll tell you in 5 days time I guess. But knowing what I know about Orange CS there was no way I was leaving the conversation without this promise, her contact details, extension number etc etc.
I am still worried about how many other Orange customers, who may not know as much about adsl or have the experience/stubbornness to hold out, are paying for 8mb but are actually still on 2mb.
If this is red then currently you can only have 2 meg, even if the line with ADSL Max supports much higher, due to Orange not yet doing ADSL Max connections.
If this is red then currently you can only have 2 meg, even if the line with ADSL Max supports much higher, due to Orange not yet doing ADSL Max connections.
thanks for the reply Elhana but it is LLU. I knew that when I ordered.
Hmm unless the area was enabled very recently then yeah you should have been put onto the LLU system. That is unless you were put onto LLU but at 2 meg.
It's very hard to tell what the situation is without looking at all the details of the line and provisioning.
Hmm unless the area was enabled very recently then yeah you should have been put onto the LLU system. That is unless you were put onto LLU but at 2 meg.
It's very hard to tell what the situation is without looking at all the details of the line and provisioning.
yes, i should and they have accepted it was a human error. they have promised i will be switched over 5 days from yesterday. i'll wait and see i guess.
oh well, it's gone 4pm and no update call on day one. she said she worked 8-4pm so if she was going to call today it would have happened by now. the hard-won promise broken on the first day. am i surprised? have a guess.
I had a call from a guy on Thursday night just saying he was looking in to it but nothing back from the woman who promised to personally call every day and nothing else until this morning.
Just had a call from another person saying BT now claim I cannot get LLU on this line. When I told her the exchange was enabled (according to http://www.samknows.com/broadb....php?p=llu) she said that sometimes it is because you live in a cul-de-sac or something ? (I don't, I live on a fairly large road).
I've told her that frankly after being lied to every time I speak to someone at Orange I won't believe this until I speak to someone at BT and she has said she'll try and get them to call me...
Does anyone know if or how I can speak to someone at BT myself to check this?
If you line connects into an exchange and that exchange is LLU enabled then you are LLU enabled unless the ISP hasnt completed the backhaul and Migration in which case you will still be receiving your service from the BT kit in each exchange
All LLU means is that Orange have installed their kit and pay Openreach rental for the copper line from the exchange to customer premises
The 8MB line quote tehy were talking about is one of teh oldest small prints in BB that i know of, yes you can get upto but no guarantee basically! I know there was an issue in some of the exchanges of substandard RJ11 cabling being used that couldnt cope with teh volume they wanted down it and as a result it worked till it overheated and then joined the merry go round of 'its not our fault'
If you get PSTN service from BT you could always try 150/151 they maybe able to confirm if you have LLU but i wouldnt bank on it
just spoken to BT and they confirmed if i was on a BT service, i should get around 5mb or so. so the line is fine.
he also said that if Orange have llu kit in the exchange, i should be able to get the same from their service as it is the same line, it's just the kit at the end of the connection that is different.
finally spoken to someone in SPT and she confirmed that the exchange is LLU enabled and I can get it on my line but that I had to go back to c/s to get them to (re)request the move.
now being told by by c/s that all this is correct, and i have been told wrong information by other people. at least we now agree i can get 8mb llu.
the bottom line i am being told now is that NO ONE ever signs up to 8mb to start with. everyone signs up to ipstream at 2mb max and then they move exchanges over in bulk and that i will be moved over at some point in the future (no idea when).
this is not what i have been told either online, in my welcome letter or on the telephone when i signed up. i am currently paying 10 quid a month extra to get the 8mb.
can anyone tell me if they went on to Orange 8mb directly?
btw i switched over from another isp (2mb line) in case that affects things.
the good news is i've now been switched over to an 8mb llu connection. the bad news is i'm getting about 2.5mb according to adslguide's speed checker.
orange are claiming i am the only person on the exchange to have been switched over and they have done it because i've put the pressure on them to provide what i was sold.
Here is the details from my livebox:
ADSL firmware version : A2pBT009.d16m-1
Connection mode : G.DMT
Type : Fast
Noise margin (dB) : 13.2
Attenuation (dB) : 25.0
Attainable download rate (kbps) : 10304
ADSL status : Connected [0]
Downstream Upstream
Rate (kbps) 8128 288
Having just discussed this with them I'm getting the fall-back line of "it is UP TO 8mb". yes, of course it is but this is a large exchange in Manchester, i'm only a few hundred metres away from it, new LLU equipment and i am on a recently rewired BT line that, when tested by the engineer, was given a very good bill of health.
Online checkers suggest I should get a speed of 5mb - 8mb.
after a bit of a debate... ("it's only 'up to 8 meg'" - "yes, i know but 2.5mb is too low...") orange have now agreed i should be getting higher and it has now been reported as a fault. it should be fixed the end of the week.
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