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Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Old Apr 6th 2017, 2:25 am
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Default Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Hello All,

I recently moved to Australia and it has been 3 months. I signed up with an internet provider here and it is a ADSL2+ connection. I have been having issues with the speeds and stability since day one. After multiple layers of troubleshooting and techs coming to my building they have come to the conclusion that my phone socket needs to be fixed. I obviously don't own the flat and don't have enough knowledge in this country to engage the right people for the job.

I spoke to the real estate agent and they tell me to call Telstra and ask them to come home and take a look at the problem. My question is that I am not a Telstra customer, can I just call them and report a fault to my socket? Also my Real estate agent says that I need to ask telstra to bill the agent and I need to give them their email ID. I am not sure how all these things work. In the US it is all a bit different and luckily I never had to deal with ADSL connection in the US for 14 years.

I know that there are other private licensed telephone techs who can be hired too. I would really appreciate if anyone can shed some light on this. I am totally lost. My internet is so poor and I barely get like 1.5 mbps. I know I can get faster than that as I used to get that about a month and a half. Optus who is my provider is of no help and so is my agent.
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Old Apr 6th 2017, 3:22 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Originally Posted by giri26
Hello All,

I recently moved to Australia and it has been 3 months. I signed up with an internet provider here and it is a ADSL2+ connection. I have been having issues with the speeds and stability since day one. After multiple layers of troubleshooting and techs coming to my building they have come to the conclusion that my phone socket needs to be fixed. I obviously don't own the flat and don't have enough knowledge in this country to engage the right people for the job.

I spoke to the real estate agent and they tell me to call Telstra and ask them to come home and take a look at the problem. My question is that I am not a Telstra customer, can I just call them and report a fault to my socket? Also my Real estate agent says that I need to ask telstra to bill the agent and I need to give them their email ID. I am not sure how all these things work. In the US it is all a bit different and luckily I never had to deal with ADSL connection in the US for 14 years.

I know that there are other private licensed telephone techs who can be hired too. I would really appreciate if anyone can shed some light on this. I am totally lost. My internet is so poor and I barely get like 1.5 mbps. I know I can get faster than that as I used to get that about a month and a half. Optus who is my provider is of no help and so is my agent.
Your real estate agent will have assumed Telstra (since most are). It would be Optus you have to hassle.

Saying that, I somehow doubt it's the phone socket. It would be an unusual thing to go wrong. More likely to be the line.

In general the best route is to befriend a techie. They are more likely to be able to make progress on computer/comms stuff than providers (who usually employ monkeys and play slope shoulders). Usual payment is a slab of beer (though a bottle of single malt is preferred) and/or flirting. Things like SNR, attenuation, and the state of your filter would be top of my list to check, as would distance from the node.

You might also find that the building owner is involved, if the block of flats has structured wiring. Indeed you might well find there is a patch box in the basement.

My first guess would be someone dislodged something whilst fixing something else a month and a half ago.
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Old Apr 6th 2017, 8:29 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

You could try looking here if anyone else has had the same issue:
ADSL - Optus Broadband - Whirlpool Forums
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Old Apr 6th 2017, 9:52 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Originally Posted by giri26
Hello All,

I recently moved to Australia and it has been 3 months. I signed up with an internet provider here and it is a ADSL2+ connection. I have been having issues with the speeds and stability since day one. After multiple layers of troubleshooting and techs coming to my building they have come to the conclusion that my phone socket needs to be fixed. I obviously don't own the flat and don't have enough knowledge in this country to engage the right people for the job.

I spoke to the real estate agent and they tell me to call Telstra and ask them to come home and take a look at the problem. My question is that I am not a Telstra customer, can I just call them and report a fault to my socket? Also my Real estate agent says that I need to ask telstra to bill the agent and I need to give them their email ID. I am not sure how all these things work. In the US it is all a bit different and luckily I never had to deal with ADSL connection in the US for 14 years.

I know that there are other private licensed telephone techs who can be hired too. I would really appreciate if anyone can shed some light on this. I am totally lost. My internet is so poor and I barely get like 1.5 mbps. I know I can get faster than that as I used to get that about a month and a half. Optus who is my provider is of no help and so is my agent.
So if Optus are your provider (assuming they own the phone line too?) they need to fix it or you have every right to cancel the contract.

Call the telecommunications ombudsman and report them.

Other things to check.

A bung router - had a few of these in the past. You will have to buy a new one to check. Do you get faster speeds if you plug in directly?

Is your phone set to uploading photos when hooked up to your wifi? I have fallen foul of that. The upload squeezes your bandwidth. I have the phone set to upload photos and movies only when on charge, which generally during sleep sleep time.
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Old Apr 6th 2017, 10:01 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

I live in Country WA and my Internet service is terrible. At least weekly I have to call Telstra to troubleshoot and technicians have been out several times. In our case - nothing we can do except be persistent and hope things get better with NBN.
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Old Apr 6th 2017, 10:06 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

DSL runs over regular telephone lines. As such there are normally 4 wires able to carry a signal, 2 of which are used at any one time.**

DSL connection problems often occur for several reasons.

1. Poor quality (cheap) router provided by the Internet Provider.
2. Router is connected to the incorrect signal pair (see above **)
3. External problems such as bad cable between house and junction box or other external problems.

The internet provider is not always the telecoms provider. (the physical phone line).
Ask neighbours for tips to see if it actually is Telstra or another..

It's really the responsibility of the provider to ensure that this is sorted and for them not to assist you is pretty stupid!!

Also you don't mention if you are only using WiFi. A wired connection is the only way to effectively test the stability and speed.

Apart from that, WiFi problems are a different matter.

Good Luck.

PS: Call Telstra, they will soon tell you if the phone line is theirs.

Last edited by calman014; Apr 6th 2017 at 10:08 am. Reason: add text
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Old Apr 6th 2017, 10:58 pm
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Thanks everyone for the inputs. I will call Telstra and check with them. The internet keeps dropping out every once in a while and when it does it does continuously for like 30 minutes or so before it stabilises. I called the Optus support and they rudely told me that if I don't fix my socket they cannot help me anymore. Regarding the phone line itself, I don't have it connected most of the time as I connect the router directly to the socket to see if the speeds are better rather than using a splitter.

Optus have been pretty poor in terms of their support in this case. It is very confusing here as even though the service is provided by OPTUS the lines are from telstra. I say that because initially when they found some noise in my line, they sent a telstra tech to check the lines outside the home. That improved the connectivity and speeds for a while. I did get decent speeds of about 3.5-4.5 MBPS for a while (Like 3 weeks) and then it dropped out again. Now I barely get around 1.5 - 1.7 MBPS. That too if I keep turning the modem on and off.

Yes I am using WIFI, using wired connecting isn't better either.

I will try your suggestions and start off by calling telstra to check if the lines are theirs and if I could have them come and take a look.
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Old Apr 6th 2017, 11:53 pm
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Usually Telstra/Optus only service the lines to the main connection in the building. All wiring from there is normally the customers responsibility. They will come and check that their service is good to that point ( In a block of units - usually an MDF where the cable comes in - Main Distribution Frame ) From there to your apartment is not the Telecom Companies problem.

If its a house they will test it to where the cable comes onto your property to the first connection point. After that it's all yours. There is only 1 pair used for phone lines and ADSL - they both share the same cable. The Sockets can get corroded badly - see if you can look in and notice if the 2 centre pins are nice and shiny copper. If they are black or green its a bad sign, corrosion will mean you get a bad connection. Most electricans should be able to help you out.

Of course on a rental, that would be the landlords responsibility.

Of course also check that the ADSL filter is installed correctly and that no other phones are connected to the ADSL side of the filter, as that will cause issues to.

Last edited by spuddyo; Apr 6th 2017 at 11:56 pm.
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Old Apr 7th 2017, 11:18 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Who's your provider? Shouldn't they be dealing with it? Years back we had an issue, our provider was the first port of call. They tried to fix it but said it was a Telstra problem, I said I didn't want to talk to Telstra because they're crap and would annoy me. They got on to Telstra and made them come out and sort it. However the problem was beyond our boundary. Since then we had our then provider come out to an issue inside the house. If it's a wiring problem your rental agency or the home owner should be dealing with it and just checking with you when electricians/phone companies can visit. And telling you to tell Telstra to bill a third party is barking.

Go back to your agency and tell them to sort the problem with the wiring. It's a landlord issue in my book.
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Old Apr 9th 2017, 2:55 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Originally Posted by giri26
Hello All,

I recently moved to Australia and it has been 3 months. I signed up with an internet provider here and it is a ADSL2+ connection. I have been having issues with the speeds and stability since day one. After multiple layers of troubleshooting and techs coming to my building they have come to the conclusion that my phone socket needs to be fixed. I obviously don't own the flat and don't have enough knowledge in this country to engage the right people for the job.

I spoke to the real estate agent and they tell me to call Telstra and ask them to come home and take a look at the problem. My question is that I am not a Telstra customer, can I just call them and report a fault to my socket? Also my Real estate agent says that I need to ask telstra to bill the agent and I need to give them their email ID. I am not sure how all these things work. In the US it is all a bit different and luckily I never had to deal with ADSL connection in the US for 14 years.

I know that there are other private licensed telephone techs who can be hired too. I would really appreciate if anyone can shed some light on this. I am totally lost. My internet is so poor and I barely get like 1.5 mbps. I know I can get faster than that as I used to get that about a month and a half. Optus who is my provider is of no help and so is my agent.
Hi

Whereabouts in Adelaide are you?

Internet speeds are notoriously poor here, mainly due to the exchanges being full to capacity and the poor quality of the copper lines. Before we went to WDSL, we were lucky to get 1mbps - our connection was so poor our Foxtel box couldn't connect. Skype calls were completely out of the question.

We are using NuSkope for our WDSL - good service, local company and is not affected by landline usage. Our area is due to get the NBN in the next few months but we will staying put until the rollout has been fully completed in this area as so many people are having issues with the NBN.

I agree with Moneypenny, this should be dealt with by your landlord or rental agent. If you are struggling to get them to sort it, get advice from Commissioner for Consumer AffairsRenting advice
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Old Apr 9th 2017, 11:34 pm
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Originally Posted by rasen78
Hi

Whereabouts in Adelaide are you?

Internet speeds are notoriously poor here, mainly due to the exchanges being full to capacity and the poor quality of the copper lines. Before we went to WDSL, we were lucky to get 1mbps - our connection was so poor our Foxtel box couldn't connect. Skype calls were completely out of the question.

We are using NuSkope for our WDSL - good service, local company and is not affected by landline usage. Our area is due to get the NBN in the next few months but we will staying put until the rollout has been fully completed in this area as so many people are having issues with the NBN.

I agree with Moneypenny, this should be dealt with by your landlord or rental agent. If you are struggling to get them to sort it, get advice from Commissioner for Consumer AffairsRenting advice
@rasen78, I live in Glenelg and it seems like the ADSL2+ connection is very poor everywhere. It seems like the NBN rollout for my area is going to happen only in 2018 Jan. So I need get this sorted out before that.

@Monneypenny, Optus is my provider. I did a big mistake signing up with them. I was new to the country and bought their SIM cards at the airport and loved their pre-paid plans. So decided to sign up for the internet with them as they offered a good deal. Realised that it was a huge mistake. Their customer support is really poor. I lived in the US for 14 years and every time we had an issue with the internet we called the service provider and they would take care of the problem. But again, I never had to deal with ADSL in the US, it was always Cable internet where ever I lived so this is the first time I am going through this. The landlord has been informed and I guess they will take it from here. It is surprising that the real estate agency is so clueless and wants a person who has hardly been here for 3 months to sort everything out.
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Old Apr 10th 2017, 1:13 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Originally Posted by giri26
@rasen78, I live in Glenelg and it seems like the ADSL2+ connection is very poor everywhere. It seems like the NBN rollout for my area is going to happen only in 2018 Jan. So I need get this sorted out before that.
Might be worth looking at this lot :

http://www.unitiwireless.com/

They do a fixed wireless solution, and appear to have a base station in Glenelg.

There is also this lot, with a similar service : NuSkope - The Future Cant Wait in Adelaide

Obviously, being in a flat, it does depend on being able to fix the antenna and point it in the right direction.
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Old Apr 11th 2017, 6:42 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Thanks @GarryP, I will take a look at those. So we got someone to come and fix the socket today and it did help with the speed a little bit but not to the level Optus claimed. Now I can pound on them if the issue persists as I have gotten the socket repaired.
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Old Apr 11th 2017, 8:11 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

With DSL, the state of the line between your socket (or where it comes into the building) and the local exchange facility is also of importance. The greater the distance to the exchange, the lower the average speeds are likely to be. Also old hardware in the exchange would not help. I agree that it's your provider that needs to sort this. A proper ADSL+ connection is capable of adequate speeds, if it is setup correctly. I'm sure there is a way to switch providers if the customer service is lacking or they are not providing quoted speeds or quality. They can actually measure the speeds electronically and also the quality of your connection up to your building and possibly to your socket. It can also be done in reverse from your socket to the exchange by a technician with the right gear.
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Old Apr 11th 2017, 11:04 am
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Default Re: Internet Issues - Any help appreciated

Originally Posted by GarryP
Might be worth looking at this lot :

http://www.unitiwireless.com/

They do a fixed wireless solution, and appear to have a base station in Glenelg.

There is also this lot, with a similar service : NuSkope - The Future Cant Wait in Adelaide

Obviously, being in a flat, it does depend on being able to fix the antenna and point it in the right direction.

We have NuSkope - good service with their WDSL. They do have ADSL packages too I believe, but I would imagine the OP has signed a contract with Optus. Unless they go via the Ombudsman they are unlikely to be able to cancel without attracting an exit fee.
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