Dacs box and broadband

[Justan]

Two years ago we had a second phone line installed solely for internet use so as not to clog up our main phone line. A dacs box was installed in our hallway, although I had no idea at the time that this would slow the internet down and the engineer definitely did not mention it. I now want to get broadband and have the second phone line removed, along with the dacs box. BT has said it's up to my ISP (AOL) and AOL have said it's up to BT. Perhaps I'm wrong but it seems fairly obvious it should be BT's responsibility? Will I be able to get BT to remove this dacs box as it's only for my second line, and will I be able to get broadband if they do not? Also, should I order broadband and then try and get the dacs box removed, or get the dacs box removed and order broadband? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

[PeteC]

This is Virgin's response to the DACS question http://www.virgin.net/customers/broa...ation/dacs.htm - though with 2 lines - your situation is slightly less straightforward

So it looks like you apply to ISP of your choice and let them sort it out with BT as part of the provisioning. Don't know if it's an additional cost though or part of standard activation.

[Danmancs]

if you call up BT and ask them to come and remove the line and box, they should do so and will charge you 50 quid to do it.

Dan.

[silver]

I think I'd put in the order with the ISP and see what happens, they should advise before adding extra charges (I don't think you will get charged - but not sure)

Sil

PS, welcome to TS!

[bobbear]

Any decent ISP will place an order with BT and liaise with them to remove ISDN at the same time as the line is commissioned for ADSL. I see no difference in principle with DACS.

[Justan]

Okay thanks for that everyone. I'll order broadband from AOl and let them liase with BT and see what happens.

Hi,

BT have to remove it. I have had 2 removed now from 2 seperate addresses using 2 different ISP's.

Cost to BT (a lot)

Cost to me (nil)

STS

[Windjock]

I'm going to use the Oftel threat mentioned in another thread as I have two pstn lines already into the house and a business broadband. I've tried ordering adsl via demon / pipex and bt on one of the pstn lines (either would do !!) and everytime the reply comes back that if I'd like to pay BT in the order of £5,000 (yeh honest) ..... I can have it !

The other threads suggested complaining about basic line speed - quote the Oftel rules and BT should remove the DACS that are apparently on each pstn.

I've even said to BT - if the two lines are effecively sharing the same dacs - revert me back to one line - remove the dacs and bingo ..... no - still £5k.

looking forward to getting heavy with them !

being a customer shouldn't be this hard !!

[thumpert]

Windjock,

I applied to Zen for my adsl and BT de dacs me as part of the provisioning. When you applied for your second line did you specifically say that it was for internet access. If so you have a good case for getting it de dacs. If you apply for ISDN they will have to take the dacs off. But you may be stuck with it on one line for a year.

Complain to the BT chairmans office, they have a separate complaints department which seems to get things done. It worked when I had my first line dedacs.

Derek T

[Windjock]

thanks Derek

the second line was in fact a business line that would be needed for internet access for remote working - so this maybe yet another angle for me to pursue.

Unlike some of the other posts - the dacs mucking up my life appear to be between me and the excahnge where the line comes pole to pole to pole and then (according to a helpful engineer) there is a short section of pipe/ducting under a road and then the poles pick up again to my house. Apparently the pipes are full and dacs has been a means to an end in providing pstn when requested without uprating their cabling

I had my wife complain to day , via 150 , and BT's response was that the line is fine and an engineer could come out at our cost if we wanted to take it further. No mention of dacs - just that it passed the "fax test" and was at level 3 - apparently the best.

I tell ya I'm getting so miffed about this I can't tell you.

As well as trying to crib Daves Oftel response I will also now follow up your idea about the chairmans office - ta

Barry S

[phonemenow]

The BT second complaints department do tend to shift things abit quicker. I've had experience of them before with another matter.

My phone line kept cutting off, Bt just kept fiddling with the wires but never solved the problem. I reported them to oftel (harder now its ofcom) and Oftel made BT call me. However, it wasn't bog standard BT customer services, it was the top complaints department.

The only way you get anywhere with BT is to keep pestering them, if you call and get a crap operator dealing with you, just cut off and call again, you'll get someone else who might talk sense and actually know what they are doing.

[DaveL]

The link to the Ofcom page on DACS is here. One poster has said they have sucessfully been de-DACSed because of it.

[FlorenceSmith]

My parents have just had Broadband installed. When they first made enquiries with BT and Virgin about whether the line was suitable, then they both said Yes, but there is a Dacs box on the line that will need removing. When my Dad ordered it from the ISP he chose then they said that there was no trouble with the line. However ... a few days before installation my Dad spotted a BT van on the road and a man doing something to their line. No extra charges mentioned but we assume that the BT man was removing the Dacs

[phonemenow]

NIce one, I don't think BT like to admit that they have to remove the DACS otherwise they will be seen as delberately blocking broadband suppliers from supplying a service.

When we get broadband most of us scrap line 2 :-) and BT get less line rental

[DaveL]

When we get broadband most of us scrap line 2 :-) and BT get less line rental

Originally Posted by phonemenow

The reason many people were/are paying for a second line is because broadband wasn't/isn't available.

[phonemenow]

Oh yeh I know. I meant that now broadband is available in most areas, BT don't seem to like to quickly remove the DACS from many lines so broadband can be delivered. Because BT will then lose money for all the second lines people scrap when they get broadband and no longer need line 2.