PIPEX - My unbelievable tale of woe

[jimmibo]

I am now at the end of my tether with Pipex - if anyone has any suggestions as to any action I could take, please let me know!!!

We were on an old 1MB package, and recently upgraded - we were told our line could handle 3MB - so great, we upgraded. NOW we get an average of 500 KB!!!! We get frequent drop-outs, and our connection speed varies wildly from 400 KB to a best of 1.3 MB, to disconnecting completely.

I have been on the phone to the useless people at Pipex MANY times about this - I always wait on hold for sometimes over half an hour! And STILL we have the same problem, nothing has been done and our connection is as bad as ever.

This has been going on for over 6 weeks now. Our phone bill has gone up with all the 0845 calls to Pipex, to add insult to injury. We have just begun this new 12 month contract, and just look at the service we are getting.

I was told BT would be in touch about the line, and that was over 2 weeks ago - we've heard nothing. Pipex say we can't contact BT ourselves, as we are a Pipex customer, not a BT Broadband customer - fantastic. I tried to contact BT and ran into the same brick wall. This is not our problem, we have done every test they told us to - different cables, micro filters, using a different modem instead of our router, etc.

I rang Pipex this morning (AGAIN) to be told "due to the unusually large number of calls, we are unable to answer your call right now, please try again later."

This is a PATHETIC service, with even worse customer support, and meanwhile, we may as well be on dial-up. There is nothing we can do, except sit here and take it, hoping Pipex or BT may one day get in touch.

Added to all of this, we have a problem with our IP address - of course only Pipex can change that for us, and I won't even go into that fiasco - predictably, we still have the same IP address 6 weeks later, they have done nothing, after promising to sort it and contact us.

AAAAAARGHHHHH.

DO NOT SIGN UP WITH PIPEX.

I should also add at this point, we have been with Pipex for almost 5 years with little problems until recently (so we didn't just sign up with them, we would have read up on ISP's first!).

[speedtouchguru]

I know from experience with an ADSL Max product that 1) It's a flaky as hell, 2) you need to eliminate any "internal" reason for the speed dropping off and 3) BT generally can only look at the speed if the connection speed drops below 400kbps (and that's when your line can hand 6.5 to 8mbps).

Have you tried the following?

1. Connecting directly into the main BT socket without using any form of extension cable or socket? (Some extension cables can cause connection speeds to drop by upto 3mbps). If you have one I'd recommend try the "test" socket.
2. Run full anti-virus and spyware checks?
3. Tried disabling the firewall?
4. Tried disconnecting several times in quick succession?

It would be a good idea to try the official BT Speedtester site. I found a good guide at:

http://freespace.virgin.net/adsl.test

BTW what connecting equipment do you use?

[jimmibo]

Hi there, and thanks for the quick reply!

I have done everything you said, except disconnecting several times in quick succession, so I'll try that too.

We are using a Netgear DG834G v2 router. We unplugged this, and re-installed our old modem, and had the same pathetic connection speeds. This is a wireless router - although we have 2 PC's connected directly, I have disabled the wireless features recently (this was after all this chaos began).

I have also used the speedtester thing many times, logging the router in to their test server overnight, (speedtest@speedtest_domain) and also going to the speedtest page you suggested (www.speedtester.bt.com) which only even works about once in every 10 or so attempts!!!

I really could just cry at this point.

Meanwhile, Pipex continue to charge us full price for this "service"!

[jimmibo]

I just tried the speedtest again, here is a typical result!

'The system is currently busy. Please try again shortly, however if this problem persists, raise the issue with your service provider'

[Scoobs]

What are your snr readings on the line?

You could have a look at the socket and see if the ring wire is connected removing this can improve the snr on the line.

If it is still connected get a snr reading first and after removing.

Removing ring wire guide

To get the stats from your router click the link and log in or go to the same page via the router.

http://192.168.0.1/setup.cgi?next_file=stattbl.htm

[Zer02004]

First of all, try the master socket test to ensure that your internal wiring/equipment isn't inflaming your situation. Next, post your line stats here.
If advised, and if you can ever get in touch with Pipex support, ask them to put you back on a fixed 2M circuit. Don't be fobbed off by them!

If, after a week or so, you get no joy, I'll give you the home address of Peter Dubens - The Pipex Internet chairman.

[jimmibo]

Wow thanks! What a cool forum. We have indeed taken a whole PC into the front room, to connect it straight into the wall with no extension - same result :-(

I didn't realise we could get a "fixed" 2 MB connection - that would do just fine, this is so unstable it's laughable. Right now I have a speed of 1.7 MB which is the best so far - 5 mins ago it was 500-something KB!

Scoobs - thanks for your advice, I will try all of that when I get back in later. Thanks again for the replies

[jimmibo]

Very quickly, here are my stats right now:

System Up Time 02:29:06
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 60277 52080 0 569 2317 02:24:10
LAN 10M/100M 52324 64891 0 2332 710 02:29:02
WLAN 11M/54M 0 0 0 0 0 00:00:00


ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed (downstream): 2528 kbps (upstream):448 kbps
Line Attenuation 51 db 15.5 db
Noise Margin 12 db 20 db

[Zer02004]

You need to remove the lower faceplate from the master socket (Assuming NTE-5) and connect to the previously hidden socket you can now see.
If you don't have an NTE-5 master, you'll need to disconnect all telephony equipment whilst testing.

[moon]

New to site.Saw this thread and wondered if this got sorted.
I have done the same as above and never looked into it first.
I have done the line stats as per the link above thx.

These are my stats:


System Up Time 93:03:14
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 4788450 8018375 0 628 8727 93:01:54
LAN 100M/Full 8010624 4788659 0 9120 954 93:03:13
WLAN 11M/54M 17096 9594 0 47 3 93:03:10

ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 3296 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 49.0 db 26.5 db
Noise Margin 5.8 db 18.0 db

I can see my speed but not sure on any of the other stuff can anyone tell me anything from the info.

cheers

[jimmibo]

Hi there - no, this has never been sorted. I've been back and forth with Pipex since the start of September over this. That's over 2 months now. BT have now cured our drop-out problems, but our connection speed is as pathetic as ever - 188 kps tonight. We've done every test possible, and it's clearly a BT fault. Every time BT "look at" our problem, they close the case! This has happened twice - nothing gets sorted, and BT close the case as though everything has been solved. Then I have to wait on hold for 30 minutes to Pipex, to open a new case, it's a total joke.

I'm almost past caring now... at this point, I'm waiting to hear (yeah right!) from Pipex after they have re-opend our case with BT yet again.

[moon]

Sorry to hear that.

Can some one explain to me the difference in plain english between a fixed 1 meg that I was on and the pipex max upto 8 meg.
I have been through the 10 day thing and it appears they have fixed my speed at 3.2 meg.
But it is terrible it as took me around 15 minutes to get these pages to load and write this message.
To me if my line was good at 1 meg for years why is it no longer able to work on 3 meg.After all it is all broadband and all equipment is the same.

I just don't get it.

plz plz explain before I go through all the phone calls and waitng.
thx

[moon]

Seems better this morning.
Why does the speed go up and down so much?
I am watching my connection as I download and it seems to go in waves from top speed @ 2.3 meg down to around 60 kBps this is all the time minute by minute.
Is this usual?
When on 1 meg before upgrade it seemed to stay the same speed.

Regards
Moon

[revmother2]

you think you have a tale of woe with pipex - you haven't heard mine yet.
end september I decided to move from onetel 'cos they were dreadful to pipex - they showed as the best on a comparision website. now I don't know why.....
beginning of oct my phone line and calls were switched, no bother.
since then I ahve had 4 welcome letters from pipex, all with diiferrent user names and passwords - why? because they can't spell my name right and they keep thinking they are opening new accounts.
i keep being promised a link up date for my bb. the last was 22nd nov.
so when I called at the beginning of this week, I was v polite and asked what was happeneing? only to be told the MAC key had run out and I'd need a new one.
called onetel in Delhi and today I got a new MAC key. hooray - but short lived.
phoned pipex with great hopes, only to be told that the new MAC key - beginning LZ couldn't be processed by their computers. This is a new format that BT has launched, without prior warning to ISPs. Has anyone else heard of this?
now i've to wait until mid dec to phone again and c if pipex system has been updated.
just want to cry
that's over 2 months I've waited so far for bb when I was told 10 days.
I might need that home address for the pipex man mentioned at the top of this thread.
revm

Hi. pipex = SH*T ...simple,

ive had a problem with them since day 1 , sure my download speeds vary as much as u guys but my Big issue with them is latency and for an online gamer its ur biggest nightmare u can imagine .
done all the half hour waits etc on the phone , had all the idiotic comments like " try the master socket " " do a virus test " Blah Blah Blah.
i even had one guy getting irate with me cos i had a problem with them ??
this has gone on for two months and im at the end of my tether , i phoned the not two minutes ago to ask them to cancel my service and they told me ......wait for it....... " certainly sir , can we have your credit card details as this will cost u £ 328.00 " OMFG ! WTF !
They told me that they will not diconnect on a technical issue as its been over two months ,
two months because they cant pull there fingers out there ass and sort this problem , they fob me off and tell me its bt's problem .

i will have this written on my gravestone :

"DO NOT USE PIPEX"

[dwightvesuvius]

couldn't agree more - they are absolutely useless.

signed up to the 'up to 8Mb' deal - 'up to' being the operative words.

an absolute con - getting speeds of around 150kb/s, which is simply unacceptable.

without boring everyone with my tale, i shall keep it brief

essentially was with pipex for over 4 years - no problem
went overseas - and postponed BT telephone line in july, (but still paying 23.44 a month for pipex - like an idiot never got round to cancelling)
came back to uk in november - got BT phone line re-enabled, but no internet access.

rang up pipex - apparantely BT had 'ceased the line' - so in order to receive broadband, have to start up a new 12 month contract.

foolishly agreed - and now service is appalling.

far worse than when it was on a simple 1Mb line.

not happy about having to stay with them for another 11 1/2 months.

any thoughts on how to get out of this deal?

cheers in advance

dv

im currently in the same battle with them , what they have now told me is that if my issue cannot be resolved they will cancell on "technical issues" for free.
but what they havnt told me is how long they give it before they give up trying
i have been phoned twice by them and they have told me each time that my issue has been resolved , ..........oh no....... , its got worse , it is my belief that they are doing absolutely jack sh*t about it.

[dwightvesuvius]

im currently in the same battle with them , what they have now told me is that if my issue cannot be resolved they will cancell on "technical issues" for free.
but what they havnt told me is how long they give it before they give up trying
i have been phoned twice by them and they have told me each time that my issue has been resolved , ..........oh no....... , its got worse , it is my belief that they are doing absolutely jack sh*t about it.

Originally Posted by nick05

interesting - it would appear that i am not alone...

just one thing to note, that if they send a BT engineer out, and the fault is due to bad wiring in your house, or a failed microfilter or something like that, BT WILL charge you for the privilege. So you end up 60 quid worse off, and still with rubbish speeds!

shocking

good luck

all the best!

interesting - it would appear that i am not alone...

just one thing to note, that if they send a BT engineer out, and the fault is due to bad wiring in your house, or a failed microfilter or something like that, BT WILL charge you for the privilege. So you end up 60 quid worse off, and still with rubbish speeds!

shocking

good luck

all the best!

Originally Posted by dwightvesuvius

Not too botherd about the speeds tbh im just concerned about latency and if they charge me for it then great , at least my problem will be resolved , not there fault if its due to wiring , just seems to be loads of others getting the same probs.

Best Regards , Nick.

I have been having similar problems with Virgin.net.
They "upgraded" me to 8 Mb/s some time ago. All was OK for a short time but then I noticed fading performance. It is getting worse all the time.
Last night I was getting 12 kb/s YES! 12 kb/s, I can train ants to carry data faster than that.
They have now promised to put me on a "fixed" 2 mb/s in about 3 to 5 days.
I wait with bated breath.
(Yes, I'm the one with the purple face).
By the way, the Virgin.net staff are incrediblpolite while they explain that there is nothing they can do for you.
Avoid Virgin.net 8 M "service" like the plague.

[etemplar29]

Just to let you know, our phone account was switched when Pipex bought SwitchTo about six weeks ago and we haven't been able to make an outgoing call since; we just get an engaged signal when trying to dial out. We were told to dial 1280 whihc would get us out but would be a higher priced BT call.

After giving us weeks of rubbush excuses about it being BT's fault, they have finally admitted the fault lies with Pipex and they are trying to fix it. My wife has made several calls since and now told them if it isn't fixed by end of week we will consider it a breach of any contract, which promises to supply a service for a fee - and we will be expecting a full refund.

I would suggest Pipex may pull thier finger out if customers start leaving in droves, but given the level of on-customer service, I certainly wouldn't want to go back to Pipex, even if they get it sorted.

Hi All,
Just read all the replies. I have just started using Pipex for the last 3 weeks. They purchased Homecall broadband a few months back and now you can not get an upgrade with them. So I was asked to move to the Pipex broadband service and upgrade to ADSL2 (or max as BT call it). I can not complain with speed when the ADSL is up. I seem to get about 6.1 MB. The main problem I have is it keeps going down every 20mins or so.
I know a little about all of this stuff as about 5 years ago I worked for an ISP. Broadband speeds will always differ between times of the day. Most home connections are on 20:1 contention which means if you use it when everyone is on the connection speed drops. If a lot of people on your street sign up then most connection will be low. I would always expect 1.2 MB or more if you have ADSL2.
ADSL Max is just BTs product ADSL2 is the technology.
Anyway I am going to start the troubleshooting tomorrow with Pipex support.
Does anyone know a Pipex customer on ADSL2 without problems? If so find out what the hardware they use.
Did all the users here get there hardware from Pipex when ordering the ADSL2 service or was it left over from ADSL days? Most hardware vendors now have firmware and driver updates for the ADSL2 service. I would try upgrading hardware before phoning Pipex support.
Thanks Gordon Mack

[Cornishman]

Gotta disagree GordonMack regarding contention ratios, with Pipex, as with most home broadband, you are on a 50-1 contention ratio. Gets worse eh?

Cant belive what iam reading

all the problems you all have had are the same as mine , very low speed (i should be 7.6 but iam getting 400K ) what a joke!!

Phoned and complained no one could do a thing , they said its down to BT yo sort the line out. I did a trace scan on the web and it gave me the information of where the ip packs where being lost and pipex where amazed that i got such handy information, but did nothing with it what a surprise!!

Well after lots of expensive calls and lots more wasted time they are refunding me 4 months and the calls and bt are going to fix the problem in jan .

Belive it when it happens

What a joke

hope it gets sorted for you ellis , they are now telling me they are undergoing extensive deep research into my issue ( lmao )

i gave them till january to sort it otherwise i will start legal action to get a full refund and a disconnection under technical issues ( thats what they call it when they disconnect you without charge )

pipex have to be the biggest laughable joke when it comes to isp's.

[mark99]

I too have had a gut full of pipex and have just set up www.pipexproblems.co.uk

Their PR department are likely to view it later this week, if possible, please post on the forum or at least vote in the poll.

I am hoping that they will finally realise how much they have antagonised their customers.

Please give me a hand to register your dissatisfaction with the company!

[asrm20]

Had very similar problem. Went from 1mb connection to 8Mb Pipexmini. Endless dropped connections but at 7.6mb. Pipex technical very helpfull, gave me bt address to put into router to test line. No problems. Reconnected via modem, no problems, though now 6.5mb. Eventually found that if I, in this sequance, disable firewall, turn off pc, turn off router, turn on router, wait till router fully rebooted, power on pc. Now stable at 6.5mb. Then reintroduce firewall. all fine only prob absolutely plagued by malware, i run Spybot, Ad-aware, x-cleaner almost by the hour. I use avg anti virus and comodo firewall, any thoughts?

Gents,

No connection again this morning. Hunting for details on Pipex problems. Found this thread. Totally relate. The following is my input to this. Thanks for your info... may well try disconnecting the "tinkle suppress" third line suggested above. We no longer have those old phones or care about tinkling.

www.saynoto0870.com is a wonderful little website that gives access to the landline numbers for 0870 and 0845 numbers which may help you with avoiding call charges while you are doing a Debbie (Harry - hanging on the telephone) which I find Pipex does to me all the time. I always have to try 2 or 3 of the landline numbers before I get through without paying the aweful telephone charges.

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk...ing-their.html A total gem of a site tells you how to ESCALATE and get out of contracts with Pipex. Its not easy but gives you the mechanics of dealing with debt collectors that Pipex unleash if you cancel the contract without paying the 10-12 months of outstanding contract depending on how long it took you to get to the end of your tether.

I have had no problems with Pipex (for 5 years like others here) until they were taken over by Tiscali, who I have avoided like the plague since they first launched in the UK and I tried their service for the first and last time 4 years ago.

Interestingly from a latency/gaming perspective I have found that I can kill Pipex's service by connecting a backup box to the line. This does bulk transfer by HTTPS to offsite backup center. When I do that that then my ping rises to 1-4500mS which makes ordinary browsing suck and levelling a 42 paladin impossible.

With regards to the latency problem I would guess this is an upstream Pipex problem with their router/switching network. What this also means is that everyone else going through this offending router/or routers is also getting sucky ping.

I have tried to complain as best as I know how, and like everyone else here have experienced little if any response. They seem to ignore every problem as much as humanly possible.

I think the truth is that Tiscali know how to pile it high and sell it cheap, but if you want quality or reliability - then go for one of the few remaining suppliers out there.

Zen Internet continue to be my fave. Not the best download speeds, but RELIABLE. Not the lowest cost, but let me list why I love them compared to Pipex

- real people on the helpdesk from the UK
- the helpdesk people are technical not script bots
- the helpdesk people solve problems - sometimes even problems not their own
(best example was website access failing due to MTU set wrong on a router.
not their problem but they solved it. Classy customer service.)
- Latency good
- Reliability good
- Service good

Best way to not worry about BT engineer visit not costing you £80 is to do the test plugging into the master socket mentioned in the thread above. Usually it is a wiring issue external to the house, unless someone has made a hash of installing internal extension wiring. Last time I had the "this may cost you £80" gambit it turned out to be the external phone wiring which ran along a row of shops on the wall before connecting to the BT network. It was 3 doors down - where renovation work for a restaurant relaunch had half cut the phone cable connecting the site to the BT network.

Hope this helps,

Adrien.

[tommy t]

you can tell tiscrapi have taken it over,not only that, the domestic side of the old pipex is now branded tiscali, only the pipex business bb exists,in my opinion based on comments and other info ive read online, there are a small amount of good isp's left, as your BT BB, AOL, TISCALI, TALK TALK, VIRGIN MEDIA ECT are mostly over subscribed over contended hence throttled ect isps, they maybe cheaper but they can /do not provide good service levels across their customer base,(my opinion)