Verifying the problem

To determine whether the problem is your connection & not the website or server you are trying to connect to, take this test
*Remember to close any applications that may be using the connection, before you start.

If the test returns good results but you are still getting poor download speeds, it is likely to be an issue with the source you are downloading from. Try downloading from another source & see if that makes a difference.

Steps to rule out external interference

While it's not always possible it is best not to use any form of extension lead between the modem & the phone socket (this includes hard-wired extension sockets as these are still just extension leads). The line & connections of these contribute to lowering the quality of the signal on the line, introducing noise. A small increase in line noise can cause major problems, so it is always worth trying to connect your modem directly to the main phone socket.

It is also very important to ensure that all equipment attached to the phone line is connecting through a DSL filter. Unfiltered equipment (such as Phones, Fax, Cordless Telephone Base Units, Alarm Systems, Surge Protectors, Sky Set Top Boxes, literally anything attached to the telephone line) can interfere with the broadband reception of your modem. If you are in doubt as to whether a piece of equipment attached to the telephone line is causing a problem, simply disconnect all devices (except the modem) and try your broadband connection again.

Helping us diagnose your connectivity problems

If, after following the above recommendations, you are still experiencing a slow connection or loss on your broadband, we will request the following information from you, in order to resolve your case:

• Your customer username & the DSL account connected to it;
• BT Line diagnostics - Collect the results from the BT SpeedTester;
• MTR - If your problem is intermittent, or only to specific sites, an MTR would also be required. Details for running MTR can be found here.

Armed with this information, contact us page.