Switch from BT to EE unmitigated disaster

JamesAV
Investigator
Investigator

I had seven years of relative bliss with my BT broadband. After lots of persuasion and the offer of significant discounts I agreed to switch my broadband, landline and TV (previously Sky) at the end of December. Since then we have barely had two consecutive days without the broadband failing. We've had two different routers: the original BT one which i was assured would work just fine and then a replacement EE version which has never worked for more than a few hours without failing. The internet will just randomly cut out and then may, at some point, switch back on. Or not, as is the case right now. I have spent hours on the phone to various EE support staff, had an EE engineer visit (which basically involved a guy plugging in a different router, connecting a few wifi discs (which most of us can do in our sleep) and leaving despite us insisting there was an underlying problem and that it would fail within hours. It did.) Last week, when it failed again  we were offered 'the earliest available engineer appointment' which was the following Tuesday. Then it became Wednesday. And then no one came at all. Just didn't bother turning up despite us waiting around for six hours in expectation. Instead we were sent an email saying everything was fixed. How, exactly? All along EE had been insisting the issue was between the road and our router so how they could claim to have fixed anything without attending the property is extraordinary. And of course we still have the same flashing pink light on the router that we've been complaining about for nearly two months, ever since we were switched to EE. 

As of today, because they didn't bother turning up for the scheduled engineer appointments, we have been told we have to join the back of the queue and won't see anyone (if at all, let's be honest, based on evidence to date) for a week!!! We're just expected to sit here and suck it up. I've paid two months of bills and had probably three days when the internet hasn't failed. Every day I switch off, switch on , (doesn't work) factory reset (doesn't work), switch router (no difference), switch on again on average ten times.  The signal will eventually just decide entirely randomly to come back on then we sit, nervously, staring at the blue light wondering whether it will fail again in the middle of a work meeting or an important phone call or while we're trying to relax in front of the sodding telly. And it will fail. It's the only thing we can rely on.

As you can probably tell, I am taking 'disgruntled' to previously unexplored depths. If I could gather up all the kit and dump it on someone at EE's desk and walk off to to find another supplier I would do so in a heartbeat. I'll be exploring that option with Ofcom.

The level of incompetence is mind-blowing. As if it wasn't bad enough that somehow, in transitioning us from BT to EE's backend they have completely screwed up what used to be a solid, reliable broadband service, they can't even be bothered to try and resolve it. We live in a rural area where mobile signal is patchy so rely on broadband for so much. Our alarm system is screwed, our doorbell, we can't work and our extremely unwell parents have no idea if they will be able to contact us when they need to. 

I feel so horribly cheated. If I had even the slightest suspicion that EE would have sent us into so much anxiety and turmoil I would not have touched them with someone else's bargepole. I truly hope no one else experiences what we have and that our situation is unique. Although It's up to you to decide if you're prepared to take the chance of finding out.

31 REPLIES 31

Hi XRaySpeX,

Not gonna lie, I'm a bit confused by what people are asking me but I'll take a punt and paste this in the hope it's correct. Thanks for your interest. I appreciate it.

Product code:Hub
 

 

Serial number:+091301+1938004313
 

 

Firmware version:v0.44.00.04123-BT
 

 

Firmware updated:Tue Dec 10 23:34:29 2024
 

 

Board version:R01
 

 

GUI version:1.80 11_07_2023
 

 

DSL uptime:-
 

 

Data rate:-
 

 

Full Fibre (FTTP) Mode:Off
 

 

VLAN id:-
 

 

Upstream error control:Off
 

 

Downstream error control:Off
 

 

Data sent / received:-
 

 

Broadband username:bthomehub@btbroadband.com
 

 

Public Wi-fi status:Not active
 

 

2.4 GHz wireless network name:BT-QZA6H2
 

 

2.4 GHz wireless channel:Smart (Channel 6)
 

 

5 GHz wireless network name:BT-QZA6H2
 

 

5 GHz wireless channel:Smart (Channel 36)
 

 

Wireless security:WPA2
 

 

Wireless mode:Mode 1
 

 

Firewall:On
 

 

MAC address:F0:86:20:77:16:46
 

 

Software variant:-
 

 

Boot loader:0.1.7-BT (Thu Nov 30 09:45:22 2017

 

 

Mustrum,

I pasted some stuff to a reply to XRaySpex which I hope is the stuff you were requesting. Please let me know if its not and I'll try to provide what you need. I really appreciate the help.

XRaySpeX
EE Community Star
EE Community Star

There are no values against some of them, like :

DSL uptime:-
Data rate:-

 

If you think I helped please feel free to hit the "Thumbs Up" button below.

To phone EE CS: Dial Freephone +44 800 079 8586 - Option 1 for Mobile Phone & Mobile Broadband or Option 2 for Home Broadband & Home Phone

ISPs: 1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up > 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB > 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB > 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU > 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU > 2011: Orange 20 Meg WBC > 2014: EE 20 Meg WBC > 2020: EE 40 Meg FTTC > 2022:EE 80 Meg FTTC SoGEA > 2025 EE 150 Meg FTTP
Mustrum
EE Community Star
EE Community Star

@JamesAV  thanks,yep that is the one, alas the key info missing is:

DSL uptime:-
 

 

Data rate:-
 
The EE 2023 has more useful info on a similar page, but lets stick with what you have for now.
 
JamesAV
Investigator
Investigator

I'll switch over to the EE box and see what I can retrieve that is currently missing.

Mustrum
EE Community Star
EE Community Star

@JamesAV   best not to do that, lets just try and keep things they are, and get the info from the info page and log if and when there is an issue.

The more you change things the harder to get an idea of what is going on.

JamesAV
Investigator
Investigator

So I switched to the EE hub and there is no value assigned to either the DSL Uptime or the data rate. Both are blank. 

JamesAV
Investigator
Investigator

Sorry Mustrum, I'd already done it! 😒

 

Mustrum
EE Community Star
EE Community Star

@JamesAV   of course they are, they will have been reset by the router being switched off.

Please leave it on, and lets see the results tomorrow.

What we are looking for is evidence or how long the line stays up, and if the speeds are consistent.

But every time you switch off or reboot the router all that evidence is deleted.

JamesAV
Investigator
Investigator

Update: because I am a belligerent fool I couldn't sit and watch a pink flashing light on the EE router in the vague hope that it may suddenly reinvent itself and start working. So I plugged the BT router back in. It connected immediately. It had been down from some time last night until now. 

If anyone can explain that to me I would love to hear.

 

Will post the missing DSL and Data details tomorrow.

Thank you everyone who has taken an interest in my plight. Much appreciated. I do not for a moment imagine the underlying cause of the constant disruption has gone away but given what we have had to endure we take any victory however small or fleeting.