Full Fibre 900 - not getting up to minimum guaranteed speed

[AyrshireFTTP]

Hi all, just looking for a bit of advice based on other Vodafone customer experience.

I'll try and keep this fairly short as I could write pages based on my first week with Vodafone!

I had Full Fibre 900 service installed in Ayrshire, Scotland (Openreach) and activated over a week ago.  I have monitored speeds over that time, using cat6 ethernet cable between laptop and router with no other devices connected and wifi turned off - speed tests always return around 350-400mbps download and a consistent 108mbps upload.

I've had several online chats and phone calls with Vodafone (escalated to 2nd Line HBB Support) and sent evidence of these speed tests under their required conditions..  I've also done all of the resets of router/ONT box, etc.  I feel like I've been passed between various agents and since been told a few interesting things:

• they can see my account is set up to receive 550mbps - I queried why this is not 900mbps but could not get an answer to this
• they advised that I shouldn't expect anything like  900mbps and that around 50% of that is guaranteed - my service is consistently lower than this and has been since installation (strange as Vodafone advertise the service with an expected download speed of 900mbps - while they say the guaranteed speed is lower, they set an expectation that it will be much better than this)

I have also tried with a third party router (Asus RT-AX82U - wifi6) and the speeds are consistently around the same level, so it isn't just down to the Vodafone router either.

I am still within the first 14 day period of my contract and can cancel without penalty or ask to change to the Full Fibre 500 package.  My main question at present is this - If I downgrade to the Full Fibre 500 service, with Vodafone should I expect my download speed to drop to around/below the 250mbps guaranteed on Full Fibre 500, or should it stay at around the levels I am currently experiencing (eg. 350-400mbps) as that is within the specs of that package?

Tbh, the current speeds that I am getting will be sufficient for my needs (and a massive increase on my old FTTC service), however I grudge paying the extra for the Full Fibre 900 when I am not getting speeds anywhere close to that, or even what I would have expected for the next (much cheaper) package down from that.

Any advice or experiences of other Vodafone full fibre customers (or indeed Vodafone reps) would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

P

[Jayach]

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@AyrshireFTTP wrote:

• they can see my account is set up to receive 550mbps - I queried why this is not 900mbps but could not get an answer to this

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That is totally ridiculous, of course they should explain it.

I'm not on FTTP, so can't talk from experience, but on FTTP, you are right to expect what you pay for. Vodafone stating a guaranteed minimum of half what you are paying for just says to me they don't want the bother of providing the service they should.

If you drop to the next tier down (500Mbs) I would not expect your actual download speeds to decrease, but your max upload will drop to 68Mbs.

If you decide to stick with Vodafone, I think the effort needed to get them to fix your current problems would hardly be worth your while, so yes downgrade, or go elsewhere.

Just my opinion.

[gipjon]

Not worth the effort talking to vodafone customer service. Clearly they are not doing anything to help or keeping to the contract 

[RobDon]

Same here, my 900 line only ever gives me sub 300mbps downloads, from day one of the installation. Guaranteed minimum is 455mbps, so it has never reached that ever! I have told them I am leaving and I am not paying the early termination fee due to their product not being fit for purpose and the GMS has never been achieved.

[Ripshod]

How are people testing their speeds? If it's over WiFi the test is invalid. A lot of Ookla servers are struggling too with the increases in speeds and demand. 

[AyrshireFTTP]

Detailed in my initial post. Cat 6 ethernet cable from router to laptop, WiFi turned off, no other devices - usually hits around 380mbps.

I've also tried various other speed tests, and different Ookla servers.  Never any better or close to the 900 estimated speed. 

[Jayach]

@AyrshireFTTP 

If you are not achieving your minimum download speeds over Ethernet, then yes, Vodafone should be doing something to fix it, or allowing you to leave penalty free.

However are you sure there isn't something at your end that is limiting the speed?

[Ripshod]

Agreed. 

Also if the Ookla speedtest is offering a server that's well away from you it may be worth selecting a closer server.

Also let us know what gateway you're on. That may point us to routing problems - bit of a common theme here these days. 

[AyrshireFTTP]

Yes, 100% sure. Speed is consistent at around 380-420ish download when hooking cat 6 ethernet cable (have tried different ones in csse of dodgy cable) direct to laptop from router and nothing else connected (including wifi).

Also tried laptop direct to ONT box using cat 6 (and cat5e) cables using pppoe settings provided by vodafone. Same speeds.

Interestingly,  two different tech support people at Vodafone on different days have told me that they see the speed going to my router at 550mbps - couldn't get an explanation as to why that isn't higher.

I've managed to get them to change me to the cheaper Full Fibre 500 package and that transfer should happen at midnight tonight. I really hope I don't see the speeds drop from their current levels to  around/under 250mbps, or it will be pretty apparent that Vodafone themselves are doing something to cap it. I'll watch with interest.

To be fair, I can definitely live with the current speeds that I'm getting. I just grudge paying for the top tier service when it's then not provided for whatever reason.

[Jayach]

@AyrshireFTTP 

Let us know how it goes, once you are on a 500Mbs service. I suspect it will be fine, although it is difficult to understand why the 900Mbs doesn't work.

Were you able to test with anything other than the laptop, in case of hardware or driver issues?