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

[AyrshireFTTP]

Yup,  also tested with Smart TV and PlayStation 4 with ethernet cable. Same result.

Hope you're right and the speeds will stay around what I've been getting (though I know my upload speed will drop, which is fine).

I also bought a 3rd party router (Asus Rt-Ax82u) and the speed test on that shows the same - it seems to carry out the test direct to the router itself.

[RobDon]

I test mine over cabled connection to my laptop, TV and Xbox. I also use my daughters desktop PC cabled too. The other night I was seeing download speeds to my Xbox of 15mbps cabled - on a supposed 900 line!

[AyrshireFTTP]

I think I'm at a point where I'm going to stop pursuing this now and settle for the speeds that I seem to be getting on the Full Fibre 500 package.  I was changed to this at midnight last night and as long as the speeds stay as they are (down to around 335-340mbps on average on the download), then I'll stick with it for the 2 year contract.  It's a massive improvement on the 15mbps on the old FTTC package that I had and should be more than enough for our household just now.

Just for information for anyone that may be interested, it does look to me that Vodafone are limiting the download speeds provided on these packages, as I know that the line is at least capable of a consistently higher speed when I was on the 900 package with Vodafone.

My tests from the first 12 hours or so after changing the package show that I am currently getting around 335-340mbps download - somewhere the minimum guaranteed speed and the "expected average speed" (Vodafone's words, not mine) of 500mbps.

I've included a couple of screenshots showing the changes in speeds over the last 24 hours, through the period when the package was changed.  The 3 most recent tests were done on different Ookla servers (Vodafone Edinburgh, YouFibre Edinburgh and ITPS Newcastle), with no real difference in the results.  The other screenshot shows the speeds I was getting on the Full Fibre 900 package over a 24h period.

Overall, I would say that I've found Vodafone's customer service to be pretty good - anyone I spoke to was very friendly and willing to listen and genuinely seemed to be trying to fix the issues, even down to sorting through some system issues in moving me down to the Full Fibre 500.  That means a lot as far as I'm concerned, especially after previously trying to take out a full fibre package with TalkTalk and being let down (their customer service is unbelievably appalling, you couldn't actually describe just how bad!)

Speed tests direct to router - shows drop in speeds since yesterday when package changed to Full Fibre 500 at midnightSpeed test data from last week on Full Fibre 900 (!) package, direct to router - some speeds only just exceeded minimum guarantee, but well short of expected speed of 900mbps download

[Cynric]

@AyrshireFTTP If VF are not going to meet the contract, and not the minimum contract, then you should be in receipt of compensation.

[RobDon]

Apparently CityFibre are not signed up to offer compensation so as far as I know you'll get nothing for a sub-standard product that does not meet the requirements.

For this and many other reasons that is why I have asked to leave. I had zero issues with Sky/Openreach so I am going back to them even though they are more expensive.

[AyrshireFTTP]

@RobDon my issues have all been on the openreach network.

@Cynric I guess that as long as I'm getting above the minimum guaranteed speed they won't give me any compensation. It is still a but annoying though, as there us obviously some sort of limiting going on when I was getting higher speeds on the 900 package. 😞

[RobDon]

Openreach have signed up so you should get compensation if you are entitled to it.

I was previously with Sky/Openreach on a 500mbps fibre line and had no issues, I would regularly see 450mbps on downloads. I just plugged everything in and connected to wifi and everything just worked and ran very fast.

I can't even reach 300mbps on this 900 VF line.

[AyrshireFTTP]

@Ripshod asked about the gateway I was on.  I just happened to switch off the ONT box accidentally when plugging in another device and when it has come back on, I seem to be going through a different gateway?  Nearest Ookla servers showing in my router test are now London based and I'm averaging download speeds of around 480mbps, which are more than I ever saw when I was on the Full Fibre 900!! 😂  I'm obviously delighted with this, but will keep an eye and see if they last.  Presumably this will stay the same unless I happen to reset my ONT box (or maybe router) again?

I've attached screenshot of my updated speeds as they are just now.  If this all lasts, I'll be more than happy and saving £9 a month into the bargain, but we'll see.

[Jayach]

Good news @AyrshireFTTP , your picture hasn't been moderated yet, but it now appears you are getting what you should.

There have been many posts on here where people have been put on the wrong gateways, myself I was on Leeds/Manchester, despite living in S.E. Essex. Since I was switched to London (Surry Quays 84.65.64.1) I have constantly been reconnected there if I reboot and my latency is much improved.

If you tell us your gateway address we can advise which datacentre you are on.

[AyrshireFTTP]

Thanks @Jayach - how would I find the gateway address?  (tracert via cmd prompt?!)

Speeds still in the 480-500mbps range this morning and even hit 515mbps last night, so sorted at the moment, but would be good to know what's fixed it in case of any future issues.