I thought it was just me, but I've discovered there are a number of people and businesses having problems with their BT-based broadband service in Stornoway. The symptoms are slow IP throughput, as measure via "speed tests" such as BT's (http://www.speedtester.bt.com/) and Think Broadband's (http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html).

Most common speed-related broadband issues are due the broadband connection itself being slow, caused by interference or a fault in either the copper line between the house and the BT exchange, or within the internal house wiring. However, the symptoms experienced by those suffering the problem are that the broadband connection speed (DSL sync rate) is good, but they simply aren't able to use that speed. In my own case, my line is synchronizing at roughly 5000 kbps, but I'm only able to download at between 5 and 250 kbps - with about 20 kbps being the average. Whilst it is unrealistic to expect to achieve the full 5000 kbps download rate (due to various overheads in the network protocols used), at quiet times of day I would expect to get at least 3500 kbps - not 20 kbps (which is slower than dial-up)! Strangely enough, upstream speeds seem to be unaffected.

The problem affects users of different ISPs, and given my background in broadband DSL networking (I used to work for Freeserve, Wanadoo and Orange with overall responsibility for the design and strategy of their broadband service), this clearly points to the problem being with BT, rather than with the ISPs or affected users. Whilst a number of us have escalated the problem to our ISPs, getting further information can be difficult, as the flow of information from customer to ISP to BT and back again doesn't always work well, especially with multiple department involved in BT and probably the ISPs too. However, I have seen one report that BT claim a capacity issue in the Stornoway exchange and/or BT backhaul network (which connects the exchange to the rest of the BT network), although I'm skeptical as a capacity issue would more likely have come on progressively, rather than abruptly two weeks ago. My suspicions are that it's a fault, either in the exchange, the backhaul network, or the BRAS (large router which is key to the DSL service), but I guess we'll just have to wait and see if BT can identify, and hopefully fix, the fault. It also appears that BT haven't logged this in their systems which would notify any ISPs trying to log the similar faults that it's a known issue - which suggests to me that BT haven't really identified the issue and/or aren't taking it seriously.

The issue has been ongoing for two weeks now, which is disgusting. Broadband is a key service to many people and businesses on the islands, and this continued poor service is making me feel like BT are treating us islanders are 3rd class citizens. (Not to mention the poor availability of BT's service in some outlying areas up here.)

Feel free to post comments if you're experiencing the same problem in Stornoway, or even elsewhere on the Western Isles. The more people we know with the problem, the more chance of applying pressure to get the problem resolved and the service restored. I'd also suggest you get on to your ISP and get them to run the various diagnostic tests they have available and then log the fault with BT for further investigation.

Update (10/07/2009 18:00): After chasing up Orange Customer Services for an update with the call I logged on Wednesday, BT came back with "no fault found" (no surprise there then). Orange CS insisted on doing a factory reset to the Livebox and then asked me to run another BT speed test. This time downstream IP throughput was at 3500 kbps, which is what it should be. Orange CS were happy, as they think they fixed the problem, but there is no way on earth factory resetting the Livebox helped - for a start, it was brand new and never used before Wednesday as it was a spare I had an used to ensure my original Livebox wasn't the problem. I've also heard from Alex at ReefNet that his line looks like it's behaving again, so it appears BT might have fixed the issue sometime earlier today. Fingers crossed!