Hello Forum,
I wanted to share my (bad) experience with you, hoping to get some attention from TalkTalk, since the support on the phone has been really of no use so far.
I started my fibre contract in May, and for 2 months everything went fine.
Then I started to experience complete loss of download speed.
I was still connected, but the speed went close to zero.
This started to happen every two days, then every day, then more than once a day.
There was no specific time, it could happen in the morning or in the evening.
To open any page it took minutes (if I dind't get a timeout instead).
Strangely, the upload speed was not affected.
If I performed the speedtest.net I found less than 1 Mbps in download and still a good upload speed.
I found out that switching off and on the router, or resetting it, solved the problem.
I spent hours on the phone with the customer support; I ran all the speed test that I was asked to run (wired and wireless, with the normal socket or removing the cover and using the internal socket+filter).
They said that the line was ok, but offered to real solution to my problem.
The only way I had to get back my speed was always to switch off and on the router.
Once I also decided to wait a full day before restarting it, to see if the problem disappeared with time, but it didn't.
So I asked to have the router replaced, because to me it's clearly a router-related problem (I see no other explanation why the restart of the router should solve the problem if it is located somewhere else).
I have asked for this replacement 3 or 4 times, and this has always been refused to me.
Instead, I have been asked to pay 65 pounds to have an engineer come and check my line.
Now, because the problem happens randomly and does not go away *until* I reboot, I see no reason why my line is faulty, and definitely do not agree to pay money until I have the possibility to check that it's not the router.
I think that asking a replacement of the router is a reasonable request to start with.
So that's it.
Now the problem has gotten worse, and I am forced to restart the router 2 - 3 times a day.
And I am not calling the customer service anymore, since they have already refused to help me.
The only solution that I see at the moment is to wait other 12 frustrating months, then switch to another company.
Or I will buy a new router with my own money out of desperation.
I really do not understand the resistance to sending a new router.
It's a piece of equipment like a phone or a tv... and must be covered by a warranty... why refusing a customer the right to a replacement?
By the way, I was with someone else before (I suppose it's not fair to say the name) and their customer support was really fantastic.This is something to be considered when tying yourself to someone for 18 months.