10 days 'settling' period

[Anonymous User]

I was connected to Now Broadband Super Fibre 4 days ago and am experiencing a lot of internet drop outs and poor speeds. It's guaranteed 49.8mb/s but I've never seen it above 28mb/s on any test I've done and this morning it's showing at 2mb/s. I've rung Now (not without difficulty finding a number to ring mind you) and been told to wait 10 days for the line to settle. My question is, how likely is it going to improve at the 10 day point? I don't understand how you can be paying for something from day one but not potentially be receiving what you're paying for until 10 days after connection.

I've come from Sky broadband and never had any problems with speed/connection, is the infrastructure for Now not the same?

I've tried splitting the WiFi band as well but no improvement.

Thanks

[dr_necessitor]

The 10 day thing is a hangover from the old days of ADSL, but they still quote it to customers with FTTC products as a holding strategy. With FTTC products, it tends to be max speed right from the off otherwise within the first 48 hours. Could be you’ve acquired a line fault coincidentally with your switch from Sky to NOW. Yes broadly speaking the infrastructure behind the scenes is the same - same copper from house to cabinet, same fibre from cabinet to exchange, same backhaul network from exchange onward to internet. Just to be sure, if you can try a speedtest using ethernet cable direct into router from computer - to rule out NOW router wifi being poorer than your previous Sky router.

[schnapps]

Hi @Anonymous User 

Have you still got the Sky Broadband Router ?

If so, any improvement with regards to dropouts etc when temporary testing the Sky Router on the NOW Broadband service ?

[Anonymous User]

I do still have it although not sure whether they want it back soon. I didn't realise you could still use the Sky router as the internet stopped working when Now took over and the Sky router was still attached. Does it need setting up to work with Now? 

[schnapps]

Hi @Anonymous User 

The Sky Router should be plug and play when using the NOW Broadband service.

Give it a whirl to see if there is any difference or not with regards to dropouts has a temporary test for a day or two.

If you have the Sky Q Hub there may be no difference, but some forum members swear the older 2.4ghz Router with the smiley face (model SR102) on the front is more stable.

Or if you have the newer Sky SR203UK Router (better still).

[Anonymous User]

I've tried swapping back to my old sky router but to no avail, it just says connected but with no internet access. Sky are wanting the router back anyway so it's not a solution in the long term.

Fortunately I'm in the cooling off period so am just going to cancel it and swap providers, I don't want to me messing about if I don't have to. 

[Anonymous User]

Out of interest, which model Sky router did you have?