Evision freezing and skipping

dreamerb

Hi. We had Efibre and Evision installed on Tuesday. So far, the broadband is fine. However, when watching television we're experiencing freezing and skipping for a couple of seconds at a time several times in the course of a programme. My completely amateur suggestion is that it's due to data packet delays and inadequate system buffering, but I'm sure there are plenty of oher possibilities.

Is this a known issue? and more importantly, whether previously known or not, is there a solution?
Thanks...

eircom: Mark

dreamerb wrote: »

Hi. We had Efibre and Evision installed on Tuesday. So far, the broadband is fine. However, when watching television we're experiencing freezing and skipping for a couple of seconds at a time several times in the course of a programme. My completely amateur suggestion is that it's due to data packet delays and inadequate system buffering, but I'm sure there are plenty of oher possibilities.

Is this a known issue? and more importantly, whether previously known or not, is there a solution?
Thanks...

Hi dreamerb

We have been advised that we have to ask customer to contact efibre technical support on 1890 260 260 (enter your telephone number to be put into an efibre queue)

As an efibre agent has the systems to run some step by step checks to try locate the issue.

Let us know how you get on.

Mark

dreamerb

 

eircom: Mark wrote: »

dreamerb wrote: »

Hi. We had Efibre and Evision installed on Tuesday. So far, the broadband is fine. However, when watching television we're experiencing freezing and skipping for a couple of seconds at a time several times in the course of a programme. My completely amateur suggestion is that it's due to data packet delays and inadequate system buffering, but I'm sure there are plenty of oher possibilities.

Is this a known issue? and more importantly, whether previously known or not, is there a solution?
Thanks...

Hi dreamerb

We have been advised that we have to ask customer to contact efibre technical support on 1890 260 260 (enter your telephone number to be put into an efibre queue)

As an efibre agent has the systems to run some step by step checks to try locate the issue.

Let us know how you get on.

Mark

Thanks Mark.

I've contacted efibre tech support, and they initially made the very alarming suggestion that the line wasn't sufficient for eVision - that a minimum of 50mbps was required. However, he double checked and confirmed that our speed should be sufficient (I think we're on about 43mbps). As I'm not home at the moment, they can't do all the testing but we've left it that I'll call from home this evening. I'll update in due course.

eircom: Mark

dreamerb wrote: »

 

eircom: Mark wrote: »

dreamerb wrote: »

Hi. We had Efibre and Evision installed on Tuesday. So far, the broadband is fine. However, when watching television we're experiencing freezing and skipping for a couple of seconds at a time several times in the course of a programme. My completely amateur suggestion is that it's due to data packet delays and inadequate system buffering, but I'm sure there are plenty of oher possibilities.

Is this a known issue? and more importantly, whether previously known or not, is there a solution?
Thanks...

Hi dreamerb

We have been advised that we have to ask customer to contact efibre technical support on 1890 260 260 (enter your telephone number to be put into an efibre queue)

As an efibre agent has the systems to run some step by step checks to try locate the issue.

Let us know how you get on.

Mark

Thanks Mark.

I've contacted efibre tech support, and they initially made the very alarming suggestion that the line wasn't sufficient for eVision - that a minimum of 50mbps was required. However, he double checked and confirmed that our speed should be sufficient (I think we're on about 43mbps). As I'm not home at the moment, they can't do all the testing but we've left it that I'll call from home this evening. I'll update in due course.

Hi dreamerb

Can you send me a PM with the name on the account and efibre account number please and we can check this out for you.

Mark

dreamerb

Hi Mark -

It's fine for now - I'll be calling tech support this evening and hope they may be able to resolve the issue then.

I'll update after that, either way.
Thanks anyway!
d

eircom: Mark

dreamerb wrote: »

Hi Mark -

It's fine for now - I'll be calling tech support this evening and hope they may be able to resolve the issue then.

I'll update after that, either way.
Thanks anyway!
d

No problem d,

We will follow up with you next week. Technical support are open tonight and all weekend from 9am to 10pm.  890 260 260 * Again just insure you enter your telephone number to be put into an efibre queue / agent.

Mark

dreamerb

Well, I'm checking back in with today's report. I didn't call efibre tech support last night because I had a couple of problem-free hours - until 9pm when I wanted to watch "Have I Got News for You". I missed half the jokes with frequent 1-2 second audio skips together with screen freezes. By the time it's over, I'm thoroughly irritated and decide that I'll call in the morning when I'm likely to be much nicer.

It's actually noon when I decide it's time to call. Let the games begin.

First time, I call from my land line. The handset is dodgy so eircom isn't wholly to blame for this: the automated system loses patience with my attempt to enter my phone number and ends up kicking me out. Mind you, whatever about me and my dodgy handset, I can't help thinking soomeone with reduced manual dexterity (arthritis / age / disability) is going to have a tough time here - there's no voice control alternative, and it doesn't default to sending you through to customer service. Hmm. 

I try again. Now I know I shouldn't have persisted with the dodgy handset, but this time I actually get through to someone outside the normal automated system. Except when I ask for efibre technical services, I get transferred to the mobile call centre. Can you transfer me? I ask. He doesn't want to transfer me but says he'll try. Hold music. More hold music. And then dead. 

Third time, I phone using my mobile, and all goes well. Through to the options: 1 for check the status of your broadband order, 2 for order broadband, 3 for technical services - that's me! I enter "3" and get through to David, in customer support. Huh? So I give David my name and number and explain that I'd expected to be through to technical services. Can he transfer me please? No, David cannot transfer me, I'll have to call again and make sure I look for broadband support. Now I know someone from customer support was able to transfer me yesterday, but I'm not going to labour the point. I'll call again.

Fourth time,  I phone using my mobile, and all goes well. Through to the options: 1 for check the status of your broadband order, 2 for order broadband, 3 for technical services... haven't we been here before?... this time, I'm not going to jump the gun, I'll wait and listen to any other options... 4 for customer support. And that's it, no more options. I press 3, and get through to customer support, again. Specifically, to David. I went through the options carefully, I explain, but technical services routes through to here. David suggest that I try another option and don't hit 3 again. Okay, I agree, but I bet I get through to you again. David hopes not. He sounds far more snarky about it than I think our interactions can possibly justify. Still, it's Saturday and he's in work while my biggest worry is whether I can watch television. And I might be misinterpreting anyway. Let it go...

Fifth time,  I phone using my mobile. Options: 1 for check the status of your broadband order, 2 for order broadband, 3 for technical services, 4 for customer support. What should I choose? Let's go for 1. Eventually this too gets me back to - have you guessed yet? - customer support. Not, and this is a relief, to David; this time it's Tom, who's very nice when I explain that no matter what I do I seem to get through to customer support and please can he transfer me to efibre technical support? No problem, he says, transferring now. I've got hold music - getting closer! And then silence. The call has dropped. 

Sixth time, just for the hell of it, I pick option 2. I've dealt with the sales people and they're very nice. But it turns out that since they work a Monday-Friday week only, option 2 is a dead end. 

Seventh time, in a spirit of experimentation, I pick option 4. What are the chances that option 4 for customer service is in fact the magic door that *doesn't* lead to customer support? As it turns out, nil. This time I'm through to Dylan, who's also very nice, and this time the call to technical services doesn't drop. The gentleman I get through to doesn't give his name, but he takes a few details and promises somemone will get back to me within an hour. 

I'd better stay home, I think, so that when they call back I can switch things on and off, check the colour of the flashing lights on the modem and wall sockets. But I can head out as planned after that.

At the time of posting, it's almost precisely 90 minutes since I was promised a call back within an hour. 

... with apologies for the rather long post!

dreamerb

So, two and a half hours after I was to get a call within an hour, I call again. Option 3 brings me to customer care again, and Damien has no problem putting me through to technical support though he warns there's a queue. Any idea how long? Damien says he's sorry, but no. Never mind, I say, put me in the queue and thanks for the warning. I'm on hold-music for about ten minutes.

Technical services guy takes my name and number and I give a description of the problem again, and explain that I'd been promised a call back within an hour. He sounds quite sincerely regretful when he says there's no record of that and the call-back team are very busy. Any idea how long it will be? No, but there is an evision rep beside him and he'll see if he might be able to take the call right now. He's not, so he transfers me to Ian instead. 

I explain everything to Ian again, and he talks me through switch resets in the hope they might do the trick. They don't. Now, instead of having infuriatingly almost unwatchable signal, I have none at all. Ian thinks this is probably a line fault and is putting in a call to the service engineers. It'll very likely be two to three working days - Tuesday or Wednesday. The good news, he tells me, is that a line fault is likely to be an external problem and they probably won't need access to the house. If they do, they'll call ahead to give one of us time to get home.

I wait in hope...

AlanS181824

Any update?

dreamerb

AlanS181824 wrote: »

Any update?

Not really: that was all today, so I'm not expecting engineers until early / mid next week. 

I did a speed test a while ago though, and the results came up as download speeds around 17mbps, upload about 13. It's supposed to be close to 50. 

I've also tried the reset again, just in case, with no luck, so evision is entirely out of order (we still have the UPC connection, or I might be more irritated about the whole thing). 

I will update the thread as things progress, for better or worse. 

eMobile: Tony

dreamerb wrote: »

So, two and a half hours after I was to get a call within an hour, I call again. Option 3 brings me to customer care again, and Damien has no problem putting me through to technical support though he warns there's a queue. Any idea how long? Damien says he's sorry, but no. Never mind, I say, put me in the queue and thanks for the warning. I'm on hold-music for about ten minutes.

Technical services guy takes my name and number and I give a description of the problem again, and explain that I'd been promised a call back within an hour. He sounds quite sincerely regretful when he says there's no record of that and the call-back team are very busy. Any idea how long it will be? No, but there is an evision rep beside him and he'll see if he might be able to take the call right now. He's not, so he transfers me to Ian instead. 

I explain everything to Ian again, and he talks me through switch resets in the hope they might do the trick. They don't. Now, instead of having infuriatingly almost unwatchable signal, I have none at all. Ian thinks this is probably a line fault and is putting in a call to the service engineers. It'll very likely be two to three working days - Tuesday or Wednesday. The good news, he tells me, is that a line fault is likely to be an external problem and they probably won't need access to the house. If they do, they'll call ahead to give one of us time to get home.

I wait in hope...

Hi dreamerb
Apologies that you did not receive the calls back to you as promised. I have raised this with the managers of this section and the response will be investigated.
If you PM me your line number I can follow up on your case immediately and advise you of status there.

Again our apologies for this inconvenience, if you should have any further issue please let us know here, post to our forums here or chat with our WebChat team here
http://www.eircom.net/about/contact/ (there’s a button on the right hand side and a proactive invitation if you log directly on to that page)


Regards
Tony

dreamerb

PM sent, thanks.

gerryk

dreamerb wrote: »

I've contacted efibre tech support, and they initially made the very alarming suggestion that the line wasn't sufficient for eVision - that a minimum of 50mbps was required. However, he double checked and confirmed that our speed should be sufficient (I think we're on about 43mbps). As I'm not home at the moment, they can't do all the testing but we've left it that I'll call from home this evening. I'll update in due course.

Really? I can get full HD netflix through my absolutely rubbish 4Mb connection.

ainiseoir

dreamerb wrote: »

Hi Mark -

It's fine for now - I'll be calling tech support this evening and hope they may be able to resolve the issue then.

I'll update after that, either way.
Thanks anyway!
d

You couldn't make it up.

Personally, I wouldn't bother getting involved in that magic roundabout on the phone again, you'll only get upset.


Best of luck

gobbycaz

dreamerb wrote: »

Hi. We had Efibre and Evision installed on Tuesday. So far, the broadband is fine. However, when watching television we're experiencing freezing and skipping for a couple of seconds at a time several times in the course of a programme. My completely amateur suggestion is that it's due to data packet delays and inadequate system buffering, but I'm sure there are plenty of oher possibilities.

Is this a known issue? and more importantly, whether previously known or not, is there a solution?
Thanks...

Hi, we have just had efibre and evision installed and we are having the same problems with the TV. So I was just wondering if you had managed to get the issue fixed? Thank you!

gerryk

Some free advice, Eircom

It is possible that your core routers are configured with buffers that are too large. This 'seems' like a good strategy, but the reality is that it masks congestion and causes excessively bursty traffic, causing the sort of thing people are describing here. I suspect that these routers are part of the multicast content distribution you use for evision, rather than in the greater network.
This is one of the more likely explanations for a glitchy video stream in what, on the surface, should be a more than capable network, bandwidth-wise.

http://www.bufferbloat.net/

looksee

I had the same game with the number given for e-vision tech support. I rang the number, listened to the options, nothing for e-vision, tried a number at random and it told me it could not check my phone line as i was using the phone... I know there is nothing wrong with the phone or broadband, just the tv is not coming on, i keep getting an error message. Eventually manage to get through to Broadband support. Oh, says the person this is Broadband not e-vision. It is the number listed in the manual I say. I will put you through to e-vision he says. And does. 

No argument with the service, but why give out the wrong number?

Anyway at 8pm I am still waiting for the tv to be 'switched on' or whatever happens, it was installed at around 2.30 this afternoon. I am advised to try it tomorrow...

eircom: Alan

looksee wrote: »

I had the same game with the number given for e-vision tech support. I rang the number, listened to the options, nothing for e-vision, tried a number at random and it told me it could not check my phone line as i was using the phone... I know there is nothing wrong with the phone or broadband, just the tv is not coming on, i keep getting an error message. Eventually manage to get through to Broadband support. Oh, says the person this is Broadband not e-vision. It is the number listed in the manual I say. I will put you through to e-vision he says. And does. 

No argument with the service, but why give out the wrong number?

Anyway at 8pm I am still waiting for the tv to be 'switched on' or whatever happens, it was installed at around 2.30 this afternoon. I am advised to try it tomorrow...

[font=Times New Roman","serif]Hi looksee

1890260260 is the number for the technical support department within eircom however if there is an evision issue please choose the broadband issue option. You might find it easier to contact technical support via web chat here: [/font]http://www.eircom.net/about/contact/

Thanks

Al