How to resolve the most common broadband complaints

A couple of weeks ago, we reported how UK broadband speeds have increased by 18 per cent in the last year.

Average connection speeds are increasing, yet wider consumer dissatisfaction with internet connectivity is also rising.

This may be partly due to our increasingly low tolerance levels, with millions of people struggling with their mental health post-lockdown.

However, there are numerous ways in which home broadband may disappoint or annoy, from dropped connections and network outages through to regularly rebooting routers.

Fortunately, some of these common broadband complaints have relatively simple resolutions.

Below, we’ve suggested a few basic steps to follow if your broadband service begins to perform below its normal levels, or if connectivity diminishes.

You may even be able to spot a recurring theme…

Slow speeds

Assuming you’re not on an ADSL connection restricted to 10Mbps, it can be frustrating if a high-speed or full fibre broadband connection isn’t living up to its billing.

Start your investigations into potential problems by running a line speed check to see what upload and download speeds you’re receiving, compared to your line’s expected averages.

If they’re well below expectations, a call to your ISP might enable technicians to flush out problems or reset hardware. A ten-minute phone call could restore your system to optimal performance.

You could also try turning off your router and turning it on again.

Connection dropouts

A recent report by Which? into common broadband complaints suggested that this was the most common of all issues, affecting 15 per cent of the British public in any one year.

Try reducing the number of devices connected at any given time, repositioning the router more centrally within the home and checking for warning lights on your wireless router.

Smart TVs and desktop computers often benefit from being hardwired into the network using an Ethernet cable or a Powerline adaptor. Changing WiFi channel (ideally to 1, 6 or 11) might help, too.

You could also try turning off your router and turning it on again.

Outages

We all dread the moment when our home broadband goes down, taking any prospect of working/gaming/binge-watching the new series of Brassic with it.

In the Which? survey, 12 per cent of consumers reported being without a broadband connection for at least an hour, while six per cent were offline for a day or more.

Use the Down Detector website to check for network issues. Try accessing the internet on multiple devices in case issues are machine-specific, and check if neighbours are also offline.

You could also try turning off your router and turning it on again.

Customer service issues

ISPs tend to put more effort into recruiting new customers than retaining existing ones, as evidenced by consistently high levels of annual complaints about reliability, billing and customer service.

Take detailed notes when issues arise, since at some point you’re likely to need evidence to support a claim for a refund/termination of a contract/technical support/reduced monthly fees.

Remember the customer service staff you speak to aren’t responsible for your issues. Any hostility will be recorded and reported amid future complaints or escalation to an ADR service.

Unfortunately, this is one area where turning off your router and turning it on again won’t achieve anything. It’s a dependable solution to tech problems, but not a universal one…