Poor QoS, Upload Speed terrible, VOIP failed, 13 days of chasing support - NBN Superfast Cable (NOT)

[jckresq]

I've been on the TPG NBN Cable Superfast 100/40 plan now for over a year with VOIP phone.

I've had constant problems with the TP-Link VR1600v router and required technical support help to fix.

I have had to reboot it pretty much every 2nd day to "partially fix" the problem with slow speeds. 

On the 6th August I lodged a technical support request for terrible speeds with uploads at 0.1 MBps.

For serveral days of no action, lots of me prooving I haven't got crappy equipment at home connected to the TPG and NBN equipment, finally a tech support guy visited my home on the 10th and prooved the router isn't performing.

On the 14th I received a "loan router" in the late afternoon which after plugging in on the 15th at middnight (everyone working from home dur to COVID) the upload and download was reasonable, but VOIP phone didn't work....

This week beginning 17th I've been raising the VOIP issue and finally today it is working, but the internet speeds are so terrible I'm being kicked of WebEx, Zoom and other video conferencing systems (never happened this bad before), my kids are being kicked out of games due to "poor server connections" and their school classes impacted due to poor QoS for the internet.

Before the "loan router" was sent to me I used a friends ASUS Gaming Router and it worked fine, but of course the VOIP settings could not be configured as they are hidden in the TPG supplied router so if we want VOIP we have to use the cheap inferior equipment.

I can never speak to anyone in Australia about this problem. TPG you are about to loose another customer due to not caring about resolving issues quickly, and stop putting all the work back on me to troubleshoot your poor equipment. I am sure you get people that try to blame you and it is their equipment but please don't apply that to everyone.

The TPG people on the phone are trying their best, but it is annoying having to listen so hard to hear them on what seems like poor phone lines, and having to understand their strong Phillopeano accents (like they have to understand ours).

All I can think of doing now is leaving and trying another NBN provider, but I am worried they will be worse.

[BasilDV]

Hi @jckresq

We understand that your assigned Engineer has been in touch today and was advised that the NBN network maintenance was marked as finish today.

They are monitoring the case and will be in touch with you again tomorrow to check if the improvement with your service.

BasilDV

[jckresq]

Hi BasilDV,

Yes I was contacted again last night.

NBN Network maintenance was described to me as an urgent fix, adjustment of settings etc.. so nothing that was planned I believe. I check the NBN & TPG maintenance/outage website routinely now.

I will monitor it today, hopefully I don't get kicked off video conference calls, and if the kids school work isn't interrupted.

NBN issues aside (compounding to the problem), I still have the issue with the cheap quality TP Link VR1600v I must use for the VOIP instead of using a higher quality router that can handle the NBN Superfast Cable speeds. Soon you will expect me to pay for a replacement one after just over 1 year of use, and I reported it faulty along the way. Buy my own router and get rid of home VOIP phone?

JK

[BasilDV]

Hi @jckresq

If you are experiencing connection issues via WiFi of the TP-Link modem, then you may use it as a base modem instead and get a device that can be set as an access point.

This setup will allow you to use the VoIP service on the TP-Link modem and use the WiFi connection through your chosen third party device.

BasilDV

[jckresq]

@BasilDV 

I'm still having daily updates from a TPG engineer working on this problem.

We have agreed that NBN have been doing some tweeking and the TPG loan router seems better than my faulty one.

I have had an extension applied to use of the loan modem to get this problem solved whilst testing is occuring.

I wish to return the loan router but was told a while back I will need to pay for a replacement TPG provided router as my original one is out of warranty by 9 days.

We have had on record problems with that router continuously having to reboot it almost daily leading up to me calling TPG again for help.

1) why are we being provided such poor quality hardware that fails within a year, and isn't up to the job for a superfast NBN cable high load customer?

2) I was on the top NBN Superfast plan and it seems reading these forums those VR1600 routers are just not up to the challenge. 

3) before I send back the loan router will TPG be sending me a replacement TPG router free of charge given all the hassles I have had before the 1 year warranty expired (BTW who would know that we should be concerned our router will die so quickly?), and since the then also. This has been over 3 weeks of troubleshooting.

[BasilDV]

Hi @jckresq

We'll forward your message to our Engineering team to further assess the case.

Your assigned Engineer will be in touch for further discussion.

BasilDV

[jckresq]

I'm told engineering don't make those decisions, and therefore I'm left running around trying to work out what to do.

I need someone that can make the decision to send me a new router without me having to pay for it.

Surely there is a team leader or case manager with deliegated decision making for these issues. 

The engineer helping me has been very helpful.