Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

Hi

Can anyone clarify the level of support / specific details of the SLA provided to business customers? For reference, I have the 24 hour SLA as I decided not to go for the 12 hour option, on the Voom Fibre option #3 (I think that's how it's labelled)

I reported a fault to them yesterday evening (download sits at around 10mbit, upload at the correct level of 20mbit - all kit restarted, computer cabled directly into the Hitron unit with no other kit connected) I told them that I would be here from 4PM and this was not an issue to them; the engineer would contact me to let me know they were on their way.

Today I got back with time to spare and called them to ensure the engineer was still attending. First person I spoke to told me that my SLA is based on MY business operating hours, and additionally that their on call engineer does not deal with cable modem faults after 4PM. I asked why I was not told this when I logged the fault, and no satisfactory answer could be provided. I was instead told that I would have to call back Monday to arrange an engineer visit. At that point it would be well over 24 hours on the SLA.

So I asked to speak to someone in second or third line support repeatedly. I say repeatedly, because the lady ignored this and carried on telling me it requires an engineer visit. I acknowledged that but still requested to speak to someone in second or third line. What I'm really angling for there is to speak to someone in a UK team who from experience has a lot more access and could probably give me a more in-depth answer, but rather than come out and ask that literally, I tried to be a bit more discreet - which clearly didn't work.

Instead the lady decided it would be good to laugh at me over the phone repeatedly when I requested to speak to someone more senior, and said that because I was not technical I wouldn't understand the details of the fault. So, I ask to speak to her manager which ceased the laughter, and after a 2 minute hold, I get the 'manager' who then proceeds to tell me my SLA starts from when the issue is assigned to their engineer, but the weekend on-call engineer doesn't attend cable modem faults after 4PM.

So at this point, you can see my confusion over the SLA. 2 different people in the same time have told me varying things about the SLA. I'm also sure I had better support on a residential service versus this business contract, or at the very least, they were crystal clear on their support over the weekend. I'm also a little shocked over the service; I can't see why a businesses own business hours should dictate SLA's when any business run over a business-grade internet service is typically 24/7.

I guess in hindsight I shouldn't be so shocked at the customer service, lol. The service itself has always been spot on and this is probably the first time it has gone wrong, even with all the bad stuff I've read about the business connections with the multiple static IP option. I've never had a speed issue or availability issue until now. But from personal experience the customer service has more often than not been a bit of a let down.


Is there a way to check the config on the Hitron units? The older residential units used to list basic details about the config; downstream speed in bytes, upstream, few other bits. The Hitron doesn't tell you much.:monkey:

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

https://www.virginmediabusiness.co.u...adband-SLA.pdf

The SLA applies to service outage not to anything else such as slow speed.

Keep us posted please.

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

They will call in what is classed working hours - defined as Monday - Friday 8am-6pm and Saturday 8am - 4pm.

The Hitron will tell you details about the connection, such as SNR and power levels, on the Status menu then select DOCSIS WAN at the left hand side. It's doesn't reveal the operational config - ie configured speed. No idea why - but in reality if it was previously working ok I wouldn't suspect a change in configured speed.

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

I doubt it's the speed having being changed intentionally - it was more of a "wish I could see that level of detail"

The only hint they did give was noise on the line. Looks like I'm going to have to work from home one day in the week again :D

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

If you could post the contents of the page I suggested above we can help check if you have a downstream SNR problem. If noise they rarely need to call as this will be area affecting. They should escalate to their networks team to investigate.

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

Here you go, hopefully captured all the details:

https://www.cableforum.uk/images/local/2019/02/4.png

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

I could be wrong but your download SNR looks a bit on the low side and channel 11,12 look far too low.

---------- Post added at 23:44 ---------- Previous post was at 23:37 ----------

Actually at 39 they're probably ok, mine are all 40.

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

Yes - channels 11 & 12 are well below acceptable threshold (which is 34.5 dBmv). The noise level induces data corruption, some of which is recoverable by a process known as Reed-Solomon algorithm; a significant proportion of data will be lost and your downstream speed will fall dramatically.

When it's just a couple of channels, it'll be somewhere like the street cabinet's amplifier or, depending on how signal channels are configured on fibre, the problem could be at the fibre node (a larger street cabinet).

In cases such as this, your neighbours will have the same problem.

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

Check the security of your own connectors as a "suck out" on a particular frequency range can be the result of poor termination.

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

Ccormack is correct regarding the hours. The SLA runs within working hours, the clock stops out of those hours. QAMs 219 and 227 have poor SNRs, and I’ve noticed the Hitrons speeds grind to a halt with a couple of poor down streams with a low SNR. 219 and 227 are often affected by loose connectors, so give everything a tighten, and see if that helps. Also take the coax out of the modem and reinsert, making sure it’s tight after as sometimes the centre doesn’t sit in right causing issues on said frequencies.

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

I don't have a lot to add to the good advice others have provided here. I had a problem with a couple of channels with low SNR, and found the connection in the Omnibox on the front was the issue - as VM tech has removing and replacing the connections can help. check the copper centre core of the coax is clean and bright too. In my case it wasn't but a quick clean and refit of the connection made the difference.

Also I note the Hitrons tend to report SNR lower than other devices. As an example I still have my old Superhub 1 based Business hub, as I was trialing the Hitron service I had both running for a time and then they just ceased the original service and told me they didn't want the SH1 back.

As the Hitron doesn't report things like upstream modulation etc, but the SH1 does, I kept it to see when my upstreams went to QAM64, which they have now. But I noticed this SNR difference. The SH1 was reporting 39 / 40 dB SNR on the 8 channels it could lock onto but the Hitron reports 35 to 36 dB.

I have one channel at 34 dB at the moment, but not suffering performance issues - getting around 360-370 Mb/s a lot of the time, and this is with the fixed IP address / routable subnet option.

I note your upstream channels report odd numbers - ie not round numbers ending in 000 etc.. I get the same especially after a Hitron restart, and usually they then drift to numbers ending 000 after a day or three.

As has been said SNR faults are not specific to your connection, and as such should be escalated. A year or so ago my area started to suffer SNR problems, and VMB were very good at escalating to the networks team to resolve. At no time was a visit to me required.

Maybe vm_tech can advise more - but I would suggest this should have already been escalated to networks and if not calling back in, even today should get them onto it? Suspect an SNR issue is worked on outside the normal SLA?

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

You are referring to upstream SNR faults. These are easier to monitor, and it is reported by the CMTS.Downstream SNR faults tend to affect a lot more frequencies when network related, although that’s not a certainty. There are reports that determine this, although these came along after I left the Network dept so not sure on the processes etc. I would say it’s more likely local to the customer than the network though. The first thing I would do would be tighten/reseat as many connectors as possible. If still not resolved a business engineer would need to attend, and determine if it is a network issue or drop cable inwards and take the appropriate steps

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

Its not going to be an area fault it will be just this customer. 227mhz is the same frequency freeview uses, the OP has ingress on his cable. It will either be a loose fitting or a damaged cable. Its quite a common fault these days as Virgin used to skip 219mhz and 227mhz but now they utilise them

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

Re: Weekend support (SLA details) for business customers
 

Thank you all - it seems a common theme in the replies is to re-seat all the cabling, which I'll do tonight. It seems that they (the offshore team) pretty much point blank refuse now to let talk to anyone on the UK side of VMB, and they insist on sending an engineer to my property (not even just to the cabinet).

The termination point (where it's coming in to the property) is in another room, and it runs via a length of cable to its final resting place in a network cupboard, so I can in fact relocate the Hitron to right by the wall outlet and see if there's any difference. I'll have a crack at that tonight and let you all know.