Intermittent connection issues loading/changing site- secure connection failed/site can't be reached

[EDIflyer]

Is anyone else occasionally getting a 'connection down' error from Chrome (or 'Secure Connection Failed' from Firefox) when changing page - if I hit refresh it works fine. At first I wondered if it was the site I was using but have noticed it on multiple different major websites over the past couple of months and not noticed it from other locations where I don't use Three Broadband so does seem to be related to the router/connection (this is via wired Ethernet too, so not a WiFi problem).  I've tried changing DNS server in case that helps but no difference.

It mainly seems to happen when trying to first load a site or (annoyingly) at checkout when a different site is being loaded as part of the checkout process.  It certainly doesn't happen everytime but does happen with reasonable frequency.  I've also noticed I often get it when trying to pull/push from/to Github too and have to do so a number of times for it to work (browsing the Github website works fine).

I'm using a NR5103E with Firmware Version V1.00(ACBJ.0)b14 - I tried rebooting it but to no effect.

[bytespider]

Would be nice to get fibre, but 70Mb is as fast as I can get. Virgin Media is the only other option but they are expensive and have lost my business in the past. I can attest to the less savvy thinking as my family have complained "the internet is not working" thinking it's just a connection glitch.

[Nameless]

It is nice to have options - Coincidentally, Three is the fastest and cheapest ISP for myself which is why I persisted with them despite the issues and found this very thread and a solution that works for myself

It would be a very different world if we all were to complain to the highest point of contact for any issues encountered no matter what they are...

[bytespider]

But how do you get to the highest point of contact when support staff are trained to get rid of you as quickly as possible and phone transfers take a long time to make you consider of your request is really that important. Most people don't have the time to put into properly chasing someone while will actually do something

[Nameless]

That is one of Three great mysteries that elude us as it may be possible to find someone that works in the company at a higher level however they may either ignore queries directed at them or redirect them to "the appropriate department" - Usually it is only when the scandal becomes too big and the company is at a great risk of losing money will these persons notice

Given the lengths that Three is going through to interfere with our internet traffic, maybe there is something more that is going on but that is currently pure speculation - Deciphered data and much money are random words that come to mind

Time is always limited which is why support in general tends to waste a lot of it - I would like to be proven wrong here but, with over 300 posts in this thread alone since 22 October 2023, I have severe doubts on that matter

As things are, Three is losing customers and money due to this issue from those directly affected and from those that have been told to avoid them by former customers

When something better comes along, I will not hesitate to leave either

[Midnight54]

After a few days of almost zero ssl errors, have had a couple of days where the local 5g mast has been offline, so getting 4g on a single bar from the next nearests one (which basically only loads anything at all when it wants to as beyond slower than dialup speeds)

Now that service has restored and have 5g back, the problem has returned again in full force ffs!

I noticed @JonathanB is still active on the forums, so must be ignoring this thread with the radio silence....what gives(!)  @JonathanB either please take some ownership with updates or pass the baton to one of the other support guys to help if you've given up. 

[Nameless]

By any chance, did you check your average broadband speeds when you were not experiencing errors and before your local mast went offline? I am led to believe that 4G (LTE) has a maximum download speed of 150Mbps but I have not tested Three's standalone 4G network

It may be possible that your lack of errors might have been a silent fallback use of the 4G network on your local mast until it went offline

How many Three staff are supposed to be watching these forums? Hopefully it is more than the company's namesake

[bytespider]

    "Hopefully it is more than the company's namesake" 😆

[Nameless]

I could not resist any longer as the whole thing has already become a joke for many of us 🙃

[Midnight54]

yeah, speeds were fine, in the usual expected highly variable 400-800mbps range - so not that.

The other 4g tower must be far as basically doesnt work in house(as does my work vodaphone signal) - shows single bar sometimes, most things drop connections, speed test if attempted more dialup levels etc - but thats a distance and router wrong side of house issue, but yeah def above 4g speeds while things were working (but still had the realdebrid file download corruption issue)

[Nameless]

Thank you for confirming the speeds and further confirming that the temporary fix was not a silent fallback to 4G - I was able to do a brief test whilst being close to a tower and confirmed that 4G would not go anywhere near 400Mbps yet alone reach 200Mbps with 150Mbps being the effective ceiling

By any chance, would a download manager be able to help mitigate your current downloading issues? It would be an extra step but if the download client has no issues under Three's 5G network then having that as an intermediate step could help especially if it comes as a browser extension. I should have thought about this earlier but I have not used one in a while since internet speeds increased...

The mystery and issues continue into yet another day...