In short
BT leased line support for BTnet runs under BT's Business Premium Care support level. Your nominated customer contact reports incidents to BT's Service Desk and receives a ticket reference. Report outages within two days to qualify for availability credits, then claim within BT's deadline quoting the ticket. Faults on your own network sit outside BT's boundary.
Get a quote for BTnet support
Tell us roughly how many users or sites you have and we will reply by email with options and a quote.
How BTnet support works
Support for BTnet is part of the service. BT's terms include its Business Premium Care support level as a standard component, and set out a simple chain for reporting problems:
- Users report to your Customer Contact. BT's terms ask you to name one or more people who can act for you on the service. Staff tell them about problems, rather than contacting BT directly.
- Your Customer Contact reports the incident to BT's Service Desk, using the reporting route agreed for your service, and stays available for updates.
- BT issues a ticket. The ticket reference is what you quote in any follow-up and in an SLA claim.
- BT investigates. BT's terms describe advice over the phone, including checks for you to carry out, diagnostic checks from BT's side, a site visit where BT considers it necessary, and working with the relevant supplier to restore the service.
- BT closes the ticket once the service is restored. For availability credits, downtime is measured from your report until the ticket is closed.
The contact route for BT's Service Desk is given to you with your service. We do not publish BT's numbers here because they can change; use the route in your order, or BT's Business help pages, which also cover service updates.
Before you report a fault
A few quick checks help BT trace a problem faster, and sometimes show it is on your side of the line:
- Check whether the problem affects everyone at the site or only some devices, and whether it is total loss of service or slow performance.
- Look at BT's equipment: is it powered, and are the status lights as normal? Do not move or alter BT equipment; BT's terms do not allow that without its consent.
- Test from a computer plugged straight into your network near the router, not over Wi-Fi. Wireless problems are outside BT's testing.
- On wires only, check your own router or firewall: power, configuration changes, and whether its WAN port is connected to BT's NTU.
- Note the time the problem started and anything that changed. You will need this for the report.
If speeds seem low rather than the line being down, read our leased line speed test guide first. BT's terms note that real throughput is typically 5-10% below the port speed.
What to have ready when you report
A clear report helps BT start work straight away. Keep these details somewhere your Customer Contact can find them quickly, not only on a computer that needs the internet:
- The site address and your BTnet service or circuit reference
- Your account reference and the Customer Contact's details
- When the problem started, and whether it is a total loss of service, intermittent drops or slow speeds
- What you have already checked, and any recent changes to your network
- Who can give an engineer access to the site and BT's equipment, and when
BT's terms expect site access in Business Hours (08:00 to 17:00 on Business Days) with someone to escort BT's people on site, so it helps to agree a back-up contact for times when your usual person is away.
What is inside and outside BT's boundary
BT's responsibility stops at the service management boundary. Faults beyond it are not BT's to fix, and BT may charge for investigating a reported incident that turns out to be something it is not responsible for.
| Your BTnet set-up | BT is responsible up to | Usually yours to check |
|---|---|---|
| BTnet wires only | The NTU of the access line | The cable to your router, the router or firewall and your LAN |
| BTnet + Cisco router | The LAN port on BT's managed router | The cable from that port, your firewall, switches and devices |
| BTnet Meraki + BTnet Security | The LAN port on BT's managed equipment | Your switches, devices and how Wi-Fi is used |
| BTnet Wi-Fi | BT tests over Ethernet, not wireless | Wireless range, signal and throughput, and your Wi-Fi passwords |
This matters for SLA claims too: BT's service levels do not apply where an incident is caused by your network or equipment configuration.
Not sure which option fits? Ask us
Tell us what you need and we will recommend the right option for your organisation, with a quote.
Service status and planned maintenance
BT carries out maintenance on its network, the service and its equipment from time to time, including firmware updates. Under BT's terms, BT uses reasonable endeavours to tell you at least five Business Days before planned maintenance, with less notice in an emergency. Disruption inside a pre-notified engineering window does not count towards BT's availability service level.
Existing BTnet customers can check service updates and contact options through BT's Business help pages. If you bought through us and are not sure whether something is a planned event or a fault, contact us and we can help you find out.
Claiming service credits under BT's SLA
If BTnet is unavailable, misses its latency commitment or is delivered late, BT's terms provide service credits. Claims have strict rules, and a missed deadline can mean losing the credit:
| Step | What BT's terms require |
|---|---|
| Report the outage | Report a qualifying incident to BT's Service Desk within two days of it happening, and keep the ticket number |
| Claim availability or latency credits | Within 28 days of BT verifying the incident, giving the reason, the ticket number and your reference |
| Claim on-time delivery credits | Within 28 days of the Customer Committed Date, quoting your reference |
| Receive the credit | BT deducts valid credits from your invoice within two billing cycles |
| Dispute a credit on an invoice | In writing within two months of the invoice date |
BT also publishes a short help article on how to make a claim against the BTnet SLA, which gives a claim route and, once BT has verified the outage, puts the claim deadline at the 28th day of the following month. Because the help article and the service schedule word the deadline differently, the safe course is to claim as soon as BT has verified the incident. Exclusions apply, including the first 30 days after installation or reconfiguration (except for late delivery), faults on your own network or equipment, pre-notified engineering works and denial of service attacks. Our BTnet SLA page explains the credits and exclusions in full.
Is BTnet support the right fit for you?
We will check it against your systems and requirements and recommend the right option.
Changes after go-live
Support is not only about faults. Over the life of a BTnet service you may want to:
- Change speed with Bandwidth Flex, within the capacity of your bearer
- Add BTnet Security to a Meraki service, or BTnet Wi-Fi
- Add a second line for resilience
- Request more IP addresses
- Move the line within your building or to a new site
Each change has its own terms, notice and, in some cases, charges or a new minimum period. Our BTnet contract terms page explains the main points.
How we help our customers
Forever Communications is an Authorised Supplier for BT. If you bought BTnet through us, we are here to help you get the most from BT's support:
- Live faults: your Customer Contact reports them to BT's Service Desk as above. Let us know the ticket reference and we can help you follow it up.
- SLA claims: we can help you gather the ticket numbers, dates and references and prepare a claim within BT's deadlines.
- Changes and moves: we can explain the options, notice periods and any charges, and help you request them.
- Questions about your service: if something on your bill or in BT's terms is unclear, ask us.
Contact us about anything to do with your BTnet service. If you are not yet a customer, our BTnet FAQs and why buy BTnet from Forever Communications are good places to start.
Why buy BTnet from Forever Communications
Forever Communications is part of Forever Group and an Authorised Supplier for BT. We supply BTnet, BT's dedicated leased line internet service, to businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations, and we help with each step from first enquiry to go-live.
- The right BTnet option for you: we help you choose a speed, bearer, router and resilience option that fits how your sites actually work, from BTnet plans to BTnet speeds
- A clear quote: BTnet is priced per site, so we check availability at your address and set out what is included; see leased line cost
- Installation managed with you: we explain the survey, any wayleave or construction steps and the installation process, and keep you updated on progress
- Connected services in one conversation: phones with BT Cloud Voice, Wi-Fi, firewalls and backup lines, so the whole set-up is planned together
- Help after go-live: we can help with faults, changes and upgrades, with the support arrangements confirmed in your quote
BTnet is a business service. Service levels, lead times and features are BT's and are confirmed at order.
Frequently asked questions
How do I report a fault on a BT leased line?
Your nominated Customer Contact reports it to BT's Service Desk using the route provided with your service, and gets a ticket reference. Users should report problems to the Customer Contact rather than to BT directly.
Where can I check BT leased line service status?
Existing customers can use BT's Business help pages for service updates and contact options. BT also aims to give at least five Business Days' notice of planned maintenance under its terms.
How long do I have to report a BTnet outage for SLA credits?
BT's terms ask you to report a qualifying incident to the Service Desk within two days, then claim within 28 days of BT verifying it, quoting the ticket and your reference. BT's help article words the claim deadline as the 28th day of the following month, so claim as soon as the incident is verified.
Is my router covered by BT's support?
If BT supplied and manages it (the Cisco router or Meraki plans), BT is responsible up to its LAN port. On wires only, your own router and everything beyond BT's NTU are your responsibility.
Does BT support Wi-Fi on BTnet?
BT's terms say it tests BTnet over an Ethernet cable and is not responsible for wireless range, signal strength or throughput. See BTnet Wi-Fi.
Can Forever Communications help with an SLA claim?
Yes. If you bought BTnet through us, we can help you gather the details and prepare a claim within BT's deadlines. The service levels and credits themselves are BT's.
Still have a question about BTnet support?
Ask us and a member of our team will reply by email.