Pusnet FTTC Feedback?

I'm currently on O2 LLU and pay £14.50/month for the 8mbps unlimited service.

I suspect I use around 50gb/month, probably less tbh.

I'm interested in going to FTTC so I'm looking at what my options are, and as I'm on a "Market 3" exchange Plusnet's 120gb offering doesn't look too bad vs. everyone else.

However, I recall the Plusnet of old who had more smoke and mirrors than David Copperfield, and frankly I'm worried that a leopard doesn't change its spots.

Are my concerns justified? I see they still manage, but I don't see much info beyond a "star" rating.

Thanks.

By 'Plusnet of old' I assume you mean the times of Lee Strafford (pre-2007)?

BT aquired Plusnet at the start of 2007, and Strafford left shortly after (read on wiki).

This is just my opinion based on my own experiences:

Plusnet's general service performance has improved in the past four years. Its prices have dropped, but its service quality has not decreased. It seems to have a better focus strategically (whether this is BT directed, or not, I don't know), in that it seems to have less complaints than it used to regarding new products. This suggests better prep or management of new products before release.

I shifted from Prem Option 1 to Extra (60GB allowance) last year and while my traffic management profile is not 'officially' as good, in practice it is no worse (that is to say, with the exception of Friday nights or unusually busy periods (world cup), I don't really notice management). I got reclassified from Mkt 2 to Mkt 3 recently too, so am paying around £10pm less than I was this time last year, with a greater usage allowance.

Add to that, phone packages etc I'm pretty happy with Plusnet this year. In fact, my only real niggle of Plusnet was their CGI servers, and I stopped using them in 2007, so can't comment on them now. I don't use e-mail much, but use the broadband for Internet a lot.

Again, these are my own experiences, in case someone hollers 'fanboy'. I've had cause to complain before (tend not to wait to do so), but either I'm mellowing, or the service is improving. However, you can see Plusnet appear in ISP unhappiness as often as other larger ISPs. A sign of their customer numbers perhaps?

Edited by camieabz (Sat 04-Jun-11 15:07:19)

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

Not sure of the exact dates as I've been on here a while, but the name Strafford rings a bell, also there was a marketing manager or someone who used to post here trying to defend the indefensible, however, if it's all pre-BT and since then the company has changed, that's of interest.

I guess what I really want to know is how much of an impact the traffic management has? O2 don't (for legacy customers) shape/manage so the odd heavy download comes down full-whack - in all truth most of the time I don't need FTTC, but it would be frustrating to go to it and find that when I do something that should utilize its potential, it's slower than my O2 service due to management, IYSWIM.

http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/tr...

That's a broad guide of management. The 'streaming' category relates to Youtube (where I tend to notice any slow down). Looking at my usage stats, almost all my usage is defined as Streaming or Web (99%), so can't comment on P2P, Gaming etc.

Also, I'm on ADSLmax, so best to browse around for FTTx specific stuff if that's what you're looking at.

Hi,

Actual rate limits for all products are linked to from that page, for concenience it's here.

At the OP, rate limits for fibre are in the link above, I guess whether you'd notice would depend on what your current speed is. You do get line speed and unmetered usage overnight though, which on a 40Mb connection is a pretty sizable benefit IMO.

In reply to a post by mand_beckett:

You do get line speed and unmetered usage overnight though, which on a 40Mb connection is a pretty sizable benefit IMO.

Worth mentioning that for £5/month extra you can have full line speed at at all times.

In reply to a post by hutchingsp:

However, I recall the Plusnet of old who had more smoke and mirrors than David Copperfield, and frankly I'm worried that a leopard doesn't change its spots.

I wouldn't recognise that comment as applying to today's Plusnet. They're not perfect, like all ISPs, but I have found their support recently to be very good - especially if you frequent this forum or the Plusnet Community forum. It is also exclusively UK-based, which helps. My move to FTTC went very smoothly.

Thanks Mand, assuming the Mb/s is definitely megabits, it confirms what I feared, which is that the throttling/management is pretty severe and I'd be better off sticking with O2 without any management.

Thanks for the response though.

In reply to a post by hutchingsp:

Thanks Mand, assuming the Mb/s is definitely megabits, it confirms what I feared, which is that the throttling/management is pretty severe and I'd be better off sticking with O2 without any management.

Thanks for the response though.

But as I said, for £5 a month the throttling is removed, up to you whether you think it's worth it.

£15 a month gets Sky unlimited if the exchange has been unbundled. It costs even less if you take the Sky phone packages.

In reply to a post by mand_beckett:

on a 40Mb connection is a pretty sizable benefit

Ah, but what proportion are actually at 40 Mbps ?

At some point, it would be nice to know (within say 5 Mbps bands) just how the customer connection speeds in real world conditions actually stack up.

I don't know how low BT allows FTTC connections but I'd expect to see something like:

40 to 35 Mbps 10%
35 to 30 Mbps 10%
30 to 25 Mbps 20%
25 to 20 Mbps 40% (or 60% if nothing below 20 Mbps is offered)

By no means an authoritive survey but this will give you some idea of real life spread (obviously of those people who have seen the survey and bothered to take part)

http://www.awkm.org/fibresurvey/results.php

Obviously there's still a dependency on distance, but I personally know many people who are on 35 and 37Mb connections through us. Don't know that there's any national data published at the moment, but I'll have a dig about and see for you.

At the moment less than half of people who have completed the little survey I cooked up are getting 40mbit or thereabouts.

Same thing for upload...less than half getting close to 10mbit. Upload is more complicated as there are obviously a number of people on packages limited to 2mbit from the beginning.

Is it worth paying the extra £5 for that?

In reply to a post by ConorMK:

Is it worth paying the extra £5 for that?

Clearly it depends on your usage; the throttling hasn't been a problem for me yet, although the Youtube and Streaming ones are a bit annoying as it makes HD dodgy. I'll consider it for the future.

I agree, I have noticed some youtube videos stalling during the throttling period. It is very annoying.