Just signed up

Just signed up with Plusnet for ADSL and phone this evening a few hours before the half price BB ends (+£20 Quidco which seemed to track OK).

I chose a username during signup, which works OK in the Member Centre. I see I now seem to have [email protected] as Broadband username. I didn't set up a plusnet email address during the sign up process, but is that Broadband username it?

I provided the MAC code from o2 that I requested and got today and chose 2 Aug as migration day. I also chose to pay initial payment by DD so that should add the right amount of time for the date I chose.

I'm new to migration, with o2 being by only BB since 2008 so forgive the silly questions, even though I'm far from new here on TBB!

My PN email address, (never used), appears to be [email protected]

Don't bank on that 2 August date until you get an email or text telling you what date Openreach has scheduled. My guess is that the available list seems to come from Openreach overnight, so by the time you choose one someone somewhere, on any ISP, may already have got that slot at your exchange.

I think the present one is first [email protected] but if you didn't say you wanted one there may not be one set up
But once you have joined you can go the the email setup and add whatever email address you want in the form [email protected]

Edited by deleted (Tue 23-Jul-13 22:02:25)

I just didn't want it being either the 31 July or 1 Aug for my own reasons so if its later than that, so be it. Long as it ain't yonks!

I dunno!!!

All those people desperate to get FTTC and you want yours scheduled away from your hangover .

LOL I wish! On both counts
Got hosp appointment 31 July and another appt for something else 1 Aug. You know how it is with hospitals/Drs, never quite know how long they keep you sitting about. I want to be here on the day!

OK I know what [email protected] is now. It's the name used to log on to the router when it comes.

Email addresses with Plusnet are like many things ... totally off the wall! However many email addresses you add, your original one is always tagged onth the end and cannot be hidden.

Not quite. It's the username to get internet connectivity. But if you are going to use the PlusNet supplied TG582n then you don't even do that. It sets itself up automatically.

It comes with a very good little booklet telling you what to do. Plus a "credit card" type card with the wireless connection details and the password to log into the router if you need to.

In reply to a post by rob54:

Just signed up with Plusnet for ADSL and phone this evening a few hours before the half price BB ends (+£20 Quidco which seemed to track OK).

Oops?

http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/plusnet/f/4253823-n...

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

In reply to a post by rob54:

Just signed up with Plusnet for ADSL and phone this evening a few hours before the half price BB ends (+£20 Quidco which seemed to track OK).

Oops?

http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/plusnet/f/4253823-n...

Curses!

Your other deal was probably 12 months half price, rather than the new 9 months, so don't feel too bad.

In reply to a post by rob54:

OK I know what [email protected] is now. It's the name used to log on to the router when it comes.

No, that'll be something like 'admin'.

The email addy thing will be for the router to connect to the Net.

Yeh I've downloaded the booklet, but I'm guessing a printed one comes with the router. The router help link explains why that [email protected] name might be needed but as you say it ought to be automatic.

Yep what I have is better Apparently the Quidco £20 will pay in Sept too! another

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

My PN email address, (never used), appears to be [email protected]

Is crazy!
I've been trying to get Plusnet to change my username as it contains my surname and initials. I didn't appreciate at sign up that username would be in all email addresses, so [email protected] and additional ones such as [email protected]
I have a 4 letter surname so the username is only 6 characters but it is obvious which bit is my surrname. I rather like my short primary o2 address, [email protected] and I have an even shorter additional o2 address (which I suppose I'll lose now).

I guess the best thing is get another domain (or use another gmail account I suppose) for about £7.50/2years and have it as an add-on it onto my hosting account. Or as someone suggested on the Plusnet forum, get a domain redirected to the Plusnet address. Not too much point if I have hosting anyway I guess.

Edited by rob54 (Mon 29-Jul-13 23:27:28)

In reply to a post by rob54:

Is crazy!
I've been trying to get Plusnet to change my username as it contains my surname and initials. I didn't appreciate at sign up that username would be in all email addresses, so [email protected] and additional ones such as [email protected]

Also, if you sign up for a static IP address your username (and therefore surname and initials) will by default be given to every website you visit.

I don't intend to have a static IP, but cripes how does it work that every website would get to know username? I just looked at Awstats in cPanel for my site and it lists IP address, date/time, URL on my site it hit referring URL (e.g. Google, or other URLs on my site).

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

Also, if you sign up for a static IP address your username (and therefore surname and initials) will by default be given to every website you visit.

Is that true?

It's ages since I looked at the visitors to my sites, but I'm pretty sure there's never a username. Just the stuff you say.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

Also, if you sign up for a static IP address your username (and therefore surname and initials) will by default be given to every website you visit.

Is that true?

Websites can (and usually do) log the visitor's IP address, and Plusnet's default reverse DNS on static IP addresses is the customer's username.

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

Plusnet's default reverse DNS on static IP addresses is the customer's username.

Ah, I follow you now. That wasn't quite what you said before .

I'll look into that when I remember, but for the moment I'll rely on a somewhat complex password .

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

I'll look into that when I remember, but for the moment I'll rely on a somewhat complex password .

You raised it in February. If I remember rightly Plusnet have no immediate plans to alter the reverse DNS for static IPs away from containing the customer's username (which can, as this thread highlights, contain personal data like a surname).

But, as was also pointed out at the time, it's just a couple of clicks in the Member Centre to change it from the default to one just containing the IP address and Bob has already done that so he doesn't need to worry about it!

I'm glad someone remembers . I remember too, from your post and Oliver's. I don't remember raising the issue here, but no doubt I did the complex password and setting change at the same time. The rDNS on mine shows nnn-nnn-nnn-nnn.plus.com

In reply to a post by kasg:

But, as was also pointed out at the time, it's just a couple of clicks in the Member Centre to change it from the default to one just containing the IP address and Bob has already done that so he doesn't need to worry about it!

Assuming of course the customer is actually finds out what their reverse DNS is in good time, since it's generally something other people see and not the customer themselves.

I don't think Bob realised straight away that his reverse DNS was his username and he wasn't happy about it, probably even less so if his username contained his surname.

I certainly wasn't happy about it. It doesn't contain my surname, but my account password, which is also the broadband login password, was decidedly weak.

Any malicious site, given the username, wouldn't have taken long to crack it.

It really is a bad hole, and I can't believe it would be difficult to alter the default. Plus inform all static IP address holders - that might be a bit more complicated, depending on how their databases are set up.

BB is due to switch 8/8/13. I've never migrated broadband before, as o2 was my first (dialup before) and definitely never moved phone away from BT!

So questions:

1) When Plusnet tell me BB is go and it works ok with their router, do I at that point phone o2 to say I have now been switched to Plusnet so they can refund for unused service? o2 billing date is 14th of month (so I'll have used most of it) and their DD got taken yesterday.

2) When the phone gets switched over 2-3 weeks later apparently, do Plusnet do all the contacting and BT's billing will just stop and get adjusted for a final bill/refund. A BT bill is date 25 July and quarterly DD gets taken on around the 8th Aug. Or do I also need to call them when the switch is complete?

Thanks

Edited by rob54 (Fri 02-Aug-13 23:38:33)

Always best to phone the ISP you have just left as soon as the new one is working. They should be notified by Openreach, but that can fail and O2 think you are still with them. Then things get messy.

Re the phone coming from BT, PlusNet will order the swap from Openreach, and Openreach tell BT Retail that it is being taken away from them.

BT Retail then (should) contact you by whatever email/contact method you have set up and ask you if this is what you want to happen. It's an anti-slamming system for the phone, with the same effect but a different method as MACs for the broadband. I'm not sure what the BT wording is, but if it asks you to say OK then do so. If it just says to let them know if you don't want to leave them then it is best to do nothing.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Always best to phone the ISP you have just left as soon as the new one is working. They should be notified by Openreach, but that can fail and O2 think you are still with them. Then things get messy.

OK thanks that's what I thought re BB.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

BT Retail then (should) contact you by whatever email/contact method you have set up and ask you if this is what you want to happen. It's an anti-slamming system for the phone, with the same effect but a different method as MACs for the broadband. I'm not sure what the BT wording is, but if it asks you to say OK then do so. If it just says to let them know if you don't want to leave them then it is best to do nothing.

OK thanks again. I guess Plusnet can hardly do their switch without having informed BT retail. I'll just make sure I do hear from BT in time!