Whats Plus.net's network like?

Curious what the consensus on PlusNet's network is like?

First impressions, having moved from BT to Plus net last week is the speed is all over the shop as are pings.

Will this settle down once the connection has been up for a while or is that just PlusNet (or have a I got a bad line ? on FTTP)?

Cheers,

m

Presumably your line hasn't changed. From your January post:

In reply to a post by HOB:

Hi,

I currently have BT Fibre (FTTP) installed and just about at the end of the initial 24 month contract with BT, so looking to move to a more cost effective provide, but finding a lot of the cheaper options will not or can not (according to there signup checkers) provide a connection ....

The migration will have just been a routing change by Openreach at the exchange, but Plusnet backhaul and capacity to their gateways and onwards to and from the internet will be very different from BT's.

I use a PlusNet 80/20 FTTC for a few days each month. My primary is a 500/70 FTTP. Do I notice any difference? Not really, unless it is a sizeable download. PINGS are stable, speeds stable ...

I used them for 80/20 FTTC for two years as they would provide a /29 at no extra charge for business customers. Reasonably priced too.

The line achieved 72/18, latency (from South London) was always stable and reasonably low (6ms to 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8).

Never had a problem with throughput, it was limited a few percent below line rate and overheads but that wasn't an issue for me.

If they sold an FTTP version of that business product I would still be using them.

Rock solid for me (see my BQM).

With FTTP the speed should not be "all over the shop" and also there is no settling or training period.

I have had Plusnet FTTC 80/20 for the last 3 years, never had any network problems.

I think you need to look elsewhere for your problem, your local network equipment for instance.

Rock solid 80/20 here in London N12. Actual speeds 77/20. Uptime was 141 days when I looked just now. I use an inexpensive (about £60) TPlink router which seems to give me better wifi coverage than the PN supplied box.

Last problem was a couple of years ago where Openreach found a bit of slightly damaged cable just outside my house. The symptoms were misleading as sync to the exchange seemed solid but the PPOE connection to Plusnet was troublesome.

I have been with Plusnet since 2015 and while things have happened, I had a problem where only a Huawei modem would sync, but that was an openreach problem and last weekish I had a problem with some slow down, but apart from that it have been fine
Thgis is on FTTC.
FTTP should not as far as I know have to settle down, maybe get in touch with Plusnet see if they can find out what the problem is, I presume you are using Ethernet and not Wi-fi?

The FTTP part should be just the same as before as Both BT and Plusnet use the same access (BT Wholesale).

Do you have a static IP?

Dynamic IPs on Plusnet run run through nearly all the same equipment as BT/EE broadband. From your exchange to their big sites in London it is the same and they use BT for their Internet connectivity.

Static IPs on the other hand need to go to their BNGs in London so they are differently routed and could behave differently to BT.

Between BT, EE and Plusnet dynamic IP apart from the IP address I’d not expect to see any difference. (I think EE may be same as BT now inc. IP)

Your BQM shows higher latency and congestion during peak times, its not my definition of rock solid, it looks pretty poor to me Maybe it was and you tempted fate by saying so and thats new.

Been with them since 2003 for dial up. That line is still on ADSL as distance from cabinet (was exchange only line) but get a good download and FTTC only gives me maybe 10Mb more. Line is solid, no issues, have had issues in the past at exchange level but support has been great.

At the beginning of Covid my brother moved out and I set him up on FTTC and he gets solid connection with no issues too. Have got a neighbour to my original line on FTTC, again that is solid just lower speed due to line setup.

I would dump VM for them at home but I only get 4Mb ADSL here on my line which is poor so VM it is. Would recommend PlusNet to anyone never a bad word on them.

I really shouldn't write things like that. Had a fault on my line yesterday. Fortuantely only affects voice, not data. OR probably caused it when they were doing work at my fibre cabinet the other day. Now they will have to fix it.

The new PN fault reporting system is horrible, bot-based and clunky. You text HELP or PHONE to a number and then try to navigate what the bots are saying. My fault seems to have been transferred to a human now.

I think you can still phone PN to report a fault.

In reply to a post by E300:

Your BQM shows higher latency and congestion during peak times, its not my definition of rock solid, it looks pretty poor to me Maybe it was and you tempted fate by saying so and thats new.

There's some deterioration in peak time latency but it has absolutely no discernible affect on performance.

In reply to a post by HOB:

First impressions, having moved from BT to Plus net last week is the speed is all over the shop as are pings.

Are you using WiFi for the testing? Are you on full fibre (FTTP) or using copper wire (FTTC) ?

My 18 mths of FTTC 80/20 wasn't great many issues with their WBMC backhaul data transit links running too hot causing regular peak time latency and throughput issues, that took them far too long to resolve , sell them cheap and pile them high (new customers only ) they also increase the price every 12mths as well with their CPI CON

Edited by tommy45 (Sat 18-Feb-23 23:30:47)

In reply to a post by tommy45:

they also increase the price every 12mths as well with their CPI CON

So does just about everybody else and OFCOM needs to put a stop to it during contracts.

Edited by kasg (Sun 19-Feb-23 13:17:20)

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by HOB:

First impressions, having moved from BT to Plus net last week is the speed is all over the shop as are pings.

Are you using WiFi for the testing? Are you on full fibre (FTTP) or using copper wire (FTTC) ?

It says FTTP on the OP

In reply to a post by tommy45:

they also increase the price every 12mths as well with their CPI CON

That would imply that people aren't aware of the CPI increase when signing up but surely they would be if they had bothered to read the terms. I'm not a fan of it and yes would like it to be changed but to call it a con is MISLEADING.

Edited by deleted (Sun 19-Feb-23 13:54:36)

In reply to a post by dect:

In reply to a post by tommy45:

they also increase the price every 12mths as well with their CPI CON

That would imply that people aren't aware of the CPI increase when signing up but surely they would be if they had bothered to read the terms. I'm not a fan of it and yes would like it to be changed but to call it a con is MISLEADING.

Totally correct ... the CPI+3.9% has been around for years - at least 2019 and users will have had it in contract since then.

In reply to a post by kasg:

There's some deterioration in peak time latency but it has absolutely no discernible affect on performance.

Well it depends what you are using the connection for, but looking at your BQM it is very poor, you are even getting some packet loss at peak times which is never good to see and shouts of over subscribed and congestion. Still that's been PlusNet for ever, they were exactly the same when I was with them on ADSL many years ago.

These congestion issues is probably what the OP is seeing when they complain about latency being all over the place.

You get what you pay for I guess.

CPI+3.9% didn't seem too bad when inflation was 2%. Assuming we knew about it, we didn't worry about a 5% rise. Now that CPI is 10% it s big price hike. It's a windfall for the ISPs, of which Plusnet is just one.

Is it justififed? That's another question.

Is it a windfall? They could all choose to do a lower rise - there is nothing that forces them to go to the max that they put in the contract. Equally they are seeing inflationary price rises and therefore their costs are going up as well. The windfall in other industries is due to way above inflation increases that are nothing to do with anything they have done (ie the rates are set elsewhere and they benefit as a side effect).

Reading a report last week about one ISP - might have been PN. Energy costs are up over 80%, hardware but at least 20% and some way more, pay rises at the lower pay ranges around 10% with some staff 15% ... Customers working from home has increased data levels by a factor of 4 at times - and that costs too. OR charges will be rising too - which ISPs pay.

Put all of that in and you can see why a substantial increase is required.

As you suggest, definitely NOT a windfall.


If any ISP could get away with significantly less, they would be making a song and dance of it and using it to entice customers. The only one I have seen is BT Business - who are expensive anyway and they are saying anyone who contracts from earlier thsi month will not get a rise this year - next year probably though.

In reply to a post by MHC:

Reading a report last week about one ISP - might have been PN. Energy costs are up over 80%, hardware but at least 20% and some way more, pay rises at the lower pay ranges around 10% with some staff 15% ... Customers working from home has increased data levels by a factor of 4 at times - and that costs too. OR charges will be rising too - which ISPs pay.

Put all of that in and you can see why a substantial increase is required.

As you suggest, definitely NOT a windfall.


If any ISP could get away with significantly less, they would be making a song and dance of it and using it to entice customers. The only one I have seen is BT Business - who are expensive anyway and they are saying anyone who contracts from earlier thsi month will not get a rise this year - next year probably though.

The problem is all this high price for energy is bull. Gas prices have decreased, energy companies are making billions and nothing is done.
i understand that companies buy their energy in bulk.

Rip off Britain, always have been, and always will be, and the people just put up with it.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

Rip off Britain, always have been, and always will be, and the people just put up with it.

Tell me Adrian what do you plan to do about it? I don't consider posting on a forum like this taking action, its purely hot air that helps no one.

The problem is all this high price for energy is bull

So you have managed to find a way not to pay the increased prices?

The increased price to consumers and businesses is not "bull", whether that is justifiable by the energy companies is a different matter but I understand there is an expectation that prices will be starting to come down now that wholesale prices are decreasing (equally you always get the argument that suppliers buy in advance and therefore it takes time for the decrease to filter through the system but of course if it goes up it often happens immediately).

In reply to a post by MHC:

Customers working from home has increased data levels by a factor of 4 at times - and that costs too.

Such usage should be on Business contracts, not SOHO/Consumer.

Whether or not the extra usage is due to actual work ....

Edited by pluralist (Wed 22-Feb-23 00:35:57)

In reply to a post by dect:

Tell me Adrian what do you plan to do about it? I don't consider posting on a forum like this taking action, its purely hot air that helps no one.

Pass, other countries have demonstrations, not that it does any good. Just fed up with working my guts off for a faceless corporation that is taking millions and then half of my money goes to pay bills for other large companies who are also making millions.,

In reply to a post by ian72:

So you have managed to find a way not to pay the increased prices?

I wish, thankfully I am pretty close to the end of my contract.



The increased price to consumers and businesses is not "bull", whether that is justifiable by the energy companies is a different matter but I understand there is an expectation that prices will be starting to come down now that wholesale prices are decreasing (equally you always get the argument that suppliers buy in advance and therefore it takes time for the decrease to filter through the system but of course if it goes up it often happens immediately).



A lot of these companies are making a mockery of it now, as have already said I realise they buy their energy in advance. Will prices come down, or will get more excuses?

All looks like it has settled down now, good consistent 6ms pings (not jumping up to silly numbers while running a speed test now). Speed tests are all giving similar numbers (and to expected line speeds). Must have been an anomaly or local issue.

I'm with everyone who has mentioned the RPI increase's, I haven't been with them for a month yet an I've just had the email to tell me my priced is going up soon, I'll put money on them offering exactly the same price offers to new customers as I got post RPI price increase date to it's rubbish they *need * to charge more to provide there service...

If it went up after a year I'd say I would swallow with only a slight grumble (I'd really expect it to be kept at the advertised price for the duration of the contract, they want to lock people in to 18month+ contracts then surly they should be abiding by that too), but after a month or so... well that just isn't cricket imo. Ofcom do need to take action on this, and I would also say it may fall foul of been an unfair contract term...

cheers,

m