If the HH5 doesn't cost you as Mr S says then the switch to PN would be easy enough. I'm guessing if you went to Sky or TT they'd provide a VDSL modem/router anyway.

If you move to PlusNet they should provide a (feeble but adequate) router and Openreach should supply a modem. (Those rules may well change later.)

You would then have the choice of using just HH5 as modem/router as you probably do now, Openreach modem + HH5 as router, or Openreach modem + PlusNet router.

Just HH5 is easiest and has just one device running, but some people find it does not give as good a VDSL connection as the Openreach modem. If you are satisfied with they way it behaves as a modem on BT, it will still be exactly the same on PlusNet.

I had Openreach modem + HH3 when I moved. I kept that configuration as it saved bothering with any new wireless configuration. I think the HH3 and my (previous version) PlusNet router are probably about equally feeble, but quite adequate for me. Unless you are feeling very philanthropic, turn off the BT Fon on your HH5 if you had it on for BT.

Edited by StephenTodd (Tue 27-Jan-15 18:10:56)

The PlusNet router is optional but if you take it you have to pay P&P (about £5.95 I believe). PlusNet actually have no obligation to provide a router and some ISPs don't (although they tend to be the services designed for more technical users).

Do the Openreach modems support anything above 100Mbps? I thought they only had 10/100Mbps ports.

In reply to a post by AndyHCZ:

Do the Openreach modems support anything above 100Mbps? I thought they only had 10/100Mbps ports.

My Openreach Huawei modem is linked to my Asus at 100 Mbps full duplex - and the Asus has a GigE WAN port.

My only concern is that devices with only 100mb (fast ethernet) ports may not be designed to run at the full 100 speed .

If you migrate from BT to plusnet or any other ISP there would be no need for BT openreach to visit your home as long as you have a compatible modem (excluding TT &Sky)as they supply their own locked solution, But if you are being charged for a engineer install as plusnet still do if you don't also take their line rental(FTTC only) you may as well let them send an engineer,

Unless they will wave that hefty unnecessary £50 install/activation fee? As from November 2014 CP-CP GEA Migration - same product/premises is £11.00 instead of the previous £50.00 fee

And there is no longer a 12mth min term charged by BT to ISP's from Zen's forums "migration of a Fibre service between providers (i.e. after the initial 12 month contract with the original provider); not to the initial provision of a Fibre service."

Nice to see ISP's passing this on to customers eh? Although there are a few that quite rightly don't charge the install fee for FTTC migrations

In reference to www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/products/super-fastfibreaccess/contra...:

Conditions for Generic Ethernet Access
Schedule 2B � GEA-FTTC Service
Page 10 of 10 Dated: 6 January 2015
The minimum period of service for the GEA-FTTC Service to an individual Site is either:
(a) 12 months commencing on the date of provision of the GEA-FTTC Service; or
(b) where the GEA-FTTC Service is provided via a �CP to CP GEA migration�, 1 month commencing on the date of provision of the GEA-FTTC Service.
If the Communications Provider terminates the GEA-FTTC Service before the end of the minimum period of service other than under clause 2.2(a) or 2.8 of the Conditions, the Communications Provider shall pay BT the rental for the unexpired portion of the minimum period of service in addition to the appropriate Service Hold to Term charge as set out in the Openreach Price List.

Edited by tommy45 (Thu 29-Jan-15 04:31:06)

Not sure of model from 20 miles away (!) but we read all the specs and it had a WAN socket for connection to a separate modem. Irritating nevertheless but I might feel inclinded to offer him 20 quid for it as it is far better than a Technicolor!

In reply to a post by ian72:

And when a router if free and only costs P&P then I wouldn't expect anything other than something that does the basic job.

True but it would be nice if PN would subsidise something better at say, £50 rather than a retail£100. Maybe the reality is that most would still opt for "free" !

I think you're right and that most would opt for free. People that want better will likely just buy their own anyway. The annoying ISPs are those that only allow you to use their router (like Sky).

Yes, its human nature! The good news is that son-in-law-has just texted me to say that he has got the Netgear router working with fibre and is v happy. The only problem now is that he does not know what he did to it. Shades of infinite monkeys typing Shakespear but I guess it goes down as a win!