FWIW this is how I've navigated to changing DNS on my Win8.1 laptop.

Control panel - Network & sharing centre - connections - ethernet/properties - TCP/IPV4 - properties . Then travel to lower part of page. (Hope this is intelligible)

In reply to a post by greenwich:

Someone else suggested that above but then took back the suggestion. I suppose I have nothing to lose by trying it. But if the DNS servers are going slow, that ought to affect lots of people?

Most people have got no idea about DNS and just put slow loading speeds down to the time of day or the content on the site.

In reply to a post by Bryer:

Most people have got no idea about DNS and just put slow loading speeds down to the time of day or the content on the site.

Given most modern operating systems cache DNS responses if you're accessing mostly the same set of websites its only visible if the ISP DNS is incredibly slow.

Older operating systems didn't cache and the difference would be noticeable.

In reply to a post by greenwich:

I've got no experience of access points, so would be a bit nervous. I could buy a router and get it working I reckon. Switching to another ISP would mean getting another cheap router from them, so I'm thinking I may be better off with a more expensive router and staying with Plusnet.

Access points are easy. Think of them as being a WiFI router with the router side disabled. People often use spare routers as such.

Some cheap routers are surprisingly good. Others are not. I took a dislike to the Technicolour ADSL router supplied by Plusnet, tried my true and trusty Netgear DG384, tried a cheap as chips TP Link router, and settled on a second hand DrayTek 2820.

Cheap or not, ensure that any router&fibre modem you buy does support G.INP.

Thank you, everyone!

My plan A now is to change the DNS settings this weekend (trying the Windows settings first before touching the router). Plan B might then be to try a new router/access point.

An UPDATE for people who helped me above:

I found that in my internet options for LAN the "Automatically detect settings" box had been checked. Not sure how that happened but on the Google forums I found a thread saying uncheck it and I did. I also changed to using Google's DNS servers as people here recommended.

The slow connections problem seems to have gone now, so thanks for that.

I find that sometimes the Plusnet wireless drops and I have to manually reconnect. A few times I have seen not just my Plusnet wireless but also most of the neighbourhood wirelesses also disappear, and I have to turn wireless off and on in Windows to get them back. Not sure what's happening there but things are better than before at least.

Edited by deleted (Mon 01-Jun-15 21:24:05)

In reply to a post by greenwich:

I find that sometimes the Plusnet wireless drops and I have to manually reconnect. A few times I have seen not just my Plusnet wireless but also most of the neighbourhood wirelesses also disappear, and I have to turn wireless off and on in Windows to get them back. Not sure what's happening there but things are better than before at least.

That looks like something in your machine. It's only there that neighbouring wifi stations are detected. So of it loses those it is probably the computer wireless that is losing your own router, as opposed to the router dropping the computer.

Yes, I thought it must be Windows. It's always made heavy weather of wifi connectivity. When Windows 7 came out, Microsoft actually ran TV ads boasting about how it connected automatically to wifi - something Linux and OS users had been taking for granted for years.

Would people mind if I asked for a bit more advice? I am thinking of buying the NETGEAR WNDR4500-200EUS N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AKD407Q

This would replace the Technicolour router Plusnet gave me but I would keep on using their modem (for my 76Mbps FTTC service). Is this a good choice?

I've been thinking of switching to Zen but decided maybe this would be a better change. I know Windows is responsible for some of my problems but I also feel sure the router is not at all good.