Coleraine user which isp for fibre broadband BT or Plusnet?

Hi I am currently living in a 3 story old house- isp is Plusnet. I get 12mb speed and could get 32mb if I changed to Fibre Broadband. I am using Netgear DG834N router but wireless is not great.
Telephone master socket is on top floor where router is currently sitting. I want to know whether the BT home hub3 or the plusnet WNR1000 router is better in older houses where walls are thicker?

Is it possible to connect close to master telephone socket and then run a longer lead so that router can be on the floor below of even better 2 floors below or does this affect connectivitiy and speed?

I have a WNR1000 supplied by Plusnet and the wireless range isn't that great. I don't know about the BT Home Hub 3 - it might be possible to tweak the wireless power on this, officially or otherwise. However, I would not let this dictate my choice of ISP, the router is a relatively minor part of it and you can use whatever router you like as long as it has a WAN Ethernet port (i.e. a "cable" router).

The router can be up to 100m away from the modem using CAT 5e cable, I do not believe this would significantly affect the speed. Alternatively it might be possible to relocate the master socket as part of the installation, or site the modem up to 30m away from the master socket using the data extension kit.

Or you could use network homeplugs then no need to worry about wireless

In reply to a post by NuttyMucker:

Or you could use network homeplugs then no need to worry about wireless

Thanks already have 5 devolo network plugs but some connections between computers are better than others yet all of them are connected directly to the wall plugs not extensions also some computers connect through plugs quicker to internet than other computers why?

In reply to a post by kasg:

I have a WNR1000 supplied by Plusnet and the wireless range isn't that great. I don't know about the BT Home Hub 3 - it might be possible to tweak the wireless power on this, officially or otherwise. However, I would not let this dictate my choice of ISP, the router is a relatively minor part of it and you can use whatever router you like as long as it has a WAN Ethernet port (i.e. a "cable" router).

The router can be up to 100m away from the modem using CAT 5e cable, I do not believe this would significantly affect the speed. Alternatively it might be possible to relocate the master socket as part of the installation, or site the modem up to 30m away from the master socket using the data extension kit.

Thanks for help but I am a bit confused My netgear at moment is just one box with modem and router together so do Plusnet or BT send out 2 pieces of equipment ie router and then also a modem?
Do all ISP's provide the same standard of modem?
Is a CAT 5e cable just another name for an ethernet cable?
Sorry for asking such basic questions!

A description of FTTC. There are many suppliers as well as BT and Plusnet.

What is usually called a router here is in fact an ADSL2+ Router, which has a modem, a router, a 4-port ethernet switch and often a Wireless Access Point like your Netgear. The vast majority of these cannot be used on FTTC. Yours cannot.

The Openreach engineer brings and installs a modem. BT (Retail Infinity) separately supply a Home Hub (which is a router with a WAN port to connect to the modem. If you think "cable router" then that's it, except the Home Hub is dual function - it also has an ADSL2+ modem buit in.

I don't think any other ISP includes a "cable" router for free, though maybe Plusnet do, but it won't be a BT Home Hub.

There are no Openreach-approved VDSL routers - ie no one-box solutions. A few people have got such kit, but they are expensive and seemingly not always perfect.

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 07-Jan-12 00:47:41)

In reply to a post by purpledoodle:

Thanks for help but I am a bit confused My netgear at moment is just one box with modem and router together so do Plusnet or BT send out 2 pieces of equipment ie router and then also a modem?
Do all ISP's provide the same standard of modem?
Is a CAT 5e cable just another name for an ethernet cable?
Sorry for asking such basic questions!

All FTTC service users are fitted with a VDSL2 modem (predominantly the Hauwei HG612) by the installing OpenReach engineer.

Your ISP (whoever that may be) will normally provide you with router/wireless access point, etc. So yes, two pieces of kit, not one.

A CAT 5e cable is an Ethernet cable -- but that does not necessarily mean that an Ethernet cable is a CAT 5e cable!

(Edit: I see Bob's fingers are faster than my paws.)

Edited by burakkucat (Sat 07-Jan-12 01:58:26)

All FTTC service users are fitted with a VDSL2 modem (predominately the Hauwei HG612) by the installing OpenReach engineer.

Your ISP (whoever that may be) will normally provide you with router/wireless access point, etc. So yes, two pieces of kit, not one.

Plusnet supplied a Netgear WNR 1000v3 wireless router for my FTTC connection & the BT engineer brought the Huawei HG612 modem with him on installation day.

The Netgear router does seem to be slightly better (wirelessly) through a couple of 2' thick internal solid stone walls than my previous ADSL Netgear DG834GT combined modem/router.

Edited by deleted (Sat 07-Jan-12 01:40:42)

Did Plusnet charge for the router, or is it free?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Did Plusnet charge for the router, or is it free?

I am on Plusnet's Value Fibre package, with a contract period of 18 months.

Prior to switching from a Plusnet ADSL1 legacy package, I paid Plusnet for broadband & BT for telephone.

If I had contunued with BT as my telephone provider, there would have been an installation charge for FTTC (from memory it might have been £25 for an existing Plusnet custome & £50 for a brand new customer).

So I firstly switched telephone provider to Plusnet which also changed my legacy package to a new ADSL Value package, which also put my connection onto 21CN.

Apparently this has to be done in advance of FTTC installation as 2 orders, one for switching to 21CN (unless you are already on 21CN) & switching to a new FTTC service cannot be actioned at the same time.

The Plusnet agent who organised this had assumed I must already be on 21CN, & the process was delayed for around a week (might have been 2 weeks) while this was sorted out.

I just had to pay £4.99 for post & packaging for the Netgear router.

However, if I cancel my FTTC service within the first 12 months of the 18 month contract, there would be a pro-rata charge applied for the use of the router, along with the usual cessation charges.