
Absolutely the right forum as it opens you to other ISP suggestions. Your questions may be better answered in the Plusnet forum but nearly all the fibre users there come here as well. (Note - cross-posting there would be frowned on by the moderators).
1)
The traffic management is hard to explain clearly, especially in a live chat. Even the FAQ system on the subject I found almost impenetrable until I knew (sort of!) the answers LOL.
Think in very broad terms rather than the specific uses you list. As you will have discovered, Plusnet classify traffic types into various stream types. Things that are time-dependent are in the top one, Titanium. On the domestic rather than business product that covers VOIP and actual gaming.
Stuff that we all expect to work as fast as possible goes into Gold or Gold-plated, and includes browsing, email, live/catchup TV streaming, YouTube streaming and so on.
Downloads such as game or app updates depend to some extent on where they are downloaded from. They may go in Gold or Silver, or if via P2P they will go into Bronze. Your online chat host could easily have got in a mess there.
All P2P goes in Bronze, so that it cannot wreak havoc on your connection if you have several users doing different things at the same time.
Silver, coming above Bronze, is a catchall to save anything unrecognised from being killed by P2P.
You may not have found
this excellent article by a senior Plusnet staffer.
1A)
No problems with your usage. Many doing far more than that these days and Plusnet capacity managers monitor the overall load throughout the system daily. Some of the data is published, one of my favourite pages being
this one. Many of us have also supplied them with the Live Link to our BQM graph, with these all shown on
this page.
2)
At the moment all fibre connection use Openreach kit up to the Openreach-supplied modem. As of 31 December Openreach will allow ISPs to supply approved kit to their customers instead, but what Plusnet have planned I don't know. Knowing them, nothing immediately. BT and Sky have jumped the gun and are already supplying combined modem/routers of the kind you are used to.
Many of us feel that on FTTC even more than on ADSLx a separate modem and router is better. For exactly the sort of reason you suggest - ability to upgrade the router later. I just did that.
Plusnet currently supply a 582n router which is adequate for wired use but many of us aren't keen on its wireless capability. I started with a third party one I bought before joining Plusnet and only used the Plusnet one when mine failed. I almost always use only wireless and after a few months decided to replace it.
It's worth taking the Plusnet one for the cost of the postage, as at least it works and a spare is a good idea these days. Try it and see for a while perhaps.
3)
The ones I suggest as a short list amaze even me! Plusnet first, else I wouldn't be with them, BT Infinity, and Sky. A couple whose judgement I respect have even found TalkTalk OK, but I didn't say that

. I wouldn't go near them. (I used to say the same about Plusnet when I was with O2).
The niche ISPs such as AAISP, IDNet, Zen, Aquiss, vivacity, xilo/uno also seem fine, but in most cases more expensive.
Cheers.
My broadband basic info/help site - www.robertos.me.uk |
Domains,site and mail hosting - Tsohost.
Connection - Plusnet UnLim Fibre (FTTC). Sync ~ 59.4/14.4Mbps @ 600m. -
BQM
"Where talent is a dwarf, self-esteem is a giant." - Jean-Antoine Petit-Senn.
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Allergy information: This post was manufactured in an environment where nuts are present. It may include traces of understatement, litotes and humour.