Pluse8 Broadband ...again....

I am looking for honest opinions on the quality of service provided by Pluse8 Broadband in specific their Fibre package.
I know there are a few topics on here but I lost interest once the fighting started and then my eyes glazed over.......

Can they do fibre-fibre migration successfully yet as I will be coming from a provider that has my fibre custom at the moment and really don't want to spend the extra £30 to be ported back onto an adsl line then upgraded to fibre a few days/weeks later.

For what I have read so far I cant find a problem with them, the BQM on some TBB users sigs look a lot better than mine.

I had a short outage this morning on both lines and I NEEDED to send out a few time critical emails and as I couldn't even load web pages or email I phoned support and was eventually told it might have been everyone downloading the new Windows 10..............

It's happened a few times in the past so I am looking to move my eggs out of one basket and spread my connections over completely different platforms.

Any help would be appreciated

You almost certainly did get hit by lots of small businesses turning on their computers at 9am. See this News Article.

Zen probably has a very high percentage of such customers.

Re the FTTC >> FTTC on Pulse8, I don't think anyone knows yet. The thread that started bickering sorted out in the end, with two conflicting replies from Pulse8 on the same day.

I suggest you ring them, but make sure you speak to Adam, the owner, who is the one in touch with TalkTalk Business. It might be an idea if you look at the last few posts in that thread. (Assuming we are talking about the same one). So you can discuss those two reports.

Despite some knocking Pulse8 as if it was their fault, the fibre to fibre migration was a Talktalk specific problem, which as far as I am aware is claimed to be fixed. I think the grey area is that Pulse8 have been playing it safe with a switch to ADSL first, though they have stated they will now try again as it is claimed fixed by TT. Either a hiccup, or ADSL for a while would not keep my from an ISP I decided upon the best for my needs - In my case, good customer service, no contract tie-in and decent price are my order of priorities. Can't wait to get back to our Pulse8 property and away from EE ADSL. P8 BQM still looking good.

Still not in yer ruddy sig though kiddo. I'm too lazy to have bookmarked whatever post it was you included it.

The Win 10 downloads to personal and busines machines is having a big impact on the net.

All those businesses turning on systems ona Monday and getting updates that size is a big load.

It is happeneing here and other countries, Akamai server activity has been intense.

Emails to the top bod work and get an almost instant reply at this time of day. being worked on.
"We�ve got a couple of Simultaneous Provides going through as we speak but ONLY for customers who are NON TTB or SKY i.e. PlusNet / BT FTTC to our FTTC (TTB Based Fibre service is fine).



Just need to test and make sure it works as expected before telling the world that�s all J



All the best & watch this space.

Adam

"
So the OP should be OK.

Edited by professor973 (Mon 03-Aug-15 20:28:11)

Will put it back Bob - Tend to pull it when my service is a target ... All quiet now - Busy deleting five years of Facebook timeline, including the hidden tracking pages most don't see.

This has my attention.

Any particular reason why? Are you unhappy with Plusnet?

There are some odd issues with the service that I've never seen with any other operator. Things like Facebook not opening pages fully or even at all sometimes, WhatsApp being intermittent.

I don't have faith in Plusnet's network. We joined because they were inexpensive and local, and moved to fibre as we were under contract with them. We are no longer under contract and are not content.

The kicker was when my wife began to notice issues. I don't obsessively monitor the service but had noticed the odd issue, she began to notice issues in a couple of ways.

Under normal circumstances I would put this down to my own equipment, however as Plusnet shove every packet through a layer 7 DPI device configured both to monitor traffic and enforce policies their involvement is difficult to disprove.

I think it's time to get back to bare bones access rather than an ISP that wants to manage the entire Internet for me, and does so in co-operation with a wholesaler whose network is buckling under load having had ridiculously optimistic capacity planning estimates for demand.

You've worded perfectly, what I've been trying to say for some time regarding the management of connection through Plusnet...

Any idea's where you might be going?

I had issues with the bbc website with plusnet that vanished on sky.

I dont use facebook.

I think I have this issue isolated, I reckon it's either the Akamai cluster Plusnet host or the connectivity to it that's the problem.

When monitoring requests I see out of order packets, bits of loss and slow load times intermittently.

I could potentially isolate it to a single cache but, meh.

Per the thread title Pulse8.

In reply to a post by Chrysalis:

I had issues with the bbc website with plusnet that vanished on sky.

The BBC also offload content onto Akamai.

In reply to a post by Ignitionnet:

Per the thread title Pulse8.

Not considered anyone else then?

From what product to what?

downloading win10 using the upgrade tool here at almost 9pm and full speed ahead with sky, personally I do not regret ditching plusnet.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

From what product to what?

76 FTTC + line rental -> 76 FTTC + line rental.

Has Adam confirmed that move is now possible? At the point last week when adslmax changed his mind we seemed to have a No from Adam and a Yes from someone else.

Pfft! Race ya, next week!

I replied to you earlier pasting in Adam's email reply confirming it OK.
http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/fibre/t/4425132-re-...

Ah yes, I'd forgotten that, with other stuff that's being going on here.

But even that's only an expectation. I wonder if IgnitionNet is one of them .

migration order in yet?

I assumed so, as he is not TT or SKY. P8 still making sure that work so they don't go off half cocked. Take it you swerved P8. Cheaper than PN for me and no contract, though if I fave to move again it will be a contract unless things alter. Most suppliers want to hang onto the tie-in. If I have to take a contract, it may as well be the dreaded BT, though they are rubbish on my exchange for ADSL customers, not sure about their fibre, but happy at the moment.

Me? Yes. Due 13 August.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Me? Yes. Due 13 August.

Sorry if you've already mentioned this above but would I be right to say you have opted to go to Sky instead of Pulse8 or have I misread?

It's Chrysalis who has gone to Sky. I haven't even considered them.

I'm aware of that, so you have gone for Pulse8 then?

In reply to a post by mlmclaren:

I'm aware of that, so you have gone for Pulse8 then?

http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/plusnet/t/4425783-r...

ok thanks, look forward to your review

the plusnet exodus continues

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

You almost certainly did get hit by lots of small businesses turning on their computers at 9am. See this News Article.

I don't think that's true at all. We saw no evidence of any significant performance change on Zen circuits.

I should expand, I've seen sod all evidence of any major issue generally on any of the ISPs I deal with, although I did actually expect to see some, it seemed pretty manageable overall.

Edited by therioman (Thu 06-Aug-15 08:18:02)

It was not all, but enough on small business providers like Zen, IDNet, AAISP to suggest something regional

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

It was not all, but enough on small business providers like Zen, IDNet, AAISP to suggest something regional

Odd, can't say I've seen this on any of the circuits I have access to and that spans all of those ISPs and many more, in various locations. Certainly less than when an iOS update appears which I was surprised by.

My sample is based on browsing all the BQM monitors and as I've said its not connections on those providers but enough to suggest something was going on

Monday

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

My sample is based on browsing all the BQM monitors and as I've said its not connections on those providers but enough to suggest something was going on

The BQM you had just seems to suggest latency, since that's what monitors, is there anything that can correlate that with Windows 10?

"is there anything that can correlate that with Windows 10? "

If you are saying how do I know its Windows download related?
Because talked to a provider or two who confirmed seeing lots of Akamai related traffic that looked like it was the Windows 10 downloads.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

"is there anything that can correlate that with Windows 10? "

If you are saying how do I know its Windows download related?
Because talked to a provider or two who confirmed seeing lots of Akamai related traffic that looked like it was the Windows 10 downloads.

OK... so does that mean the various TBB BQM graphs are showing end users lines becoming higher in latency because they're flat out getting the W10 download...

...or the provider's peering/transit routes to you (eg Netconnex) were flat out so your graphs were distorted (since unlike something like the CQM on AA lines the monitoring is going to be hurt if there is congestion somewhere in the path...

I posted that BQM, and it wasn't anything my end that would cause the packet loss.

"#4347 Routing & Core Network - Packet Loss (New)

August 3, 2015 at 10:37 AM

Our engineers have identified a current issue with packet loss on our core network due to exceptional customer demand at this time.

We will continue to monitor this situation.

Zen regret any inconvenience this may cause."

If it was links to us then it would affect all users on that ISP/link equally and we monitor our links and know there was no issues there

Also we know from some of the lines there were otherwise in active, so not a user downloading W10 on that specific line.

We also could see the tbbx1 vs httpx6 showing more variation for those users running the full flash test too.

I am migrating to Pulse8 for various reasons(was supposed to migrate to BT ...). Have been told it's a direct fibre->fibre migration now(for Plusnet at least). Activation on 24/8.

Can't tell you much about the broadband service yet, obviously, but one of the things that'll initially strike you is that although you use a typical online form to sign up much of the initial process is carried out through e-mail exchanges - not flashy control panels. Actually talking to a real, live, UK based person over e-mail is a bit of a refreshing change. I used to make a point of supporting smaller ISPs and this'll be my first small provider since I've been on fibre, we'll see how it goes.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

But even that's only an expectation. I wonder if IgnitionNet is one of them .

Given my order only went in earlier this week I doubt it.

Smaller isp doesn't always go well at the end and are probably won't last long. But, I do hope Pulse8 are going to proof me wrong. But, if more and more peoples joining Pulse8 and was wonder if Pulse8 will become a largest company one day, but I doubt it because of overpriced and expensive fibre & phone line £44 a month seem alots as I do think not peoples don't want to pay that amount of that price!

Edited by adslmax (Fri 14-Aug-15 00:12:20)

In reply to a post by adslmax:

... because of overpriced and expensive fibre & phone line £44 a month seem alots as I do think not peoples don't want to pay that amount of that price!

It's not the cheapest package but, BT, the largest ISP in the country pitch Infinity 2 at £30/month + £17.99/line rental/call package - so it's in the same ball park.

Infinity 2 does seem to include evening and weekend calls now whereas it was just weekend calls so guessing that has put up the price a little. Inf 1 is still just weekend calls.

BT also tend to have deals. I was going to leave them earlier this years and they offered an £8 a month discount to stay - not sure Pulse8 would be able to do that.

However, if they continue to provide good service with increasing customer numbers then they are a company I will consider when my current contract is up. Trouble is a lot of the good support from Pulse8 seems to be mentioning Adam and one man can only handle so many support calls personally - at some point others will need to be employed to do support and the larger the team the more difficult it is to maintain knowledge and consistency.

Did ask for IP blocks so we can track all of you on the speed tester, but not large enough for their own block yet

I am going to try pulse8.
I have been watching on a daily basis other people's BQM and comparing it to my own, just about the same but the latency is far lower. This may be completely different on my exchange.

A smaller ISP is not necessarily a bad thing as everyone needs to start somewhere, saying that I used to be on ADSL24 before they started going downhill! The option of a rolling monthly contract is a deal clincher as personally 12 month contracts rip my knitting, if you have the confidence to offer a rock solid platform to provide a service with a fantastic customer services back up then why lock people into a horrendous 12, 18 or 24 package?

I feel paying the £44 a month for a decent service acceptable and on par with the respective competition. Paying £5 for broadband or the latest offers of free broadband are great when it works but is a cluster fu.. when it's not working. You get what you pay for.
I use my broadband hard and require full speed consistently even during peak times.

Where I stay the only option for me to access ZEN network is via BT wholesale, if ZEN had their own LLU at my exchange I wouldn't even bother looking at other providers TBH. I do have the option for opal LLU.

I can only try.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Did ask for IP blocks so we can track all of you on the speed tester, but not large enough for their own block yet

Think they are still white label TTB.

In reply to a post by adslmax:

I doubt it because of overpriced and expensive fibre & phone line £44 a month seem alots as I do think not peoples don't want to pay that amount of that price!

£44 a month for a good quality broadband service with personalised support seems perfectly reasonable to me and evidently to some others.

If Pulse8 do have Fibre (80/20) unlimited with free static IP Address, Line Rental and Anytime Call Plan (including NGT 18001, 01, 02, 02, 03, 0845, 0870) and including Energy Gas & Electricity (with one month contract) at the price around £80 a month with great customer service then I will join them in a shot!

Edited by adslmax (Fri 14-Aug-15 11:10:21)

In reply to a post by adslmax:

If Pulse8 do have Fibre (80/20) unlimited with free static IP Address, Line Rental and Anytime Call Plan (including NGT 18001, 01, 02, 02, 03, 0845, 0870) and including Energy Gas & Electricity (with one month contract) at the price around £80 a month with great customer service then I will join them in a shot!

Am I missing something here...

No, as I am fed up with all rubbish customer service and being rip off in energy gas and electricity with some six big energy companies. Pulse8 to bring in their own gas and electricity would be brilliant!

I like the old days, after 3 months, they sent u a bills (gas and electricity) and u just pay it off but all big six energy companies want you to pay monthly by direct debit and sometimes you paying too much and very often they won't give you a money back until u leave them and still owe you money. I do hate this way! I rather pay as you go on gas and electricity, you only pay when u are used it.

Edited by adslmax (Fri 14-Aug-15 11:21:25)

oh right, fair enough...

Yes I know, a relative of mine currently get gas and electric through one of the big 6 and they pay a fixed payment throughout the year meaning they overspend in the summer and then that covers the heavy usage throughout the winter..

Unfortunately they had a gas leak recently that lead to the last quarters gas usage spiking, however the company in question then decided that they wanted to increase the monthly payment by £30 a month... meanwhile their electrical usage in the last quarter was less than pone months payment and that account sits in credit...

annoys me that they didn't just carry over the credit to cover gas and also that they didn't make any sort of contact or even express concern for the sudden burst of usage...

I've advised they dump them and switch elsewhere and stop direct debits and manage the payments themselves.

Yes my last energy supplier still owed me £341 in credit when I left them. Been waiting for over 7 months to get that damned money back as it mine! Not them. They are bunch of theives!

Edited by adslmax (Fri 14-Aug-15 11:35:18)

In reply to a post by adslmax:

as I do think not peoples don't want to pay that amount of that price!

Well as people are clearly signing up for it - then they do?

In reply to a post by derekdel:

Where I stay the only option for me to access ZEN network is via BT wholesale, if ZEN had their own LLU at my exchange I wouldn't even bother looking at other providers.

I am currently on Zen via BTW and I have no issues at any time and I do 5-6TB a month.

In reply to a post by adslmax:

No, as I am fed up with all rubbish customer service and being rip off in energy gas and electricity with some six big energy companies. Pulse8 to bring in their own gas and electricity would be brilliant!

I like the old days, after 3 months, they sent u a bills (gas and electricity) and u just pay it off but all big six energy companies want you to pay monthly by direct debit

Total tosh!

I am on British Gas dual fuel, I have a smart meter which sends in readings every 30 minutes and I can monitor my live usage on my phone. I STILL pay by quarterly billing. Because they want DOUBLE per month for my Direct Debit than I actually use. WHY should I let it sit in their bank account earning them interest when it can sit in mine?

Anyway the point is. my last bill was £148 for 3 months for both including the standing charge. I don't feel ripped off NOR do I let anyone bully me.

I have an electric car with free lifetime charging and I would love solar panels and be off the grid totally with all electric.

Oh to dream!

In reply to a post by adslmax:

I rather pay as you go on gas and electricity, you only pay when u are used it.

I had pre pay meters I would spend over £80 a month just to keep the electric going. So you would rather have something DESIGNED to rip you off than something which is not?

You sir are odd

Not every houses do have smart meter as most energy supplier do charged to use smart meter as a monthly payment fee.

I'm more a fan of using Electricity or Gas at whatever pence per KWh and then be billed for the usage... no flat payment... no discount... just pay whats required.

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Not every houses do have smart meter as most energy supplier do charged to use smart meter as a monthly payment fee.

British Gas seem to be installing them wherever people want them at the moment... though as I';m sure your aware, this is based on them being BG customers or joining BG... also as you have said I do believe they inflate the standing charge for some many years to cover the costs of equipment and install but thats the same with any company offering something considered advanced!

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Not every houses do have smart meter as most energy supplier do charged to use smart meter as a monthly payment fee.

No this is true but every house can have a credit meter.. and BG don't charge for the SM either.

In reply to a post by mlmclaren:

I'm more a fan of using Electricity or Gas at whatever pence per KWh and then be billed for the usage... no flat payment... no discount... just pay whats required.

me too - I am on a standard tariff 4.3P for Gas and 14P for Electric. I pay as I use and pay every 3 months

In reply to a post by mlmclaren:

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Not every houses do have smart meter as most energy supplier do charged to use smart meter as a monthly payment fee.

British Gas seem to be installing them wherever people want them at the moment... though as I';m sure your aware, this is based on them being BG customers or joining BG... also as you have said I do believe they inflate the standing charge for some many years to cover the costs of equipment and install but thats the same with any company offering something considered advanced!

The My Energy Live is only being trialled in 3 parts of the country. It's not all that.. it's like the normal meter you get but on the phone..

Here's mine right now..

http://prntscr.com/84idj2

In reply to a post by ZenUserJP:

me too - I am on a standard tariff 4.3P for Gas and 14P for Electric. I pay as I use and pay every 3 months

Mine is 10.453p for Electric and 3.012p for Gas but hate standing charge on both £20.55p per day! I never a big fan of standing charge (biggest rip off)

In reply to a post by adslmax:

In reply to a post by ZenUserJP:

me too - I am on a standard tariff 4.3P for Gas and 14P for Electric. I pay as I use and pay every 3 months

Mine is 10.453p for Electric and 3.012p for Gas but hate standing charge on both £20.55p per day! I never a big fan of standing charge (biggest rip off)

The standing charge, is a rip off and so are their unit prices,
I used to be with BG never again, and i wouldn't have a smart meter installed either

well with my smart meters, my charges are as follows,

Electricity = 11.980pp kWh
Gas = 4.230pp kWh

Standing Charge = 24.770ppd x 2

The standing charge is line line rental on Broadband really... so yep, hated but meh, what we gonna do about it!

In reply to a post by ZenUserJP:

I am on British Gas dual fuel, I have a smart meter which sends in readings every 30 minutes and I can monitor my live usage on my phone. I STILL pay by quarterly billing. Because they want DOUBLE per month for my Direct Debit than I actually use. WHY should I let it sit in their bank account earning them interest when it can sit in mine?

I have BG Dual Fuel. A couple of years ago I somehow got conned into going monthly instead of quarterly, but it doesn't bother me.

Both accounts are on Direct Debit, but for the billed amount. I've never had the annually calculated fixed payment budget accounts for any utility.

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Mine is 10.453p for Electric and 3.012p for Gas but hate standing charge on both £20.55p per day! I never a big fan of standing charge (biggest rip off)

Sweet Mother of Jesus, 600 quid per month standard charge!! Just kidding, i know you meant 20.55p

You could always move to Ebico, who are the only energy provider in UK who have a zero daily standard charge. But they do have eye watering unit rates so fleece you even more...what a bunch of charlatans!

Edited by deleted (Fri 14-Aug-15 14:05:22)

In reply to a post by baby_frogmella:

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Mine is 10.453p for Electric and 3.012p for Gas but hate standing charge on both £20.55p per day! I never a big fan of standing charge (biggest rip off)

Sweet Mother of Jesus, 600 quid per month standard charge!! Just kidding, i know you meant 20.55p

You could always move to Ebico, who are the only energy provider in UK who have a zero daily standard charge. But they do have eye watering unit rates so fleece you even more...what a bunch of charlatans!

I was meant 20.55p per day not £20.55 silly me. (I also get Warm Home Discount Scheme is £140 off for winter electricity)

Compucare Computer Servicing Ltd, who acquired Pulse8 broadband 6 years ago, have been around for nearly 20 years now so probably won't be disappearing anytime soon.

Have you tried claiming it back off them? If they don't sort it within 8 weeks of you making the claim, you can take it to the Energy Ombudsman.

In reply to a post by simon194:

Have you tried claiming it back off them? If they don't sort it within 8 weeks of you making the claim, you can take it to the Energy Ombudsman.

Easy to say it as they don't understand Typetalk Relay Service for hard of hearing peoples who making a telephone call via typetalk because of unable to hear the communcation over the phone.

Edited by adslmax (Sun 16-Aug-15 12:45:57)

However, if they continue to provide good service with increasing customer numbers then they are a company I will consider when my current contract is up. Trouble is a lot of the good support from Pulse8 seems to be mentioning Adam and one man can only handle so many support calls personally - at some point others will need to be employed to do support and the larger the team the more difficult it is to maintain knowledge and consistency.

When i had my migrations problems it was another guy in the CS department i spoke to, who then rang me back 15 mins later to tell me what the issue is. So yea Adam is the one that seems to reply to most of the emails but they do have other good members of staff

I know what you mean though - James at ADSL24 was the main guy who helped you out. Same at Uno/Xilo its always Matt that seems to reply to emails/live chat so is abit concerning if they jump ship

James ADSL24 disappear
Jason Clifford UKFSN disappear
Simon IDNET disappear

They all goner after few years of good reply then suddenly they no longer reply!

So, I do fear Pluse8 Adam is there at the moment but how long for? He might disappear one day to do something else different business.

Question is why did they leave? Did they leave just because they wanted a different challenge in life, or because their ISP's business model was unsustainable so jumped ship?

James sold out and left soon after.

Jason didn't disappear. UKFSN was struck of the Companies House register and dissolved because he never came up with Company Returns and Accounts on time. In the end he must have been paying more in penalties than his trading profit.

So then he carried on as a "Sole trader" and became un-contactable. Probably because he appeared to have got a full-time job elsewhere.

Are you sure you are right about Simon at IDNet? IIRC there were two, the owner being Simon Davies and the one we heard most from. He is still there.

UKFSN appears to still be around?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

In reply to a post by ZenUserJP:

I am on British Gas dual fuel, I have a smart meter which sends in readings every 30 minutes and I can monitor my live usage on my phone. I STILL pay by quarterly billing. Because they want DOUBLE per month for my Direct Debit than I actually use. WHY should I let it sit in their bank account earning them interest when it can sit in mine?

I have BG Dual Fuel. A couple of years ago I somehow got conned into going monthly instead of quarterly, but it doesn't bother me.

Both accounts are on Direct Debit, but for the billed amount. I've never had the annually calculated fixed payment budget accounts for any utility.

I'm happy as I am on paying for what I use every 3 months. The monthly DD is very very bad. I am on track to use around £20 this month on both + standing charge. What they want would be 3 months worth!

Jason Clifford trading as UKFSN, yes. Though possibly not for much longer if Enta can't contact him.

UK Free Software Network Limited trading as UKFSN was Dissolved on 18/6/2013.

Ah I see.

I always thought their website looked really dodgy.