Plusnet Pro OR Max Premium?

Moving to a new area next month and have decided to go with Plusnet as my new provider. Not the best exchange for broadband as no LLU or Fibre. and only 20CN.

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/SMFI

Currently with BE where I live now so am used to 1mb upload speed which is important to me as I send a lot of large files. Also a fairly heavy online gamer so looking to get the best connection I can at my new location.

Anyway I'm a bit confused about the difference between the two add-on options. Pro is £5 pm and MP is £7.83.

Can anyone explain which would suit me best considering the above?

The two are totally different
Max Premium is paying for an increased upload speed from 448kbps to 832kbps (max - as it depends on line length). Max Premium is also supposed to have higher priority on the BT network but I am not sure if this is still the case
Plusnet Pro only affects the shaping or throttling on the line. In effect the Pro options removes all the Plusnet speed restrictions by usage type.
This comparison tool shows the difference http://usergroup.plus.net/prodcomp1.php

Assuming you get the best upload speeds, with max premium you'll go up to 832K sync (740K ish speeds). With Pro, you get less traffic management according to:

http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/tr...

I use Pro, and tend to only do browsing and e-mail, but occasionally stream a youtube vid or two. Not much of a change here, but by and large, my speeds are consistent and decent.

See the Max Premium FAQ:

http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/products/max_p...

Oh Gawdddddddddddddddd !!! They've completely revised all the information on this page. The new stuff is a complete nightmare, whereas before it was easily understood.

I assume this is because of the Olympics - covering their backsides with 153 ifs and buts.

I can't in less than a few hours analyse what they are saying about Pro now. My first reaction is that whereas it used to remove all speed capping, it now may or may not - depending on what the heck is going on on the network.

The only thing that seems probable is that MP will give you an upload connection of up to 832kbps. I would also expect it to give some priority within the BT Wholesale network.

The standard products are 448Mbps. In terms of prioritisation Pro should be applicable to both, working within the Plusnet internal network rather than the BT Wholesale one, so maybe you need both.

There's a bit of guesswork, and deduction based on general IPSC/IPStream knowledge in there I'm afraid. Your connection will be one of those, as they are the current BT Wholesale products that deliver ADSL Max. I don't think it matters which it is.

In reply to a post by Oldjim:

all the Plusnet speed restrictions by usage type.
This comparison tool shows the difference http://usergroup.plus.net/prodcomp1.php

But "Article last edited on Sunday, 18-Apr-2010 23:10 PM".

Take a look at the page I linked to in my reply to the OP.

Headache pills tomorrow!

It's very straightforward:

Are any services, content, applications or protocols always prioritised? Yes
If so what? Browsing, Email, VoIP, Gaming, VPN, FTP, Undefined Traffic

With 'Extra' only VOIP is prioritised. That older page is still fairly accurate, but not completely. It does give a decent idea of how Plusnet differentiate between the two products.

Wow lots of quick responses! How does prioritising work ? What happens if I take both options? Waste of money? upload speed and gaming are my main interests, not worried too much about streaming or downloading movies.

In reply to a post by BobbyD:

upload speed and gaming are my main interests

Assuming your line will be good for a decent gaming ping, the Pro add-on won't hurt. Equally the upload speed doubles.

So both might be the best (if not the cheapest) option. Bear in mind you're in a 'Market 1' exchange, so your basicaly BB package will be £5 more than markets 1 & 2 anyway.

I'm guessing at £16.49 pm broadband, £7.83 for Max Premium, and £5 for Pro, means £29.32 all in.

Actually, I would just try the 'Extra' for starters and see how your line is, get any master socket issues ironed out, and then consider if the add-ons are required / worthwhile.

In reply to a post by camieabz:

Actually, I would just try the 'Extra' for starters and see how your line is, get any master socket issues ironed out, and then consider if the add-ons are required / worthwhile.

thanks i think that is probably the best option. My final question would be how far in advance can i place my order for PN? Due to move in 3 weeks time and need the BB up and running as soon as possible after I move in as I work from home. Can I order now with a rough activation date and adjust nearer the time to suit the final move date?

Edited by deleted (Sun 29-Jul-12 08:20:17)