Zen or Plusnet FTTC?

Hi folks,

In the next two weeks I'll be moving home. I'm currently with Virgin but the new property I'm moving to isn't in a Virgin area. Luckily it is in an area that is FTTC enabled and checking the address checker on BT's site it suggests I could get upto 80Mbit (or is it up to 76MBit?).

Now it's been years since I looked at DSL providers and I'm currently undecided between Zen and PlusNet (both up to 76Mbit services).

I've had great experience of Zen (we use them at work across 4 sites, two with FTTC connections) and I can't fault their service.

However, Plusnet are looking attractive as I can get cashback from Topcashback (about £100 back) and they currently have the 9 months @ £12.50 offer, although I gather I'd have to spend an extra fiver a month on a static IP (something which I've lived without for a while but would like to have).

So I figured I'd ask on here about what you guys think? If it helps I use the connection for working from home occasionally and my kids are heavy users of Netflix (often we have two steams running at once).

Would I be worth spending the extra (about £200 over 18 months) on Zen or risk saving myself a few quid and opting for Plusnet?

Also, I gather there's a wires only option available now, is it still possible to get an engineer installed FTTC connection?

Ta,

Rob

My first FTTC was with IDNet. After the year I moved to Plusnet and was just as happy and saving a lot of money.

Plusnet installs are still by an engineer, but is pot luck as to whether you get an Openreach one or a subcontractor. Kelly's or Quinn's. The last two can be dodgy, though we've seen some better repots about them in the last couple of weeks.

I think Zen may still be engineer installs as well. You would have to ask them.

Depending what the estimate is at the new place, (the address checker or better still the current occupant's phone number will tell you - Checker - do not use the pure postcode option), the PN 40/20 may be attractive but probably doesn't get the cashback deal. Only 80/20 plus phone usually.

80/20, 78/20, 78/18 and so on all the same. They are all "up to 80/20" but advertising has to be a speed attainable by at least 10% of the customers on the product. 80Mbps ads for FTTC would be wrong, for FTTP OK I expect.

In reply to a post by EnglishRob:

I gather I'd have to spend an extra fiver a month on a static IP (something which I've lived without for a while but would like to have).

Its a one-off charge of a fiver, not PCM.

Edited by Davey_H (Fri 01-Aug-14 14:23:51)