1. I've been with Zen since October and they've handled all my enquiries (via email) and my current order very well thus far. No experience with Pulse8 I found it difficult to find the info I wanted on their website so gave up.

2. I was with IDNet for two years. Very solid but expensive. Monthly contracts on FTTC. It was great being able to email tech support and get a reply within 30 mins although I sometimes felt they weren't going the extra mile. Definitely get the impression that their main focus is on business clients. I would also consider Sky as I had no issues when I was with them.

3. I am using the Zen-supplied FRITZ!Box 7530 and it's the best router I've ever used, in that it's the most reliable and connects at the fastest speed. The wifi also has the strongest reach (I have done away with any extenders/repeaters). But if you're a tech head that likes to tinkle it's not for you. The other poster is correct in that you will always be limited by your broadband speed so unless you are steaming movies from a NAS etc. or regularly moving very large files then might not need ax. IMO the whole chipset to chipset thing is these days a myth - I had a Billion 8800NL R2 (Broadcom connecting to Huawei DSLAM) which only connected at 20mbps. The Fritz!Box (Intel/Lantiq) connects at 39mbps. I think it's more that certain routers are better matched to certain lines.

5. Very unlikely, I'm afraid if you have any issues leaving a provider it's likely to be PN, sorry.

Pulse8 can supply a router and Adam & Sam offer superb customer service and very low call costs, but if your exchange is unbundled they will switch your line away from BTW over to TTB. I never found that a problem apart from BT pretending they could not identify the line if you were searching for a better deal and the cost of getting the line back to a BT line again. As for Zen, I can vouch for their superb service, low latency along the Fritzibox not missing a beat. I still look around at other providers but can find nothing to tempt me away from Zen so far, especially having suffered most providers in the past. Good luck with whatever you choose, but you seem to have researched and narrowed things down to good providers with a sensible price.

Thank you for all the replies.

I am going with Zen. I like the included VDSL modem router and the price, including the call package, is not excessive when you factor in the price rises coming to the larger providers.

That's because the R2 has a terrible BDCM chipset, and doesn't really work on some VDSL lines.

In reply to a post by professor973:

... I never found that a problem apart from BT pretending they could not identify the line if you were searching for a better deal and the cost of getting the line back to a BT line again.

Hi, sorry to jump in on this, but I'm in the similar boat as the OP, currently with Plusnet, thinking about moving to Pulse8. Can anybody categorically say that if you want to move from a LLU service (eg, Pulse8) back to a BTW service, there will definitley be a charge levied (and if so, how much)? Its the one thing that always puts me off considering LLU services.

Thanks!

In reply to a post by coldnebraskablue:

In reply to a post by professor973:

... I never found that a problem apart from BT pretending they could not identify the line if you were searching for a better deal and the cost of getting the line back to a BT line again.

Hi, sorry to jump in on this, but I'm in the similar boat as the OP, currently with Plusnet, thinking about moving to Pulse8. Can anybody categorically say that if you want to move from a LLU service (eg, Pulse8) back to a BTW service, there will definitley be a charge levied (and if so, how much)? Its the one thing that always puts me off considering LLU services.

Thanks!

Plusnet don't pass on any cease fees. They are charged them by BT Wholesale though.

Some providers pass these cease fees on, others don't.

Edited by j0hn83 (Tue 20-Jul-21 14:21:33)

The poster is asking about moving back from Pulse8 if they go there.

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

Some providers pass these cease fees on, others don't.

Indeed they do. Some also try to pass cease fees on even though there are no explicit contractual terms when challenged. They then drop it like a stone. Caveat emptor.

In reply to a post by pluralist:

The poster is asking about moving back from Pulse8 if they go there.

Yes, this ^^^^

https://pulse8broadband.co.uk/faq

Are there any cease or migrate away charges.


No, we do not charge you anything if you decide to cease or migrate your telephone / broadband or fibre service away from us.