Plusnet Broadband Reviews

We had plusnet from when they first launched FTTC, line worked great at 36-40Mbps and 8-12Mbps upstream for first 2 years. Then in the summer (4 years ago) on the very hottest afternoons, it started dropping out.

Last year it was regularly on the hottest days, dropping the line to 25Mbps in the summer, despite the complaints and the intermittent nature, BT Openreach thought a 2 minute test at 8AM when the line always works was sufficient to dismiss the fault even though their equipment picked up a copper impairment in the last bit of line, they even tried to charge us when we agreed to try a router, even though we knew it wasn't our equipment. Their router was so bad, we couldn't even sustain the connection.

After trying multiple 6ft cables into the master socket 3 modems, and two routers - one replacing the modem, followed by an Asus router last year (which is absolutely amazing, blows all other brands out the water) we wrote a script to capture >100 vdsl2 properties a minute, charting 12 of them. The script showed clear issues, which a retired engineer suggested was uv insulation degradation (when we checked the times (3:30PM GMT 4:30ish BST) it correlated exactly with the sun crossing over so the house was no longer in between the line and the sun.

The router also showed massive attenuation changes sometimes long after the peak of the fault (and what might look like noise) hours later, the router during fault always reported 0 for REIN and SHINE - though it might be unsupported by that cabinet.

This year it started so badly it dropped to 17Mbps, then 8.8Mbps. We asked them to retrain the line like they did last year and they mysteriously said they now couldn't do that. I've also read that these massive slowdowns are happening to other customers, and may not only be the result of the fault.

Plusnet have said they will follow up with calls to explain what is going on, they didn't, multiple times, one even said the lack of action was extremely unusual. I also mentioned the USO March 2020 guarantee where BT are now obliged to provide a 10Mbps minimum service, despite repeated requests for the ticket logs for 2019 and 2020 and a letter so I could press BT into actually fixing the line, they didn't even put the requests in the notes, so I felt there was a clear conflict of interest too, they were obstructing my attempt to hold Openreach to their contractual obligations.

Even at 8.8Mbps we get a slight blip on hot days - which we're sure would have got worse, and we shouldn't have to wait for it to either fail, or for BT to actually upgrade to FTTP (which they have now delayed massively) The idea that a 2 minute line test sufficiently tests a modern complex broadband service for faults should be an embarrassment.

we spent those 4 years ruling out all other issues, we even put the (3rd) router on battery disconnected all lan and turned off almost all appliances during the fault - directly connected to the BT box with a shielded cable - it still happened, and I don't see neighbours calling BT out every other day so it must be line as noise doesn't randomly cause a huge attenuation change, we now sometimes see issues due to rain too.
You can see the charts from Aug last year at untamed.zone/adsl choose 21/04/2020 when the apparent noise event starts and ends (you can only see the attenuation at each resync) but you can clearly see there are issues. The routers have always been on top of a fan too and out of direct sunlight, so its not overheating)

BT Openreach didn't even bother turning up this year, claiming a remote test, which we never saw on the line stats, so we haven't been able to show them, so we figured Openreach have been lying about testing too, as of May this year, even though the lockdown is now lifted.

I took out a 2nd line with a provider who does it for £24mo not £60 like BT are charging. This should expose the fault as being on the line so I can try to claim back compensation/refunds from the ombudsman, and maximise the likelihood of fixing the problem. We can then copy the huge amount of data we have for the fault to our MP to ask for Openreach to be overhauled and separated from BT, I feel a political solution is needed to challenge Openreach

For the record, our line to exchange is about 715M according to ISP tests (though most online estimates predict 1400M) and we are well under 200M from the cabinet (120M by foot)

The underground cable and drop cable were installed less than 20 years ago. We're also paying £10 more than a new package from other ISP's

Left me without a phone for 6 days. Still waiting for them to transfer the number. Staff have no sense of urgency. Been calling ever since the line went dead and just keep getting passed around.
Business cannot function without a telephone line or the internet.

Plusnet were due install internet at my new address. On 13th March we received an email confirming that the service would be setup and specified the correct address they had been given. They requested that the installation would take place on the 30th March with Openreach.

Following this I received an email stating that on 28th March that they would have to delay the installation until 9th April. We called them on 9th of April after having received no internet. Then we had a visit from our next door neighbour asking why their internet and phone line had been cut off and transferred to Plusnet. They then showed us a letter that was sent to their address not ours from Plusnet stating that the internet was due to be installed at their address instead of ours. Clearly Plusnet mixed up the address and cause this whole problem (despite trying to blame Openreach).
BT corrected the issue for my neighbours and Plusnet stated that our internet would be reinstalled to the right address within 7 days.

On 17th April Plusnet sent an email saying we would have to wait until June 2020. Following this, on the 28th April Plusnet have confirmed that we will have to wait until 23th June. Now on the 7th May Plusnet sent us an email about referring any complaints to the Ombudsman service.

All of this trouble and inconvenience has been caused by Plusnet's incompetence. The following lies and deceit and their reluctance to rectify the situation or help us in any way have only made it worse. To add insult to injury they repeatedly tried to charge us for internet service they were not providing during this time.

Repeated promises have been made and then not fulfilled. We haven't been offered any reimbursement for the expense of using mobile internet and huge inconvenience this has caused. Incidentally the 3G/4G signal and phone signal in my rural area is extremely poor so often we struggle to get signal or a working connection. We asked for a 4G hub but Plusnet declined to do this or anything else for that matter. In essence they seem to be saying you must complain to the Ombudsman because unless you do we are not going to do anything to help you. This must be the worst customer service experience i've ever encounted with any company.

Signed up last month and waiting for £65 voucher card, still hopeful broadband connection is average but its cheap and will do

OK so on the hole plusnet have been ok. It just works as expected. But I would like to point out one really stupid problem. I recently switched my bank account and had to update my Direct debit. For whatever reason the direct debit did not work so the payment failed. I received an email letting me know the payment had failed and I need to login within the next 14 days and make the payment or my account would be blocked. Of course no problem. When I clicked the link within the email my browser reported unable to load plus.net. Odd.. I tried a few other website pages to make sure it was not the internet and everything was fine. Just the plusnet page not loading. I tried loading it from my stored tool bar links and the same issue. I then found if I load the page via a VPN it loaded fine. Basically plusnet had restricted my IP address from visiting plus.net. How ridiculous it's the one website I need to fix the problem and your email stated I have 14 days not 14 minutes to sort it before restrictions will be put in place. Again the following month, my payment on the account failed (my fault as I had cancelled the wrong direct debit). But the same website blocking issue happened immediately. Once the payment was made the plusnet website loaded fine without the need for the VPN. I don't think plusnet have realised that Instead of blocking all website access other than there own website they have blocked just the plus.net website. Doesn't bode well for an IT company.

Managed to renew my plusnet fibre broadband for only £3 per month + line rental. I was told over the phone that my broadband speed would increase if I renewed my contract and purchased plusnet fibre extra. I was shocked that my line could be upgraded and thought I had the quickest speed given my location to the exchange. I get about 35MB and was told it would increase to 50+ MB for just a few quid more per month. Nothing happened for weeks, no change to my speed other than the package name change in my account. When I called back about 3 weeks later they admitted that this speed is not possible at my property and that I could have fibre broadband for just £3 for the next two years. I get a consistent speed and other than the total mess up when trying to upgrade plusnet have been pretty good.

Misleading AVOID - DO NOT BELIEVE THEIR OFFERS. Never received the promised £75 voucher I was promised and Plusnet claims I missed the supposed email to claim it!!!! Can't supply a copy of it though just a transcript!!!! Having read other reviews I'm not the only one this has happened to. Surely, if I had an email it would be in on my a/c ??? AVOID IF YOUR HOPEFUL OF THE VOUCHERS OR PROMISED WONDERFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE

Joined Plusnet 3 months ago from BT. Had a brand new line into the house with BT and no problems with service but decided to move to reduce costs. Plusnet service is absolutely shocking!! The internet cuts out at all times of the day, fibre speeds are poor at best- no better that standard broadband speeds. The router is absolutely appalling! No signal in the bedroom or most of upstairs. We have had a new router... just the same. Why should we as consumers be paying for a service that doesn’t work?? I for one will be complaining formally as this is modern day robbery!
AVOID PLUSNET AT ALL COSTS