Plusnet broadband is renowned for great value broadband and award-winning customer service. Plusnet have been around for longer than you probably think. They started in 1997. The Company is owned by the BT group, which also encompasses EE.
Our review of Plusnet broadband breaks down what Plusnet has to offer in 2024. It's had a bit of a shake-up over the last 12 months. Back in April 2023, Plusnet phased out its mobile phone service, which was originally piggybacking on the EE network. Shortly afterwards, they also removed their home phone service. There has also been a noticeable reduction in their cashback incentive offers for new customers. But it's not all bad news, you can now order full-fibre broadband packages with speeds of up to 900Mbps.
Read our Plusnet review, highlighting the pros and cons of switching to Plusnet broadband in 2024. You can scroll to the bottom of the page for our concluding thoughts to help you decide if switching to Plusnet is the right choice for you.
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As Plusnet no longer includes a phone line option for new customers, you will be restricted to a broadband-only service. The exception to this is for residential customers that don't have access to fibre broadband. If you're interested in faster options like FTTP (fibre to the premises, also known as 'Full Fibre') or standard fibre broadband (typically 50Mbps), your only choice is to opt for a 'broadband-only' package.
If you no longer use your landline, switching to a broadband-only product is a no-brainer. The transition to Plusnet is very straightforward. On your Plusnet 'go live' date, your phone line will cease working, and you won't be able to make or receive phone calls, including those to the emergency services.
Visit PlusnetThere are two options here. The simplest solution is to switch to a broadband provider that offers both a phone and broadband service; EE and BT are both part of the Plusnet family if you want a similar service, albeit more expensive. The second option is to port your existing home phone number to a third-party VoIP provider. This is likely to disrupt your service but will be cheaper and more flexible in the future.
Having been a Plusnet customer ourselves, we thought we would try porting our landline number away from Plusnet and switch to a 'broadband-only' service (also known as a SoGEA). The correct way to do this is to switch your current broadband over to a 'broadband-only' service first; this will cancel the phone line and the transition to your new broadband service will be seamless. At this point, your phone line will no longer work, and you have 30 days to take ownership of your original number. Liaise with your new VoIP provider to make sure they can port your phone line once it's been released from your broadband service. Failure to do this correctly will mean you will lose access to your original phone number and you will need to be issued with a new one.
Plusnet is the cheap version of BT. It's for customers who want a reliable broadband service at a sensible price; while being happy to have a Wi-Fi router that is not the very latest model. So, if you’re currently with BT Broadband and want to move to Plusnet, you’ll receive all the benefits of being a new customer while effectively receiving the same broadband at a discounted rate!
Compare Broadband ProvidersPlusnet's customer service is consistently excellent, offering prompt and friendly assistance with minimal waiting times. A noteworthy feature is the practice of adding a summary of each phone conversation to the customer's account, proving immensely helpful if you need to call back about the same matter. However, we noticed an inconsistency in the information provided when enquiring about porting our existing phone number and transitioning to a broadband-only service. Whilst we recognise that this might not be a typical query for most customers, we observed a distinct lack of knowledge on the subject during our enquiry. Enhancing consistency in responses would instil more confidence and improve the overall service experience.
Plusnet supplies the Hub Two router with any new 'Fibre broadband' contract. You will also receive the Hub 2 router if you re-contract your existing fibre broadband. As shown in the image above, the Hub 2 is a re-branded version of the BT Smart Hub, which retails at £100. The Hub 2 has been around for a while (originally released late 2018), but it's still an adequate router and an unusually high-spec product for a budget broadband provider.
Despite this router being a rebranded BT Smart hub, Plusnet's user interface has been modified. The admin interface is uninspiring but adequate and intuitive. It also allows you to change the DNS setting, which was previously unavailable on the Hub 1. In the router's admin controls under 'Advanced settings > Access control', you can block or limit internet time to any connected device. For some unknown reason, Hub 2 only has 3 LAN ports on the rear and the fourth socket is reserved as a WAN port. The Hub 2 does not offer a separate guest Wi-Fi. Disappointingly, the dual-band 2.5Ghz and 5Ghz work in sync and cannot be independently split. However, there are options to either switch off the network or change the operating channel. We're unlikely to see a new router until BT rolls out the Smart Hub 3; this will likely then filter down to Plusnet customers.
You can use a third-party router if you're happy to configure it. Remember that if you use your own router to manage your home network, you may want to switch off the firewall settings assigned to your account. This can be done online in your Plusnet admin control panel under the 'broadband' tab at the bottom of the page. If you're looking for the convenience of an app interface and a router with the latest security and WiFi 6E features, then the Vodafone Pro II or the EE Smart Hub would be a better choice. The Hub 2 is still an adequate router for a budget broadband provider
| 1 | Smart wireless feature – will scan to find the least congested frequency automatically |
|---|---|
| 2 | Modem type - ADSL, ADSL2+ and VDSL2 |
| 3 | Network protocol - IPV4 and IPV6 |
| 4 | Simultaneous dual-band |
| 5 | Supported frequencies - 2.4GHz (3x3 11b/g/n/ac MIMO), 5GHz (4x4 ac) Wave 2 |
| 6 | Data transfer rate - Max Physical interface rates are: 2.4GHz = 217Mbs | 5GHz = 1733Mbs |
| 7 | Beamforming (Implicit and Explicit Beamforming) |
| 8 | 7 Internal antennas (3x 2.4GHz, 4x 5GHz) |
| 9 | 3 x 1 Gigabit Ethernet ports 1x WAN port |
| 10 | USB 2.0 1 |
| 11 | 1 x RJ45 |
| 12 | Encryption WPA2, WPA (Auto) |
| 13 | Built-in 4G filter - Designed to block interference from adjacent 4G signals |
While Plusnet's transition to a broadband-only service makes perfect sense and provides the BT group with a clear path to the budget broadband market, it's a disappointing move for existing customers. Would we recommend Plusnet? Absolutely! The value for money is excellent, reliability is good and customer service is generally excellent. It's perfect for those who want broadband without any bundled extras. You can request a free static IP address with a £5 set-up fee if you require one. There may be better broadband providers, but you'll struggle to find one at this price. If you're looking for bells and whistles, then check out our 2024 EE broadband review.
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