topic Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet? in Broadband

How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

HoursWasted — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:27:19 GMT

I'm new to this Forum as a means of trying to get in touch with Plusnet.

Having spoken to many of their "assistants" in Sheffield over the last 2 weeks, I have yet to find one who actually does what they promise or rings back.

Judging by the many derogatory comments, it looks like I am expecting too much, and feel stupid as I agreed to another 18 month contract on the understanding that the broadband speed would be clarified.

That's one of the stupidest, most time consuming, frustrating things I have ever done.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

jab1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:32:51 GMT

@HoursWasted What exactly are you looking for in terms of help?

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

HoursWasted — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:55:44 GMT

Thanks for the reply.

If anyone has a contact at Plusnet who doesn't just listen, apologise, promise to sort the issue and is never heard of again that would be amazing.

On a general note, my problem is regarding the broadband speed I can get. I have no understanding what determines these speeds and Plusnet do not seem to know either - there is a Fibre Cabinet near the end of my road and neighbours get 60/80 which some Plusnet staff say I can get and others say I can only get a max of 30.

I have been going round and round in circles for 2 weeks now and am feeling very dizzy!!

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

jab1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 14:01:11 GMT

OK. Enter your phone number into this link: https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL and post a screenshot of the result, making sure your phone number is obscured.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

HoursWasted — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 14:55:32 GMT

Sorry couldn't get a screenshot without the phone number!!

Featured Products	Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)		Upstream Line Rate (Mbps)		Downstream Handback Threshold(Mbps)	WBC FTTC Availability Date	WBC SOGEA Availability Date	Left in Jumper
Featured Products	High	Low	High	Low
VDSL Range A (Clean)	80	60	20	18.1	55	Available	Available	--
VDSL Range B (Impacted)	80	57.5	20	16.8	49	Available	Available	--

Featured Products	Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)	Upstream Line Rate (Mbps)	Downstream Range (Mbps)	Availability Date	FTTP Install Process
FTTP on Demand	1000	220	--	Available	--

ADSL Products	Downstream Line Rate (Mbps)	Upstream Line Rate (Mbps)	Downstream Range(Mbps)	ADSL Availability Date	Left in Jumper
WBC ADSL 2+	Up to 4	--	3 to 5	Available	--
WBC Fixed Rate	1	--	--	Available	--

SOADSL Products	Downstream Line Rate (Mbps)	Upstream Line Rate (Mbps)	Downstream Range(Mbps)	WBC SOADSL Availability Date	Left in Jumper
WBC SOADSL 2+	Up to 4	--	3 to 5	--	--
SOADSL Fixed Rate	Up to 1	--		--	--

Observed Speeds	VDSL
Max Observed Downstream Speed	32.39
Max Observed Upstream Speed	20
Observed Date	2023-01-18

Other Offerings	Availability Date
VDSL Multicast	Available
ADSL Multicast	Available

Premise Environment	Status
Bridge Tap	U
VRI	N
NTE FacePlate	N
Last Test Date	03-01-2023

Exchange Product Restrictions	Status
FTTP Priority Exchange	N
WLR Withdrawal	N
SOADSL Restriction	Y

FTTP is not available.

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

WLR is currently available at the exchange

SOADSL is restricted at the exchange

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (VDSL or G.fast) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

For all SOADSL services,the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

Actual speeds experienced by end users and quoted by CPs will be lower due to a number of factors within and external to BT's network, Communication Providers' networks and within customer premises.

If you decide to place an order for a WBC fibre product, an appointment may be required for an engineer to visit the end user's premises to supply the service

In order to be eligible for handback, downstream speed should be less than Downstream Handback Threshold values.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

jab1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:05:12 GMT

OK - what you have posted tells me what I need to know anyway. You are obviously on the Fibre Extra (80/20) product, but for some reason you have a fault somewhere - you should be getting 57.5Mb/s even on an impacted line, but obviously you aren't.

Can you please follow the guidance below, and I will advise of the next steps.

For Community members to be able to help, information from these two sites, as screenshots, posted as pictures within the topic, not as attachments:-

~~BT Broadband(obscuring your phone number) and~~ BTW Performance Tester - Over a wired (Ethernet) connection if at all possible, please report the 'ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTICS', and sight of the broadband connection status from your Hub (with the 'Username' obscured) would be a good starting point.

For the Hub One -

Navigate from the Home Screen to Troubleshooting > Helpdesk

For the Hub Two -

Navigate from the Home Screen to Advanced Settings > Technical Log > Information

It may also be a good idea to report the results of a Quiet Line Test - dial 17070 option 2 from a (preferably corded) phone. After the confirmation of your phone number, there should be total silence apart from the regular 'Quiet Line Test' announcement. Any other noise - report a PHONE fault first.

If you are unsure about any of the above, please just ask - I am happy to help.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

Baldrick1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:22:13 GMT

@HoursWasted

If you want to know yout phone number then ring 17070 and you will be told. A wired phone only costs a few pounds and is a very useful fault finding instrument. One of the first tests to do is to again ring 17070 and then select option 2, the quiet line test. If there is background noise then this will more than likely be the source of your speed problems.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

jab1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:28:42 GMT

@Baldrick1 Looking at that ADSL checker report, I think the OP was saying he couldn't work out how to obscure the number in a screenshot - it certainly looks to be one obtained using the phone number option.

Hopefully, if they follow my instructions, we may get to the bottom of this.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

HoursWasted — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:37:05 GMT

I am so glad that this makes sense to you!!

I have just renewed on the Unlimited Fibre deal (38/40 download speed) as Plusnet cannot decide whether I can have the faster Unlimited Fibre Extra deal (estimated 60/72 speed) or not.

I have lost count of the number of people I have spoken to who say the higher speed is available, as my neighbours have, but everytime I get put back to the Sales Team to upgrade the computer says no.

As no-one calls back as promised, I end up ringing, speaking to someone else and reciting the whole saga again.

I haven't had to deal with this before so I don't know whether to try another provider or if that will be the same ...

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

Baldrick1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:41:13 GMT

@jab1

Ah, I now get the meaning. I was assuming that @HoursWasted was using the address version. It would also be useful to know the contractual MGAL speed.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

jab1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 15:51:08 GMT

@HoursWasted That BT Wholesale picture clearly shows you should be able to obtain the Fibre Extra product, with reasonable speeds.

It also (although this could be an error, the checker can get a bit confused), that you got 20Mb/s on their last check, but if you are only on the 40/10 product, that is an error.

Can you please follow my post #6 and then we will have a fuller picture on which to base our recommendations.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

HoursWasted — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 16:04:54 GMT

Thank you so much for all your efforts in helping me with this.

Plusnet themselves say Yes I Can then No I Can't and I can't get a definitive answer,

I have been told so many different stories - including twice that the problem is my house is a flat, to which the next set of people said they had no clue where that idea had come from!!

I have to go out now but I will follow your suggestions later.

Many thanks again

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

jab1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 16:11:37 GMT

The fact you are in a flat is totally irrelevant! You have a phone-line, and the switch from 40/10 to 80/20 is merely a profile change - nothing else.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

Baldrick1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 16:40:53 GMT

This really needs a Plusnet staffer to have a look. Could it be nothing more than the service is currently Fibre and its the 'you can't make any changes' flag stuck again that's stopping an upgrade to Fibre Extra, or is it a fault on the infrastructure?

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

corringham — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 16:48:22 GMT

I suspect that it is the maximum observed speed of 32Mbps that is stopping Plusnet from offering the 80/20 package.

However, the available products show that a minimum download of 57Mbps should be available. Even if you were on the 40/10 package then you should get the full 40Mbs - but as the observed upstream is 20Mbps it does look as if you are on the 80/20.

That suggests that there is a fault somewhere. If you haven't already tried the quiet line test as John suggested, I'd do that first. If it is noisy (crackling or whatever) then report a phone fault. If it is quiet then check your internal wiring isn't the cause of the low speed - make sure the router is in the master socket, and if you have one with a removable front plate, then remove that and plug the router into the internal socket (that disconnects any internal wiring). If that doesn't help, then you need to explore further (router stats will help).

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

jab1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 17:15:18 GMT

@Baldrick1 wrote:

This really needs a Plusnet staffer to have a look. Could it be nothing more than the service is currently Fibre and its the 'you can't make any changes' flag stuck again that's stopping an upgrade to Fibre Extra, or is it a fault on the infrastructure?

Missed this earlier, @Baldrick1 , but it could be the case. If so, and the reason for that flag has been completed, it again points to the systematic failure of these flags not clearing on completion. I'm getting a little tired of having to advise customers to call in to get them cleared.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

HoursWasted — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 20:15:56 GMT

The plot thickens.

The silent line check was clear so I braced myself to ring Plusnet again to ask about the possible flag.

I was told that there was no flag and on checking the line I should be able to get the higher speeds - as I have been told numerous times before.

The difference this time is that it seems that the order has gone through without a problem.

I am due a call back tomorrow to confirm when this upgrade will come into effect.

I'm obviously not holding my breath that this will happen but I am crossing my fingers!!

I'll post an update tomorrow and if I do actually get the higher speed.

Many thanks again for the help and advice.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

jab1 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 20:23:33 GMT

@HoursWasted Daft as it sounds, you sometimes need to get a clued-up individual on the other end of the phone. I could expand on this, but I won't - don't want to cast aspersions which may be wrong.

Re: How to get a reply, and/or, any help from Plusnet?

willcutforth — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 10:08:18 GMT

Hey there @HoursWasted we actually spoke on the phone the other day so I know the full picture here for you. I am so sorry the sales guy who I popped you through never went through with the arranged the call back, and also couldn't do the upgrade (for some strange reason, as magically I could from my side) @adamwalker picked this up yesterday and is the one that was calling you back today. I know Adam personally so I will keep an eye on this but as from what I can see, the order is still going through as it stands. I am sorry for all the confusion here.