Broadband connected but no internet - exact same 'tests conducted' and issue as 'd8smt'

[#1]

Hi PN Suppport et al,

Couldn't see how to add a 'post' to this forum (https://community.plus.net/t5/ADSL-Broadband/Broadband-connected-but-no-internet/m-p/1652850#M332778), so started this new Topic instead. (feel free to move it to the right location if required).

I have the EXACT same issues and have conducted the EXACT same tests as the OP @d8smt on the aforementioned post.

- Spent hours with PN support on the phone, with no resolution.

- I suspected that the issue was with the Router hardware, but when the nice (but not overly technical) guys on PN Support tells you to "plugin in a wired connection and run speed tests that show you're receiving good speeds / latency" you're left thinking maybe PN's service isnt the problem! 

- PN is the problem - thanks to the awful hardware they provide! 

I'm absolutely furious about this situation and will be leaving PN immediately if i dont get a stable router ASAP. Additionally, i will be raising a Small Claims Court Order against PN for failing to provide the service they sold me for the past year! 

Total joke of a company providing a ridiculous service (hardware)! I thought BT were a disaster (which they are), but had hoped that PN were better. Apparently not!

Thank the lord for people like @d8smt  who can troubleshoot and articulate the problem in such a way that operators like PN have to listen. Hoping that @bobpullen can do something about this! 

So, here's my question @bobpullen - how do i get a stable Router from PN so i can use the Broadband i'm paying for?

Yours 

John

[#2]

Hi John,

Sorry you're having problems similar to what I had, I know how frustrating it is.

FYI - since I swapped out my router for a D-Link DIR-882 (https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B075FZR9M4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&th=1) about a year ago, I've had virtually no problems or dropouts. I bought the router for about £55 from box.co.uk and has been solid ever since. I know it doesn't solve your particular problem with PlusNet, but FYI even if you switch providers a lot of providers are still using routers from the same source (Thomson) including BT so switching providers may not actually help.

 The other option that worked well for me was to get one of the old BT Huawei fibre modem boxes (Echolife 612), use this as a modem to terminate your fibre connection and then use the PlusNet One hub purely as a wireless router behind the modem. You can pick up these modems for £10-£20 on Ebay.

Simpy swapping the router for another PlusNet router won't fix the problem. I have 5 plusnet routers here to support the fact.....

Good luck!

cheers

Dave

[#3]

Dave,

You're a legend! Did the same tests as you, but PN Support were still claiming that i should simply change 'wifi channel' to resolve it (i have a lot of Wifi devices like you do - but who doesnt!).

- Your post (and similar tests) confirmed that i wasnt going mad! It's clearly a hardware issue! 

= For my tests I was using an old BT HUB ONE (V4 i believe) and this was stable; but i cant continue to use this as it's pre-programmed with my old BT settings, so unless i 'try to connect using PN's details, before the fibre cable is connected - it will revert to BT's settings'. This would be an issue any time we have a planned 'restart' as the router is in quite an inaccessible location (mounted high on the wall near the ceiling).  

Given your background in this field (Ex DLink), i would have hoped that PN would have congratulated you for detecting the problem - and shared this with their PN Support Teams and Customers. But then, thinking how much a Router recall would cost them, it's no surprise that they've kept this burried.

What was the outcome in your case? 

- Did they provide you with a new Router or refund you the cost of your new (used) stable hardware?

- Did they say sorry for all the hassle and provide any refunds (given that you clearly werent able to 'use the service as advertised'?  

= Let me know if you dont mind mate?

Still awaiting PN Support replying to my post. I'll update the post when i have new information.

Many thanks again (your post was my salvation) 

John 

[#4]

Hi John,

Looking back, I got a refund of only £23.98 (and I'm not convinced that was for the fault, I think that may have been incorrect billing). So essentially got nothing off them for all the hassle and additional expense. Only one who really took any interest was bobpullen on the forum. But once the problem at my end was solved, I did ask them to keep the case open until they resolved the firmware problem. They cleed me for about 3 months asking me to close the case - which I declined ot do - but that was the last I heard. Assume it got closed anyway and the problem never really solved.

[#5]

---

@mchugh2019 wrote:

= For my tests I was using an old BT HUB ONE (V4 i believe) and this was stable; but i cant continue to use this as it's pre-programmed with my old BT settings, so unless i 'try to connect using PN's details, before the fibre cable is connected - it will revert to BT's settings'. This would be an issue any time we have a planned 'restart' as the router is in quite an inaccessible location (mounted high on the wall near the ceiling).  

What sort of planned 'restart'? I have no experience of a HH1 (or is it really a HH4?) but like many of we fellow customers I use a BT Smathub 6.The settings are retained on these unless you do a factory reset. BT still update the firmware and do a periodic soft reset without the plusnet credentials being affecred. Neither do you need to move the router from a high shelf to configure it once it's been initially set up to work with Plusnet.

Good luck with your cancellation/Small Claims Court course of action. An alternative approach which involves far less hassle, stress and potential cost would be to go onto an auction site where a Smarthub 6 can currently be bought for very little money.

[#6]

Hi Baldrick,

Thanks for your input.

- Yes, it's a HH4. Despite being reset to factory settings, it continues to try to use the original BT settings - unless you enter the settings; try to connect; and then plug the DSL cable in! Thus using it isn't really perfect! : o

- Great to learn that lots of people with same issue are using a BT Smarthub 6. I will investigate this now (if it retains the PN settings, and doesnt revert to BT's settings, this could be a good solution!) Thanks.

- Thank you for your wishes of good luck. Shocking that we have to say that, given we're paying for a service (and a Router that should work)!

Thanks Baldrick. I'll keep you posted.

Cheers

John

[#7]

Bear in mind the HHs are also Thomson routers - so you may still encounter the same problems. Depends on how different the firmwares are.

[#8]

@mchugh2019 

it's the same technique for all the BT routers. You must drop the connection before inputting your Plusnet credentials. You then tell it to connect and whilst it's in this phase you plug in the DSL cable. Once you have done this the Plusnet credentials are locked in. Yes it's a bodge to set it up but as the settings are retained unless you do a factory reset then what's the problem, after all you are getting the use of the BT premium service router at the Plusnet budget price?

if you try to set it up with the DSL cable connected then it starts off connected to the default BT server where it recognises that you are trying to connect to a non BT account and kicks you off.

You will find detailed instructions on how to set up both a HH4 and Smarthub on this forum's Router board.

I agree and Plusnet admit that there are currently firmware issues with the Hub One and they are working on rectifying the issue. However it's been going on since last March so don't hold your breath for an immediate fix.

[#9]

Hi Dave,

Hope you're well? 

Dave, just to let you know that i've been dealing with a top bloke (Jack Oliver) in PS's 'Customer Advocate' team.

He listened to my issues and accepted the problems i've endured, and kindly compensated me with £75 as a gesture of good will.

- You might want to contact Jack directly about this, as you endured the same issues!

Dave, with regards my Router issue / replacement. 

- I have a good (working) BT HomeHub 6 (version without the red LAN port), which i wanted to use instead of my PS Router (my service is FTTC, Fibre to the Cabinet).

-- This BT Homehub 6 worked AMAZING on my PS service last week (40Mb down / 10Mb up - and no dropped connections), but it only stayed on for 6 hours before permanently 'not connecting' (Routers light went orange / red). So i had to switch back to my unreliable PS Router.

--- Just wondered if you had any ideas why this occurred (why it would work brilliantly for 6 hours, then permanently disconnect?). At first i thought maybe i needed to also buy the Huwai Modem to work in conjunction with the BT HomeHub 6, but then i'm wondering why it worked for 6 hours?

Hope all is well with you?

Many thanks.

Cheers

John 
#StompedAgain

[#10]

Hi John,

Thanks for the info.

Regarding your HomeHub6, I honestly don't know. Did you datafill your plusnet account details into it for connection - in which case it should work without a modem.  If you did, then the only thing I can think about what is happening is that some sort of audit may have taken place at the exchange end that flagged up a line/connection fault of some kind and took down the service? But that is only a guess. I know the exchanges used to run audits in the dark hours, but it's bee na fair few years since I worked on this stuff. Good luck,

cheers

Dave