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Connection grinding to a halt today

kjb
Dabbler
Posts: 23
Thanks: 7
Registered: ‎23-11-2016

Connection grinding to a halt today

Ye gods, the problems I have had with this 'service'.

ADSL speed today is rubbish, down about 90% on what we usually get.

Not to mention the dreadful wireless performance from the cheap and nasty router, never more than 3 out of 5 bars on the signal strength and if I walk out into the garden the signal disappears. I get a better signal from my neighbours router 2 houses away.

Contract ends in November then I am gone.

Ping 135

Download 0.8-1.3 mbps

 

Upload 0.7-0.8 mpbs

 

10 REPLIES 10
Gandalf
Community Gaffer
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Registered: ‎21-04-2017

Re: Connection grinding to a halt today

Sorry to hear that.

Our tests aren't showing any issues and we can see your router is in sync at a stable speed of 10mbps.

Do you experience the same problems using a wired connection?

In addition have you tried changing the WiFi channel Here to help improve the wireless performance?

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
Baldrick1
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Registered: ‎30-06-2016

Re: Connection grinding to a halt today

@kjb

Assuming you have a Hub Zero then I agree that the wifi performance is dire. About £30 will buy you a new Smarthub 6 off Ebay. This is easy to set up on your Plusnet service, you will find instructions on the router forum. This will cure your wifi issues and might be less hassle then suffering until November

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Alex
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Re: Connection grinding to a halt today

Well the OP didn't say they have a Hub Zero, and I've only ever used a Hub One and the wireless is fine for me.

First thing, to rule out wireless being the issue is to test a wired connection and see if the speeds are still poor.

Also possibly try a 17070 option 2 quiet line test, from a landline so see if you can hear any noise on the line as you may have a fault.

Baldrick1
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Re: Connection grinding to a halt today

@Alex

1. The OP has ADSL, Plusnet do not supply the Hub One with this service.

2. You may find that the Hub One is fine in your home but formal tests have shown the Smarthub 6 to have superior wireless performance.

3. I was replying to the OPs complaint that the wireless performance is poor.

4. Plusnet report that the line is in sync at 10Mbps so a quiet line test is irrelant.

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kjb
Dabbler
Posts: 23
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Registered: ‎23-11-2016

Re: Connection grinding to a halt today

My router is the Sagecom 2704N, aka Plusnet Hub Zero.

All the well-know review sites rate this as a low budget router, poorly specified with outdated technology and hence mediocre performance.

I can only use my Kindle Fire indoors, the router is in my dining room, the signal begins to weaken if I go upstairs and if I go outdoors onto my patio it loses connection altogether.

I guess I need to buy my own router, but why the hell do Plusnet dish out such inferior hardware if they want to retain customers?

kjb
Dabbler
Posts: 23
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Registered: ‎23-11-2016

Re: Connection grinding to a halt today

The wired speed has improved almost back to 'normal' but for several hours it had been running dismally slow, I tested it on 5 occasions on Ookla and could not run a BT wholesale diagnostics because it kept timing out.

 

I have tried various fixes to improve the wifi signal strength but I think the real solution will be to dump the Hub Zero in the trash and buy my own router.

 

I should really have my head examined for signing up on a further 12 month contract after the appalling episode in 2017 when I had no internet connection for 22 weeks.

Alex
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Re: Connection grinding to a halt today

Ok fair enough @kjb I didn't realise it was that poor.

Sounds like a new router is a best idea - I wonder if someone who has experience with the Hub Zero and One can comment whether the One is any better?

You've got an option of getting the One through PlusNet, but it sounds like picking up a cheapo new one from eBay might be the best idea - the models which have been suggested on this thread.

Though it sounds like you have got two issues - poor WiFi and speed, and a new router may only fix the first one.

Baldrick1
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Re: Connection grinding to a halt today


@kjb wrote:

My router is the Sagecom 2704N, aka Plusnet Hub Zero.

All the well-know review sites rate this as a low budget router, poorly specified with outdated technology and hence mediocre performance.

I think this review says it all http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/plusnet/1403635/plusnet-hub-zero-2704n-review

Especially this paragraph:

The router's 2.4GHz performance was lacklustre at best. With our test laptop’s built-in 802.11n wireless adaptor we saw speeds of just 3.9Mbit/s at 10m, dropping to a positively crawling 2Mbit/s at 25m. These are some of the worst speeds we’ve seen from any router.

I guess I need to buy my own router, but why the hell do Plusnet dish out such inferior hardware if they want to retain customers?

Because Plusnet currently offer your service to new customers for £18.99 per month on a twelve month contract with £50 cash back, I make that £15.40 per month if I include the router P&P for telephone line, router and unlimited ADSL broadband. My guess is that they can't include anything better within this cost frame.

@Alex

Let's accept that the Hub Zero wifi is very poor. This report gives an interesting comparison between a BT Smarthub 6 and other ISP routers, including the Hub One: https://www.businessdirect.bt.com/content/uni2/documentation/c6nx/bt_smart_hub_test_report.pdf.


 

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Alex
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Re: Connection grinding to a halt today

Fair enough @Baldrick1 I accept that.

I've never used one, so can't comment from personal experience but from the links you've provided I can see your point and it looks right to me.

Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Connection grinding to a halt today

All the well-know review sites rate this as a low budget router, poorly specified with outdated technology and hence mediocre performance

You are free to use whatever router you wish.

For many users the 2704n router is more than adequate - it all very much depends on how many other WiFi APs there are around-about and how nicely they play with the WiFi spectrum.  Yes people do report that the BT Hubs are "good" but that is only because they blatt out other WiFi AP's signals.

When on ADSL I used a 2704n for a good while and it did a fair job - OK so I only had 5Mbps upload … which is about where most ADSL services run at.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.