Blinking lights - I'm going round in circles

[#1]

After a few trouble-free years, I'm having problems I don't understand.
The night before last the lights on my router (BT 1800IG supplied by plusnet) were all flashing and my connection was gone. The power light blinks between red and green, and the other lights blink orange. I've sent a question to support and followed all their suggestions, checking cables etc and trying the router in my main telephone socket, but always with the same blinking lights.
I raised a fault and answered all the questions, although sometimes neither of the optional answers seemed relevant. It's very difficult on these preset Q and As to explain things properly
I don't think I need an engineers visit, I think I need a new router, but I'm blowed if I can find anywhere on the plusnet website to obtain one. I think I might have landed myself with an engineers visit I don't need by completing that fault process.
Can someone here PLEASE help me?

[#2]

I didn't know Plusnet supplied the 2-Wire 1800hg (I assume you meant that) or indeed any 2-Wire routers

[#3]

Spring 2007 - Spring 2008 apparently.

[#4]

Yes, it was probably about 3 years ago; it's never caused problems before. I'm sending these emails from my sister's computer, can't get connected with mine.

[#5]

You can get a new router by raising a ticket I believe but you need to agree to pay the postage (£4.99 if I remember correctly) and have a 12 month tie in.
If you want it sorting quickly (they won't despatch one until next week) go out and buy one.
It does sound as though the power supply has gone on the blink unless it is a dodgy connection between it and the router
You do not need or want an engineer visit

[#6]

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The power light blinks between red and green,

AFAIK the power light should be solid Green when the router has powered-up and completed self-test. A Red power light is a dead router, I've never seen a flashing power light but if you are sure about that I would guess its a bricked router, possibly constantly resetting...

[#7]

Perhaps worth trying a factory reset? If it syncs then it will be necessary to re-enter broadband username and password.

[#8]

I tried a reset but still the same blinking lights.
I'm in a quandary now. I'm reluctant to tie myself in to a 12 month contract in case I still get problems, because I've discovered over the last 48 hours how difficult it is to get help from plusnet!
I understand a replacement router without the tie-in would be £44.99 inc postage, and I wouldn't mind paying that to avoid the tie-in, but are the routers they provide any good? I would have expected more than 3 years of life from this one.
So ... would you recommend the supplied router? Or is there a better one I could buy at a comparable price? Sorry, I know that's a loaded question.
Just one more question, is there actually a phone number for plusnet support? I couldn't find one, but online help is sooo slow, and of course I can't use my own computer at the moment so that makes it all slower.

[#9]

Just get a second hand Netgear DG834GT from ebay. There are loads of Sky branded versions on there that can be re-flashed back to Netgear firmware. Should cost no more than £20 and by using Routerstats you can get valuable information out of the netgear about the quality of your line.
All details on the web and I think well documented on www.kitz.co.uk

[#10]

Thanks for the suggestion. I couldn't cope with second-hand, re-flashing etc. I need something I can just plug in.

[#11]

Quote

Just one more question, is there actually a phone number for plusnet support?

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Residential Support 0800 432 0200 All day, every day You'll need your username and password handy

[#12]

Customer support are available 24x7 on 0800 432 0200 (free from landlines). If you need to look up the number click "contact us" along the top margin of all Plusnet website pages (http://www.plus.net) or in the right-hand column of the footer block of forum pages.
If you want to try a Plusnet TG585v8 router, you can pay £4.99 P&P and defer the £40 cost for 12 months. If you decide to leave within that time you can, but would have to pay the £40 - exactly the same as paying up front. So in my opinion there's nothing to lose by deferring.
The TG585v8 should come configured for easy start so it is literally plug in and play. It sets itself up (takes about 15 minutes).
Though it has limited wireless 'n' support, if you want wireless 'n' I think going elsewhere is appropriate. Also I don't think complex port-forwarding is one of its strengths.

[#13]

Thanks misterw and spraxyt for the number, I'll try a ring tomorrow, just to make sure the fault is with my router. 
That's a good suggestion, spraxyt, about the plusnet router. It's probably the best way to go for someone like me. I wouldn't want to leave plusnet unless I was desperate, it has always provided everything I want, and a router I can just plug in and use would be ideal for a non-technical user like me. As you say I've got nothing to lose.
Many thanks to everyone who has offered help, I don't feel so alone now!

[#14]

hjp,
I'm sorry from a staff point of view to hear about the problems you had here. I've checked your account and can see that a new router was ordered on the 10th, so do let us know when that's turned up and how you're getting on with it.