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Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

john10001
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Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

I already have Fiber broadband with PlusNet and have had it for 5 or 6 years.

My current telephone provider Fuel Broadband has sold their business to Post Office which I am not happy about as the prices are going up and I can no longer pay by Standing Order which means I would have to set up a Direct Debit (which I hate) or visit a Post Office every month to pay the bill and queue up for half an hour (I also hate). So I am thinking of switching my Line Rental to either PlusNet or Sky.

 

Looking on PlusNet's site it seems you can get fairly good deals if you take out a new contract for both Fiber and Line Rental e.g. it is £24.99 a month for 18 months with no activation fee.

If I wanted to take this offer is it possible to do so if I am already a PlusNet Fiber customer?

Would I receive the new router and would this be a two-in-one unit that I plug straight into the socket? At the moment I have two devices. A cable modem which goes to the BT Socket. It is hardwired. Then I have a wireless router as well. A Netgear WiFi router. The modem is Huawei.

Does the latest PlusNet Hub One have support for DD-WRT as I would prefer to have a VPN solution within the router itself instead of on each device I have at least for home use. If not are there any easy to set up WiFi routers you know of that I could use for PlusNet fiber that support VPN's?

Thanks

John

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14 REPLIES 14
HarryB
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router


@john10001 wrote:

Looking on PlusNet's site it seems you can get fairly good deals if you take out a new contract for both Fiber and Line Rental e.g. it is £24.99 a month for 18 months with no activation fee.

If I wanted to take this offer is it possible to do so if I am already a PlusNet Fiber customer?


As an existing broadband customer, I'd recommend giving our Customer Options Team a call on 0800 013 2632, selecting the option for thinking of leaving, to discuss what offers would be available when re-contracting and bringing your phone over.

 


@john10001 wrote:

Does the latest PlusNet Hub One have support for DD-WRT as I would prefer to have a VPN solution within the router itself instead of on each device I have at least for home use. If not are there any easy to set up WiFi routers you know of that I could use for PlusNet fiber that support VPN's?

While you'd be welcome to use your own router if you prefer, I wouldn't be able to suggest any, so I'll leave this to the community to give their advice on third party routers, as I'm aware plenty of helpful community members use third party routers themselves.

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MisterW
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

Does the latest PlusNet Hub One have support for DD-WRT as I would prefer to have a VPN solution within the router itself instead of on each device I have at least for home use. If not are there any easy to set up WiFi routers you know of that I could use for PlusNet fiber that support VPN's?

The Hub one does not support DD-WRT.

As regards combined modem/routers i.e single device that support VPN. The kitz site has a good list of combined modem routers here http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php?topic=14436.0 . I'd be pretty sure they'll all work with PlusNet. I know that most of the TP Link ones will support VPN (IpSec) ( although I suggest the 9970 may be a bit underpowered ), the Fritzbox 7390 does, and the Draytek 2860 does. I believe/think the Zyxel 8324 & 8924 ones do but check that.

I've used the Draytek 28xx series for VPN (and a colleague has used the 2860 ) and we have a Fritzbox in the Netherlands office that happily runs a VPN back to the UK.

Hope that helps, shout up with any further queries

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john10001
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Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

In the manage my account section it looks like there is a product change option that allows me to take fiber plus phone for £19.99 a month for 18 months.

 

 

My current phone line is due to switch from Fuel Broadband to the Post Office on 27th July I think. I may wait until after this change has gone through to avoid any complications and then select the combined Plus Net service as £19.99 seems reasonable. I never ever use my landline so want to cut costs as much as possible and don't understand why I have to pay for line rental I don't use with broadband services over BT's network when I don't have to do this with Virgin. It makes no sense to me and I think it is a scam.

Strange that it says I am on Unlimited Fiber at £14.99 a month when I pay £17.50 a month. Is this a mistake? The small print says it is inclusive of VAT.

Townman
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

Without a 'phone line' there nothing to conduct the little electrons which are essential to making the internet work.  Virgin media do this in the same way, they just do not call it a phone line, but it still needs to be paid for and that charge is hidden in the BB costs.

I would suspect that difference between the prices you are referencing - £2.50 - is the difference between with and without phone line being with PN.

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Gandalf
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router


@john10001 wrote:
Strange that it says I am on Unlimited Fiber at £14.99 a month when I pay £17.50 a month. Is this a mistake? The small print says it is inclusive of VAT.
@Townman wrote:
I would suspect that difference between the prices you are referencing - £2.50 - is the difference between with and without phone line being with PN.

 Spot on.

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Anoush Mortazavi
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bmc
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

@john10001

If I understand your initial post correctly, there is nothing to stop you using your current modem/router setup with a PlusNet phone line.

 

Brian

john10001
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Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

Yes that's right. I am currently on PlusNet Fiber and have the older style separate modem and router when it was first rolled out.

 

My landline is with a different provider but I am thinking of bringing that to PlusNet as well as it will be lower cost.

I was thinking of getting a new Wi-Fi router/combined modem router that supports DD-WRT as my present hardware doesn't and I'd like a VPN solution within instead of separately on all my devices while at home.

john10001
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Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

Well it looks like I made a mistake with the change product option. When I click through on that it turns out that the offer for £19.99 is for Fibre only. There is another £18.99 odd quit on top for a landline rental. Seems a bit misleading to me. They should state this on the page right at the beginning. 

 

Why would I choose to pay more for both broadband and phone line the latter of which I don't want and am trying to get rid of or reduce drastically in cost? 

I will try and find the other deal I saw for £24.99 now and hopefully that does include both fibre and landline. I hope it is not just for new customers? Otherwise I may be switching to Virgin media's offer for broadband only for £26 and ditching everything with Plusnet i.e. Fibre and BT Sports.

Townman
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

Get rid of the 'phone' line which you don't 'want'? That sentiment I can understand, but you do 'need' it - how else do you expect to be connected to the internet?

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john10001
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

Through Virgin Media who don't force me to also pay for telephone line rental if I don't need or want it!

 

If an individual in the UK has a BT landline but no broadband services I would not force them to pay for broadband a service they do not use would I?

So why would the reverse scenario not be the case?

If I wish to have broadband data services but no landline voice calls why do you wish to force me to pay for something I neither want or use?

It is such a con! The industry needs to change and get with the 21st Century.

Strat
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

Broadband (except FTTP) relies on a working telephone line to the customer's property.

If you get rid of the phone line the broadband goes with it.

The technology is catching up but it takes a great deal of time and money.

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john10001
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

I am not using the line for telephone services though only for fibre broadband so why should I have to pay for the telephone as well that is such a con.

I don't have to with Virgin media!

Browni
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router

If you're now with Virgin Media that would probably explain the difficulties you are having with email.
Townman
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Re: Plusnet Line Rental and VPN router


@john10001 wrote:

I am not using the line for telephone services though only for fibre broadband so why should I have to pay for the telephone as well that is such a con.

I don't have to with Virgin media!

If you are not using a telephone then you are not paying for telephone services (call charges).  If you want broadband then you need a services access line: in modern times it does not help people like you understand this, because historically a service access line has only provided voice services and the industry persists in calling it a "phone" line.  Try thinking of it as a COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES ACCESS LINE and then you'll understand why you need it an why you pay for it.

You do pay for it with Virgin media - its just not called a phone line.

  • Virgin VIVID 50 fibre broadband £33pcm (no Virgin phone line)
  • Plusnet Unlimited fibre from £25pcm (including 'line' rental)

So though VM "do not make you pay" for a phone service you "do not need" ... they are £8pcm more expensive that Plusnet who "con" you into paying for a phone line.  Please explain your logic...


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