Unlimited Fibre too slow for streaming

[nollag2006]

I am an Unlimited Fibre customer, with 6 months left to run on my contract,

My download speed is currently running at 10 - 11 Mb, well below the guaranteed minimum of 13.1 Mb, and it is making watching Apple+, iPlayer, etc impossible.

Sky are offering the same deal with much stronger download speed in my postcode for £27 pcm, compared to PlusNet at £52 pcm. 

What are my rights in terms of moving from PlusNet, due to the poor service?

[Townman]

If your service is slow, there is most likely a fault somewhere.  What have you done to investigate / rectify it?  Moving from Plusnet is somewhat unlikely to make any difference to your experience as everyone (except Virgin Media) uses the same BT infrastructure between the exchange and your home.

This is not full fibre - Unlimited Fibre is FTTC - I have asked the mods to move the topic to the correct board.

You need to do some of the basics please...

Broadband is not going to work well if the "phone" line is not working properly.

Please perform a quiet line test - dial 17070 select option 2 using a phone plugged into the test socket behind the face plate of the master socket (ideally this should be a corded phone). The line should be silent. A noisy phone line (or no dial tone) will have a marked adverse impact on the performance of broadband.

If the line is noisy or there is no dial tone, then a PHONE LINE fault needs to be raised with your phone provider. If this is PlusNet, you can report a fault on line using the button below. NB: You need to put your LANDLINE NUMBER after "PHONE" [missing instruction].

• Phone Faults

How is your line performing?

Please post your router stats (include line speed, SNRM, uptime and if available, error counts); for PN routers use the buttons below, for other routers look at the Kitz link.

Also run a BT Wholesale speed test (ideally using an Ethernet wired PC with the WiFi turned off) then run the further diagnostics, download the .PDF report and post the results here. DO NOT REBOOT the router!

Check the Plusnet user portal for the "Current Line Speed" which is relevant to users with static IP addresses.

• TG582n Stats
• Hub 0 / 1 Stats
• Hub 2 Stats
• Kitz list
• BTw Speedtest
• PN Broadband Status

Is the router connected to the master socket ... or is it on the end of a voice grade telephone extension cable?

It also sounds as though you are outside of your contract's minimum term.  I am sure that you can get a better renewal deal from Plusnet that that being offered by Sky.

Contact Customer Options Team (aka COTS)

COTs is the place to go to if you want to find out anything to do with your contract in respect of leaving, renewing or simply enquiring about early termination charges (ETCs). They have their own number and tend to answer quicker than the general customer service number.

Direct dial numbers

• 0800 013 2632 (from within the UK)
• +44 330 123 9197 (from abroad)
• Available...
  • 8am - 8pm Monday to Friday
  • 9am - 7pm Saturday
  • 9am - 6pm Sunday

[Anonymous]

@Townman 

"everyone (except Virgin Media) uses the same BT infrastructure between the exchange and your home"

Don't forget about the independent FTTP services such as the CityFibre networks that are available in many areas.

[dvorak]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Full Fibre to Broadband

[Townman]

@Anonymous 

Indeed for FTTP, but this is FTTC judging by the speeds and product mentioned.

[Anonymous]

@Townman 

OK, but Virgin Media are not strictly FTTC, are they.

Well, I suppose they are: Fibre To The(ir own) Cabinets, then coax for the last part.

Not a definition of FTTC that I have ever come across before. Are Virgin Media's services generally considered to be FTTC?

[Townman]

At the risk of going off topic, the point is that the OP's expectation that switching to a different ISP is going to fix their issue is fundamentally flawed, UNLESS they chose a provider (have the option to do so) who does not use BT's last-mile networks.  In such circumstances, "unless you have access to VM" (inferring another cable provider as well) is simple enough to make the point require.  Sky uses the same last-mile as Plusnet, so switching (without addressing the likely faults) is not going to deliver against expectations.

The user would be better placed following the standard fault investigation and rectification processes, aided by both the staff and community members of this forum.  Is the same available from Sky?  (Rhetorical question!).

[bmc]

@nollag2006 

Have you checked recently what's available to your via the OpenReach network. Use

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Paste a screen image on here if you want advice on what is says - after hiding your personal details.

Brian

[Mustrum]

The cost comparison is also not like for like. If you are paying PN £52 per month you must also have every call package available. I find it hard to understand why you are paying PN that much.

[Townman]

@Mustrum 

Out of minimum term Fibre Extra is £41.75

UK & Mobile anytime is £10.28

Total £52.03

Sky pricing is hard to fathom, but it looks like £35 for broadband and £14 for a similar phone plan.  I did not bother to see if 1571 and CLI were included for free.

[FlossyThePig]

---

@nollag2006 wrote:

I am an Unlimited Fibre customer, with 6 months left to run on my contract,

My download speed is currently running at 10 - 11 Mb, well below the guaranteed minimum of 13.1 Mb, and it is making watching Apple+, iPlayer, etc impossible.

Sky are offering the same deal with much stronger download speed in my postcode for £27 pcm, compared to PlusNet at £52 pcm. 

---

My download speed is an outstanding 8.5 Mb on a good day and have no problems with iPlayer, NetFlix etc. My TV is connected to the router using an ethernet cable. Fine on HD but not with 4K video.

I'm on an Unlimited Fibre inc. Line rental with free Evenings & Weekend calls contract for £21.50 pcm. Before I renewed my contract it was £26.28 pcm. What extras are you paying for?

[Townman]

@FlossyThePig 

See post #10 - guessing out of minimum term FTTC and full call plan.

But given that the OP has not returned to all of the advice offered during the past 10 days ... we are just guessing here.

[nollag2006]

Thanks all for your comments.

Eventually PlusNet sent out an engineer, who confirmed the problem was with the router. 

I had to call up PN again to request a router, as they dont automatically send it out.

New router arrived - and the problem solved. Still paying £52 a month though, and got a paltry £8.40 compo for the downtime over Christmas...

Any recommendations for how I can complain?

[Townman]

See "Complaints code of practice" at the foot of every Plusnet web page.

[nollag2006]

Currently locked into this "deal" until July

Unlimited Fibre £18.56
Line Rental £23.19
Unlimited UK & Mobile £10.20

Surely there must be better options than this?