New to PN - post network upgrade issues.

[#1]

Hi,

I have been thinking of going to plusnet fibre broadband and having been doing research online to understand services etc...

Based on the post on these forms and online media coverage, seems their new network migration is poorly project managed as a number of users have been reporting issues. 

1. Does anybody know when the network upgrade is planned to be completed?
2. Should I, as a new potential PN customer, avoid the service until the network upgrade problems are resolved?

Cheers,

John.

[#2]

HI welcome to the forums, to answer your questions

1. how long is a piece of string is the answer there is no time scale that has been given so any ones guess as to when complete, going by the issues that some are having with it it may take longer than planned I honestly don't know Plusnet have been very quiet in regards to the new network and what is happening. 

2. I have been a member for two and half years and still on the old one, it's being done in stages based on location i believe so you may or may not end up on the new one if you were to join, but then again i don't know if they are still transferring / starting anyone on the new network at the moment, Maybe one of the Plusnet care team will respond and give you answer as to which network your likely to be on.    

[#3]

Thanks for the response.

To answer your question, from one end to the other... 

I would be really worried if an organisation such as PlusNet did not have any time scales for the network upgrade. I don't know any organisation which operates in the ISP industry which would not have a project plan. Most of these upgrades are prolonged due to the meeting PM requires.

There has been a large amount of media coverage and I'm surprised PlusNet have not made an official announcement.

I called the sales dept. last night and the person on the other end of phone was surprised with the information I provided about the issues... I guess you wouldn't want your sales staff to be aware of the issues your current customers are facing.

Person I was speaking on the phone was able to get in contact with an engineer who informed me, every new customer would be connect to the new network. This informs me the network upgrade is more on the core network rather than location based, however, is staged probably placed on a well defined plan. Looking at the comments on the new posts new PN customers are placed on the new network which is still suffering problems. 

One question: Why are PN customer taking the network degradation and not pushing back to PN to provide a resolution. Some customers have had to purchased a static IP address to be put back on the old network. Why are customers paying for a mistake because PN were not able to ensure the new network was fit for purpose?

Thanks,

CiscoKid

[#4]

Well put it like this PN do not do Time scales   for over 5 years they have said we are getting a new billing system !.

and as for the New network , i may be wrong but January this year they started 8 months ago

https://community.plus.net/t5/Plusnet-Feedback/Plusnet-New-Network/m-p/1300543/highlight/true#M68869

and even though they have a Mega thread of problems they still migrate customers to it

[#5]

This is absolutely ludicrous, how can an organisation get aware with making promises to their customers and then expect them to build trust...

I'm flabbergasted!

[#6]

@John222, just to address a points that you have said:

One question: Why are PN customer taking the network degradation and not pushing back to PN to provide a resolution.

Not all customers on the new network are having issues.  Of those that are not all would know that they are having the issue.

Some customers have had to purchased a static IP address to be put back on the old network

If you are on the new network and get a static IP address you do not move back to the old network.

[#7]

Hi PJ,

Customer on the new network which are facing problem would ring alarm bells. There are more customers having issues as a result of being migrated to the new network than otherwise.

Correct, static IP address means you are on the old network. However, there is a fundamental problem if you have to have a static IP address for you not to face problems. Having a static IP address is not the resolution, it is a workaround. The resolution is to understand the root cause and address the problem with the new network.

[#8]

Correct, static IP address means you are on the old network.

As I said above, and has been said a number of times, you can still be on the new network AND have a static IP address.  If you are on the new network and then get a static IP address, then you remain on the new network.  If you have been on a static IP address on the old network, then you can still be migrated to the new network.

[#9]

Ok, understood.

However, still does not explain the problem PN's customers have been having which have been migrated to the new network.

[#10]

We are advised that Plusnet engineers are working on the problem.

I'm afraid that's all we have at the moment.

[#11]

Hi Strat,

Thanks for joining. 

I'm sorry, but the information which has been provided is not good enough. I think it is the duty of plus net to inform their paying customers when the problem is going to be addressed.

1. Did the new network not thorough any testing phases of the plan?
2. If it did, did the plus net engineers not encounter the problem and raise these with the project managers which he/she should raise as a risk?
3. Do we think its fair that plus net customers still migrated to the new network when there is a clear problem with the infrastructure?

Thanks,

CIscoKid.

[#12]

If you are asking me those questions then I'm sorry but I'm the wrong person to ask.

I and the other Moderators here are just customer with no special insight into Plusnet.

However I do hope you get the answers that you and the rest of us need.

[#13]

Cheers,

Would you be able to direct this thread or PM me with contact details of a person where I can ask these questions. I have tried calling support, however, I'm been told they are receiving a large number of calls and the wait time is 30 minutes, which after 20 minutes I get cut off.