Cannot get TP-Link Deco XE75pro mesh system to connect to Plusnet internet

[#1]

I have recently become a Plusnet customer migrating from ZZOOMM. My home router and set-up with ZZOOMM was a TP-Link Deco XE75Pro (main unit) and 3 x Deco XE75 access points, a really good WiFi 6e mesh system. With ZZOOMM it worked perfectly but I since moving to Plusnet I simply cannot get the Deco system to connect.

I did try to keep my original network SSID but after failing miserably to make any headway using my user ID and password (from the Plusnet on-line login) via PPPOE, I had no luck.

So I factory reset all the Deco units and tried again.

The Deco set-up process is easy to follow and usually works really well and I can get so far as "checking internet connection" but once I reach this point I get the error message advising that either the username or password (or both) are incorrect and thats where it stops - I even tried setting up the Plusnet Hub 2 as a bridge (pink light) to connect the Deco but even with the Deco set as an access point, it still fails at exactly the same part of the process with the same message.

I can assure anyone who reads this that I am using the correct Plusnet user ID, the one that allows me to log in on-line into my Plusnet account, with the @plusdsI.net on the end and my password, I have even tried resetting the password in case it didn't like any special characters but still no luck. As a last resort I went through each of my Deco XE75 units and tried to set any of them up as the main point, but still no luck.

So now I am using the Plusnet Hub 2 router, which is WiFi 5 with rubbish coverage in my extended house and no idea how to progress.

Do any of you have any ideas to help, if not then I will likely give up the PlusNet contract (at my cost) and move either back to ZZOOMM or my previous, previous provider. ZEN internet neither of which I had any problems with.

Thanks 

[#2]

@TT2  My understanding is that ZZOOMM broadband is a full fibre service using their own fibre connection direct to your home connected to their ONT (optical network terminal) which then uses an ethernet cable connection to the WAN socket on the TP-Link Deco.

Assuming you have migrated to Plusnet full fibre which is supplied over the Openreach network you should now have an Openreach ONT installed so you connect the TP-Link to the new ONT and set up a PPPoE connection using your Plusnet  username@plusdsl.net and password.

You cannot use the Hub2 in bridge mode, on a full fibre service that only applies to FTTC or SOGEA , that is copper phone line services.

One thing you could check on the TP-Link is that no VLAN id is enabled on WAN connection, that is dealt with by the Openreach ONT. Zzooomm may be different although a quick search suggests they do not use a specific VLAN id but also do not use the PPPoE connection protocol so as you have said you need to change the TP-Link to use PPPoE mode.

[#3]

Hi RealAleMadrid,

Thanks for your response.

Yes the ZZOOMM ONT was removed and BT Openreach installed a new ONT, that's what I am using. At the moment the ethernet cable runs from the ONT direct to the Plusnet 2 hub and all works fine.  I have been live with Plusnet now since the end of October 25, using their full fibre 900 service.

Back to the TP-Link Deco. Yes the Deco, when connected directly to the BT Open Reach ONT, recognises the connection as PPPoE and goes through the set-up, then as mentioned fails to actually connect to the internet with the username password error. I have checked the "no VLAN" which is off.

Anything else you can suggest?

If not then thanks anyway for responding.

Regards

[#4]

@TT2  Any unusual characters in your password ?

I.E. non alpha numeric.

[#5]

Thanks Champnet,

Yes I have a single special character in the password

Regards

[#6]

@TT2 

The only other thing to try (as a stop gap) would be putting the TP-Link WAN connection into the Plusnet hub with the TP-Link set to DHCP mode (and the TP-Link's DHCP range being different to that used by Plusnet's hub).

Not ideal but would be a "get me going" until you can get to the bottom of PPPoE authentication on the TP-Link.

I would change the Plusnet password to all "normal" characters and see if that cracks it.

Otherwise, it was a good while ago, but I found TP-Link's support very good and you can't be their only customer using Plusnet.

[#7]

Hey @TT2 ,

which Ethernet port on your Deco are you using as the WAN to connect to the ONT ?

I've seen the following issue reported in a couple of places -

Deco XE75 Pro units have 3 Gigabit (or 2.5Gbps on some ports) Ethernet ports that are not labelled as WAN/LAN — any can function as WAN. Users frequently plug the incoming cable (from modem/ONT) into the wrong port during initial setup, causing PPPoE authentication to fail silently.

• Fix — Try plugging the WAN cable into the bottom port first (many users report this works when the top or middle ports do not, even though they should be interchangeable). After the mesh is up, ports become interchangeable again.