Considering switching from BT

[#1]

Hi,

My BT contract will be coming to an end in a couple of months and I had an email from BT to remind me and consider renewing. This triggered me into looking at alternatives, as I don't feel the price BT offered me to continue with my 500 FTTP connection was competitive. Sky and Virgin felt like good deals but I know Virgin has poor latency and both have really poor customer services. I tried reaching out to EE, as BT part of them and the "deals" they offered we not that great.

This has led me here and looking at the price for PlusNet they seem competitively priced. The scores for customer service seem quite good too. PlusNet also appear to have good latency and I saw mention of a bridge mode, which might help with improving the double NAT issue I am currently dealing with, with my ASUS XT8 router mesh system.

So, I have a couple of questions if anyone is able to provide opinion. Has anyone made this switch and if so, are you happy you did so? Does anyone know if I can switch earlier without fees given I believe PlusNet are part of the wider BT/EE group? Would they consider me a "new" customer and new customer deals applied to me? Finally, can anyone confirm the double NAT thing can be resolved.

Thanks in advance

[#2]

Double NAT is caused by using two Routers both with NAT and DHCP enabled, reads like a self created issue.

With the ISPs Router in Router mode, setting the Asus MESH into Wi-Fi Access Point mode ( no NAT & no DHCP ) would avoid the Double NAT.

[#3]

My understanding is PlusNet Hub has a "bridge mode" that "When enabled, the hub light turns pink, and it acts as a simple modem".  BT do not have this option, so I would have to disable the router mode on my ASUS router to stop double NAT. However, if I do that then I lose some functionality on the ASUS router that I would rather keep. So I have just been dealing with the double NAT. 

Or am I mistaken?

Thanks

[#4]

@m4tthall73 

Phone PN and ask what deals are available for a new customer.

As you're near the end of your contract I would simply wait until the last month and then initiate the move. If you use BT Digital Voice then you lose this.

Brian

[#5]

Or am I mistaken?

yes

Bridge mode is only attributable to FTTC For FTTP you just connect your Asus xt8 direct to the ONT. Configure it's WAN for PPPoE with your Plusnet username & password

[#6]

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@MisterW wrote:

Bridge mode is only attributable to FTTC For FTTP you just connect your Asus xt8 direct to the ONT. Configure it's WAN for PPPoE with your Plusnet username & password

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Ah Ok, thanks for clearing that up

[#7]

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@bmc wrote:

@m4tthall73 

Phone PN and ask what deals are available for a new customer.

As you're near the end of your contract I would simply wait until the last month and then initiate the move. If you use BT Digital Voice then you lose this.

Brian

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Yeah, I guess there is no rush. I have not had a problem with BT really, it's just (like everything else) how much things seem to be continually going up. Don't use BT Digital Voice so that won't be an issue. Thanks.

[#8]

@m4tthall73 

I switched from BT FTTC to Plusnet last November when my contract ended, mainly because the cost of re-contracting with BT seemed absurdly high. I timed the switch so that it took place pretty much as soon as the BT contract ended, although the early termination charge would have been small if I'd switched (say) a month before it ended. (Yes, BT would charge you for early termination.) What you don't want to do is spend any significant period of time with BT when you're out of contract because that would be expensive. 

I can't say I'm noticing any difference apart from the fact that broadband is now costing me a lot less money each month. I'm happy I made the move.

Colin 

[#9]

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@ColinDC wrote:

@m4tthall73 

I switched from BT FTTC to Plusnet last November when my contract ended, mainly because the cost of re-contracting with BT seemed absurdly high. I timed the switch so that it took place pretty much as soon as the BT contract ended, although the early termination charge would have been small if I'd switched (say) a month before it ended. (Yes, BT would charge you for early termination.) What you don't want to do is spend any significant period of time with BT when you're out of contract because that would be expensive. 

I can't say I'm noticing any difference apart from the fact that broadband is now costing me a lot less money each month. I'm happy I made the move.

Colin 

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Thanks Colin, appreciated.