Is BT lying or is Plusnet having me on?

[#1]

I've just signed up to Plusnet because I can only get 5mb download from BT and it just isn't enough for this household. Plusnet have guaranteed 20mbps download speed, with an expectation of more, but when I told BT this they say that if they can't get more than 5mb, Plusnet won't either, as they both use the same lines.  I'm wondering if this is just a sales tactic or if I'm going to get a message from Plusnet changing the guarantee. Anyone else had this?

[#2]

@Layoes 

Put your phone number in the following and see what it says for your house.

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

Brian

[#3]

@Layoes Welcome to the forums. If you post the result of this site:BT Broadband (ensuring your phone number is obscured), someone will be able to explain your options.

[#4]

Is this enough info?

Featured Products	Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)		Upstream Line Rate (Mbps)		Downstream Handback Threshold(Mbps)	WBC FTTC Availability Date	WBC SOGEA Availability Date	Left in Jumper
	High	Low	High	Low
VDSL Range A (Clean)	34.1	26.5	6.6	4.7	22.6	Available	Available	--
VDSL Range B (Impacted)	33.4	22.4	6.5	4.3	18	Available	Available	--

Featured Products	Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)	Upstream Line Rate (Mbps)	Downstream Range (Mbps)	Availability Date	FTTP Install Process
FTTP on Demand	330	50	--	Available	--

ADSL Products	Downstream Line Rate (Mbps)	Upstream Line Rate (Mbps)	Downstream Range(Mbps)	ADSL Availability Date	WBC SOADSL Availability Date	Left in Jumper
WBC ADSL 2+	Up to 15.5	--	13.5 to 18	Available	--	--
WBC ADSL2+ Annex M	Up to 15.5	Up to 1.5	13.5 to 18	Available	--	--
ADSL Max	Up to 8	--	7 to 8	Available	--	--
WBC Fixed Rate	2	--	--	Available	--	--
Fixed Rate	2	--	--	Available	--	--

Observed Speeds	VDSL
Max Observed Downstream Speed	6.1
Max Observed Upstream Speed	0.56
Observed Date	2019-12-18

Other Offerings	Availability Date
VDSL Multicast	Available
ADSL Multicast	Available

Premise Environment	Status
Bridge Tap	N
VRI	N
NTE FacePlate	N
Last Test Date	10-07-2021

Exchange Product Restrictions	Status
FTTP Priority Exchange	N
WLR Withdrawal	N
SOADSL Restriction	Y

[#5]

That table says you can get good ADSL and reasonable FTTC - why BT told you what they did is beyond me.

[#6]

Thank you both. I can't pretend to understand what all the figures mean, but Plusnet are starting my new service on the 28th, so I wanted to check up. 

[#7]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Fibre to My Order 

[#8]

@Layoes 

Assuming you ordered FTTC (this shows as VDSL on the results) you look at the high / low figures.

This shows PlusNet's minimum speed guarantee of 20 is just below what OpenReach are saying for your line.

Brian

[#9]

@Layoes 

Just had another look at the results. Further down there's a section called Observed Speeds.

Here it says the maximum observed on the line (under VDSL) is 6.1 - this could be where BT is getting their number from.

Brian

[#10]

@Layoes 

What these figures are telling me is that either this information is wrong OR you have a fault on your line.  You should be getting 26.5 Mbps minimum but are currently syncing at 6!
Do not be surprised if this fault transfers with you. If it does you will need to report a fault.

If you have a Smarthub 6 and you won’t be charged for not returning it then keep it as it can be used on your Plusnet service.  They are better than Plusnet’s offerings. You will find setting instructions pinned to the top of the Router board.

Edit the last test of your speed was in 2019 and appears not to have been checked since. It sounds like you have been living with this situation for a couple of years.

Once transferred do come back here if you want advice on getting the best speed from your connection.

[#11]

Yes, I wondered that - but you'd think BT would know what they're talking about, wouldn't you? I've just checked again with my neighbour, who also has BT, and he gets c27mbps, so why they kept insisting I couldn't have it is beyond me. Anyway, Plusnet is cheaper! (and they have a nice forum).

Thanks for your help.

Jill

[#12]

Thank you. I probably will have to come back!  I'm pretty sure I've had the line checked a couple of times before and they've said there was no fault, but I might try and do it again while still with BT. 

Actually, I have reported it as a fault about a week ago, but they haven't looked at it yet.

[#13]

@Layoes As Baldrick suggests, keep your BT HH6 if you can, though a year or two back BT said they would charge new customers who did not return their Hub on leaving. Otherwise while you are waiting you might like to source one via Gumtree or eBay, they fetch around £5-£25 and many of us find they have far better wifi than Pnet's Hub One which is basically the old HH5 in a cheap dress. Advice aplenty on this forum which as you say is a friendly one! Hope all goes well on the day.

[#14]

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Unhelpful post removed.

[#15]

Thank you all for your advice, much appreciated.