Please note this article was published in 2012, so prices and information may be out of date.
Moving can be stressful, but moving your broadband and home phone to your new address really doesn't need to be. If you're heading to a new home, just keep reading as we've pulled together some tips and busted a few home and broadband-moving myths in a bid to help you stay connected and enjoy a stress-free move.
Moving your Plusnet broadband
We're committed to doing you proud and making your life easier, so when you're moving house just call our House Moves Team on 0800 432 0200 or 0345 140 0200 and let us know your Plusnet username, your new address and the date of your move. Then you can get on with your packing and leave the rest to us.
Some tips:
• Don't leave things to the last minute - As much as we'd like to be able to, no ISP can switch your broadband to your new home instantly. Your telephone line might need to be reconnected, for example, which would require an engineer visit, or there may be difficulties removing the previous occupant’s broadband service from the line. In some cases, if you were to upgrade to fibre for example, we might need to send you a new router so that you can get up and running. If you've got a working phone line at your new home, it might only take 5 days to get you fully connected, but it could take up to 2-3 weeks, so don't leave switching until the last minute. The more notice that you give your ISP, the better. • Check what speeds you can expect before you move - Connection speeds can vary depending on where you live, our House Moves Team will tell you what speed you can expect at your new address and whether or not superfast fibre optic broadband is available. You can also check yourself using the availability checker on our website or the one provided by BT Wholesale here.
The truth behind some broadband moving myths
"I can keep my new number even if I switch to a different supplier." True, but only if your new home is connected to the same telephone exchange as your old one. "I can't move my broadband if my new property has cable" False. You can move into a property that had cable. You will probably need a new copper telephone line installing/reactivating which can take 2-3 weeks. "Moving broadband costs lots of money " False. The cost does vary though depending on your circumstances and the provider you’re with. Most ISPs have to pay their suppliers to move your service so try to choose one that allows you to offset or waive this fee. With Plusnet you get one free house move per contracted period on the condition that you stay with us for another twelve months. If you’d like more information about the costs of moving your Plusnet broadband then give us a call or check out the support guide here. "I'll have to go without broadband while I get connected" False. There are exceptions but if you let us know 2-3 weeks before you move, we'll usually be able to arrange it so that your broadband fully transfers from one property to another on the day you actually move house. "I won't need to change my router" False (if you're upgrading to fibre or moving to Plusnet from another provider). If you're upgrading to fibre broadband, we strongly recommend using the wireless fibre router and the free BT fibre modem that we'll supply you with, as most broadband routers won't work with fibre. (Most cable routers, however, will work but only if they use PPPoE and have an Ethernet WAN port). Even if you're sticking with standard broadband but moving to us from another ISP, we recommend that you use one of our routers, as some suppliers lock their routers so they can't be used when you switch providers. If you've got any questions about your hardware, please give our friendly team a call or tweet.
Switching supplier?
We'd like to think that you wouldn't want to leave us and our award-winning customer service. But when you're moving house, it's understandable that you might consider moving ISP too. If you are weighing up your options and looking for a new broadband deal, here are some helpful things to bear in mind … • Value - Money matters, especially in today's tough economic climate - but you should be careful to look for value as well as cheap deals. Our broadband has been recommended by Which?, so you know it's great quality as well as budget-friendly. Make sure to check cheap deals for prohibitive terms and conditions - otherwise you could end up with a deal that's really just a false economy. • Service - When you move, you want to know that you'll be properly taken care of if something goes wrong. And getting a cheap deal shouldn't mean you get lower standards of customer service. If you’re thinking of switching, check to see: whether or not the provider that you're considering has won any awards for customer service; that it's free to call them if you have a problem; and where you'll be put through to if you do call for help. It's also worth checking its Twitter and Facebook accounts to see if it's quick to respond to customers online. • Data - Work out how much data you're going to need for streaming, gaming and music downloads and, when you've found a deal that includes the amount of data you're looking for, check the terms and conditions before signing up to it. "Unlimited" data packages might have caps and fair usage policies that will limit how much you can actually download, while some deals might let you have unlimited data outside prime hours for free (for example, any data downloaded between midnight and 8 am isn't counted towards your overall data allowance with Plusnet). • Fees - Even with a "no contract" deal, you could be charged an exit fee or cessation fee so it could pay to check both your new and old deal for hidden fees before you switch.
Switching to Plusnet
If you're thinking about switching to Plusnet, don't worry - it's a doddle and should only take a few days. Just go to our switch page and we'll guide you through things. Don't cancel your existing service before you get in touch with us though, as you'll need an active broadband or cable service in order to switch. It would also help us to move things along much quicker if you've already got, or have requested, your Mac Key from your current ISP (if you're not on cable broadband, that is), and if you can tell us whether or not you'll need a new router. Have you moved house (and broadband)? Have you got any tips to share or questions you'd like us to answer? Please leave us a comment and let us know …