Broadband Speed

[GrandOiseau]

YouView is a hybrid television platform in the United Kingdom developed by YouView TV Ltd., a partnership of four broadcasters, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5; and three telecommunications operators, Arqiva, BT Group and TalkTalk Group.

https://www.youview.com/#

The £5 goes to PlusNet.

You can add channels/packages for further payment - hence I pay £10 for the BT Sport channels.

The service comes with a box which I believe is rebranded Humax.

Yes I know what Youview is, I was puzzled about the '+' bit and why you'd pay a monthly fee. I guess it's just rental for the box.

Scott.

Ah right.

The + bit is the hard drive that allows you to record programmes. There is an up front cost to the box. The monthly fee is the same £5

https://www.plus.net/entertainment/tv/

The alternative is to buy a box directly, the cost of which varies by the manufacturer and the size of the drive. I am not sure if PlusNet will ask for the box back. I doubt it. As I understand it the service is free if you buy a box direct. So maybe I should just cancel that now. Not sure how I get BT Sport then or the cost of that.

[Infrasonic]

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/isp_list/IS ... adband.php

[GrandOiseau]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I thought your issue was with the "infrastructure"? How does changing supplier rectify this?

Vodafone Gigafast is a FTTP service provided by Cityfibre in various towns and cities in the UK. As such it involves Cityfibre laying new fibre throughout the town right up to just outdide your house (usuallly in the road). If you take up the service, a further bit of fibre is run from the box outside the house to a new master socket inside your house. So it takes over from the old infrastructure......

Thanks for stepping in and making the explanation chas49.

I spoke to the missus about it last night. She's not as big on our need for IT infrastructure in the house as me and my son but go that it's almost a no brainer.

Her biggest concern is that they'll have to take up some of the block paving to run the cable up to the house. She's concerned at the mess and state it will be left in so I have to do a bit of digging to reassure her that all be well.

But in general, the more I think about it....

[GrandOiseau]

Just on the point of the separate infrastructure I am guessing the current routers, cabling, etc. can remain as a back up, in case of issues?

[GrandOiseau]

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/isp_list/ISP_List_Ultrafast_Broadband.php

Useful link.

For me it's Vodafone or nothing.

Which is worrying from a point of view that once they've got me on the service they can just jack the price up as they like.

Unless there is a regulator that stops them???

[Infrasonic]

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/isp_list/ISP_List_Ultrafast_Broadband.php

Useful link.

For me it's Vodafone or nothing.

Which is worrying from a point of view that once they've got me on the service they can just jack the price up as they like.

Unless there is a regulator that stops them???

I've been with Vodafone since 1994 (analogue!) as a mobile provider, I also have Three as my 4G ISP/ second phone.
Vodafone have gradually gone down in my estimation over the years and I'm about to get a new 4G feature/smartphone outright and port that number to another SIM only mobile provider, so I'd be wary about having Vodafone as my sole FTTP ISP choice.
The left hand never knows what the right hand is doing, they drive me mad whenever trying to sort out issues with them, logic does not apply.
YMMV.

[mc2fool]

To be honest I am now thinking switching is a no brainer.

I can get:

Vodafone Gigafast Broadband 200
200 Mbps average upload & download speeds
Unlimited broadband usage
18 Months contract
Phone & broadband line rental included
Vodafone broadband router included

For £28 a month.


I am currently paying Plusnet:
Line Rental: £19.99
Unlimited Fibre: £15.99

I am also paying for Youview+ TV £5 and BT Sport £10. Not sure how I get internet TV (Channels, players, Netflix) with the Vodafone package but I am sure it can be done.

Well if it's a matter, at least in part, of cost, have you tried haggling with Plusnet?

I don't know how amenable Plusnet are to negotiating, but every time my TalkTalk contract is about to expire I contact them and say things are tight, whinge about their prices and say I'm going to cancel and go for a cheaper provider ... unless they want to keep me. The most recent time was just a couple of weeks ago and I've now got:

Line Rental with unlimited copper BB + Unlimited UK calls + TV for 18 months, face value £21.50+£12+£4 = £37.50, for which I'm paying £19.95+£0+£0 = £19.95....

[chas49]

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/isp_list/ISP_List_Ultrafast_Broadband.php

Useful link.

For me it's Vodafone or nothing.

Which is worrying from a point of view that once they've got me on the service they can just jack the price up as they like.

Unless there is a regulator that stops them???

As I understand it, Vodafone have exclusive access to the Cityfibre network (in Milton Keynes at least) for a period of two years. After that, it's open to Cityfibre to allow other ISPs onto their infrastructure. (I don't believe it's guaranteed though...)

Thanks for stepping in and making the explanation chas49.

I spoke to the missus about it last night. She's not as big on our need for IT infrastructure in the house as me and my son but go that it's almost a no brainer.

Her biggest concern is that they'll have to take up some of the block paving to run the cable up to the house. She's concerned at the mess and state it will be left in so I have to do a bit of digging to reassure her that all be well.

But in general, the more I think about it....

The disruption to the front garden and the block paved drive is my main sticking point too. If I can get them to agree to let me lift the blocks, and then replace them afterwards, that might be preferable to letting thm do it.... Haven't taken the plunge yet..

[ReformedCharacter]

The disruption to the front garden and the block paved drive is my main sticking point too. If I can get them to agree to let me lift the blocks, and then replace them afterwards, that might be preferable to letting thm do it.... Haven't taken the plunge yet..

I've got BT fttp, and the last bit of fibre is carried over the 'phone poles and enters the house like the 'phone line. No disruption at all. There must be a reason they don't all do it like that.

RC

[GrandOiseau]

Well if it's a matter, at least in part, of cost, have you tried haggling with Plusnet?

I don't know how amenable Plusnet are to negotiating, but every time my TalkTalk contract is about to expire I contact them and say things are tight, whinge about their prices and say I'm going to cancel and go for a cheaper provider ... unless they want to keep me. The most recent time was just a couple of weeks ago and I've now got:

Not cost driven per se.

Basically this thread started out about my poor performance. That has now turned it basically Plusnet saying after a month that essentially the investigation > fix is parked. So I am looking at other options. The cost part comes in comparing the new superfast broadband costs that came on tap fairly recently. Initially I'd baulked at the price. But given that all the cheap bits I negotiated previously have gone and on further investigation the price difference isn't that great. And actually now I'm thinking 100-200 Mbps actually might be quite nice.... etc.

I just have to persuade the missus digging the drive up won't be so bad!!

If I could get a reliable 20-25 Mbps and a cheap deal I might consider sticking with the current infrastructure but even if I switch at the minute I can imagine having the same issues. It could be the new infrastructure will be much better value for money.

[GrandOiseau]

As I understand it, Vodafone have exclusive access to the Cityfibre network (in Milton Keynes at least) for a period of two years. After that, it's open to Cityfibre to allow other ISPs onto their infrastructure. (I don't believe it's guaranteed though...)

Ah OK, gives me a little more comfort.

The disruption to the front garden and the block paved drive is my main sticking point too. If I can get them to agree to let me lift the blocks, and then replace them afterwards, that might be preferable to letting thm do it.... Haven't taken the plunge yet..

The missus is more concerned than me tbh. They must do it all the time. And it's not like our drive is new or in perfect condition.

[chas49]

As I understand it, Vodafone have exclusive access to the Cityfibre network (in Milton Keynes at least) for a period of two years. After that, it's open to Cityfibre to allow other ISPs onto their infrastructure. (I don't believe it's guaranteed though...)

Ah OK, gives me a little more comfort.

Just to clarify - this is from https://www.cityfibre.com/residential/:

Our strategic partnership with Vodafone has enabled us to invest in expanding our full fibre network infrastructure in our chosen cities. For an initial period of time – predominantly during the construction phase of each city network – only Vodafone will be able to sell Gigabit-capable consumer broadband services that use our networks.

and from Computer Weekly (https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450 ... -broadband)

[Vodafone Chief Exec] said the proposed exclusivity period could be as long as three years in some cases, but this would be decided on a city-by-city basis, with smaller cities potentially opening up to wider commercial competition sooner.

I thought I had seen two years mentiond somewhere for MK - but haven't tracked it down again so far. It's not "for ever" at least!

[GrandOiseau]

Thought about starting a new thread as this is no longer about my broadband speed issue per se. I have given up on PlusNet.

I contacted Vodafone today. I tried the chat service first off but basically they were next to useless. So I called and the person I spoke to was very helpful.

As regards the cabling they reassured us somewhat. I was angling for a pre site visit but was told they would do some assessment when the order came in and if they thought there would be any complications they would talk to us prior to the installation day. TBH I think ours is going to be pretty easy as I reckon they will just need to take up a channel of the block paving. My wife seems less concerned than she was.

Noticed when doing an experimental on-line order that there is an extra cost of £4 for evening and weekend calls and £8 for anytime. I won't purchase things but instead use mobile phones, voice over the internet apps or 1899/18185 services.

Also notice that the cost goes up each March by the RPI.

Reckon I'll be pulling the trigger tomorrow.

[GrandOiseau]

Bitten the bullet. Engineer booked in for 1st July.

Now to cancel my contract with PlusNet.

PlusNet have given me good service to be fair but it's certainly time to move on in the circumstances.

Fingers crossed all goes well with the new installation. My game playing IT nerd son is wetting himself at the prospect.

[3george]

GO,

For info I migrated from Plusnet to Gigafast in MK at the start of the UK lockdown - I took the 500Mbps package and with a single outage it has been rock-solid since the day installed.

I needed to make some major changes to my internal wiring as Vodafone present the interface via a small box shown in the picture below. It's then upto you how you extend this via the router to any wired devices.

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2 ... on-uk.html


3g

[JohnB]

Don't do the plusnet exit survey, it asks endless questions, and I disliked them more as it went on and on

[GrandOiseau]

Don't do the plusnet exit survey, it asks endless questions, and I disliked them more as it went on and on

Thanks for the tip, will do.

[GrandOiseau]

Called PlusNet to cancel my contract with them today - quick and easy.

[GrandOiseau]

So to conclude the tale..

Vodafone engineers came on Wednesday. Window was 8am to 1pm but had a call at 5 saying they were 5 minutes away!

Turns out our cable was already threaded to the house. Engineer explained that there would have done it for every house but BT would only allow 25% of houses to be connected using their pipes. So it was pot luck but ours was one where they did.

Consequently quick hole drilled into the utility box. Outside and inside boxes wired up. Router plugged in and set up. It was pretty much done in an hour.