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Author Topic: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet  (Read 8956 times)

xreyuk

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Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« on: January 23, 2019, 11:04:42 PM »

Hi All,

Looking at leaving Plusnet, mainly due to their network congestion and their support being astonishingly awful (technical know-how has seriously reduced). Their profiling system has a habit of getting me stuck on stupidly low profiles (I'm currently stuck on 37Mb profile on a 56Mb sync speed), which the staff seem to have lost the ability to rectify without 4 or 5 phone calls to different people to get a profile reset done.

I mainly use my internet for gaming, the odd bit of streaming, and general browsing, but the heaviest (and most important use) is online gaming.

So far I've been looking at Zen, AAISP, ID-Net and Vodafone. After looking it's between Zen and Vodafone due to pricing and network structure.

It's my understanding that Zen, AAISP and ID-Net will use the same BT backhaul that Plusnet use and pick it up somewhere from BT. If my current congestion is BT related, then I will still suffer from this congestion moving to one of these ISPs. If not, based off pricing and their reviews, Zen are coming out as my first choice (the usage plans on AAISP are a bit poor for me, and I'm not messing about with billing every few months).

This leaves Vodafone, and it's my understanding that Vodafone actually pick up the connection from BT at the local exchange (where they have presence), getting me onto the Vodafone network quicker. As it's newer and I know they use multiple 10Gb connections to feed each exchange, this makes me think there will be lower congestion on their network, and obviously, they're priced very well.

Anyone got any thoughts/observations/corrections?

Thanks!
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jelv

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2019, 11:43:50 PM »

Unless you are on a fixed IP with Plusnet, no ISPs use will be on the same network as your Plusnet connection. Plusnet use WBMC Dedicated not shared.

I'm astonished at your shortlist if you are leaving Plusnet because of poor support. https://www.thinkbroadband.com/isps/compare?commit=Compare&isp_2=1&isp_16=1&isp_104=1&isp_6=1 will show the reason. There's one that shouldn't be on your list!

Read posts here for further information.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2019, 11:46:01 PM by jelv »
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Broadband and Line rental: Zen Unlimited Fibre 2, Mobile: Vodaphone
Router: Fritz!Box 7530

j0hn

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2019, 12:09:06 AM »

Search the word Vodafone on these forums and read some of the posts from the last 6 months or so.
Go have a read on the Vodafone section of ThinkBroadband.

Vodafone has in my opinion the most congested widely available backhaul on the OpenReach network.

ISP's like Zen and AAISP will use a range of backhaul providers like BT Wholesale or Talktalk business.

Just because 1 ISP who uses BT Wholesale backhaul suffers congestion does not mean every ISP will.

Some ISP's who were using the Vodafone backhaul have since dropped them completely due to the serious congestion problems.

I'll be gobsmacked if you get a better performance on Vodafone than you do on Plusnet.

Vodafone is the last ISP I would recommend.

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Jon21

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2019, 12:24:12 AM »

I’ve personally only used AAISP and Sky. AAISP are very good, have great technical support and as far as I could tell when I was with them, zero congestion on their network, which was via TTB. They are quite expensive though. I’m currently with Sky and tbh, I’ve noticed zero difference. Sky’s network appears to be congestion free, I actually get better latency than I did with AAISP. I think that’s perhaps due to Sky having a POP in either Wolverhampton or Birmingham. I’m not sure how good Sky’s customer support is. Whenever I’ve contacted them via Twitter, they’ve been helpful though.

Out of your list, Zen, AAISP or IDnet would no doubt be good choices. All comes down to how much your willing to pay per month.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2019, 12:28:31 AM by Jon21 »
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jaydub

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2019, 12:30:08 AM »

As j0hn says, IDNet use multiple providers.  I think their default position is Zen backhaul, but they also offer BTw and TTB backhaul on their FTTC connections.  They are willing to move you to another backhaul provider if you have issues.  I started on TTB, was moved to Zen where I had half speed single thread issues and am now on BTw, which has been the best of the lot as far my connection is concerned.

I would shy away from Zen as well, since they have well chronicled single thread speed issues intermittently (see ThinkBroadband forum).

Out of your short list of 4, all except Vodafone were on mine and I chose IDNet as the lowest cost option for mixed landline phone and broadband usage.  Uno were the additional ISP that was on my short list and not on yours

Take Johns advice, check out the ThinkBroadband forum and  you will see they have backhaul congestion issues.  You would be better staying with Plusnet than jumping ship to them.  IDNet, Uno and AAISP will provide a better service than Plusnet, but at additional cost.

I've added Plusnet  and Sky to j0hn's TBB ISP comparison.

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/isps/compare?isp_2=1&isp_16=1&isp_77=1&isp_21=1&isp_104=1&isp_6=1&commit=Compare

Telling!
« Last Edit: January 24, 2019, 12:36:47 AM by jaydub »
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Westie

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2019, 09:28:41 AM »

As a Vodafone user, I would advise you to look elsewhere. At my previous property in South West Wales I experienced no problems at all, but now I am in South England I get hit by congestion at peak times. See my TBB BQM.

I'm no gamer so I can live with the congestion until my contract runs out, but I think it's a postcode lottery whether you will experience it or not.
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xreyuk

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2019, 10:59:48 AM »

Thanks for the feedback guys, Vodafone are out of the running.

I want to avoid Sky like the plague, as I know three people on sky hanging off the same exchange as me and their service is bordering on unusable.

I’ll have a look between ID Net, AA ISP and Zen for pricing, ID Net seem to end up coming out more expensive than Zen, but I think I use anywhere between 200-500GB a month so AA ISP really isn’t ideal for me.

I am on a fixed IP in the Plusnet network, is this a problem, should I get off it?

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jaydub

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2019, 01:16:50 PM »

Phone calls are much, much cheaper with IDNet than with Zen, so you need to take that into account if you use the phone at all.
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jelv

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2019, 03:01:33 PM »

but I think I use anywhere between 200-500GB a month so AA ISP really isn’t ideal for me.

You can change quota on AAISP every month and half your unused quota rolls over. You can use this to save money if you use more than 200GB per month but less than 970GB. See https://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,22592.0.html
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Broadband and Line rental: Zen Unlimited Fibre 2, Mobile: Vodaphone
Router: Fritz!Box 7530

xreyuk

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2019, 04:21:39 PM »

You can change quota on AAISP every month and half your unused quota rolls over. You can use this to save money if you use more than 200GB per month but less than 970GB. See https://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,22592.0.html

I did see that but knowing me I will forget.

With regards to static IP from plusnet, I have one so will I be connected on the old network? So if I’m having problems now there’s a good chance I’ll have them with another ISP?

Am I better getting off a static IP?

I’m connected to gateway PSB-IR01 if that makes a difference.
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ejs

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2019, 04:33:40 PM »

Plusnet static IP does not mean it's on the older network. It does tunnel through to Plusnet differently, and if you didn't have a static IP, you should find that Plusnet's copy of the IP profile makes no difference, so it not being up to date wouldn't matter.
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RealAleMadrid

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2019, 04:51:13 PM »

If you change ISP you will be on a different network and IP address whatever type you have, static or dynamic.
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jelv

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2019, 09:12:11 AM »

I thought that when Plusnet moved users on to their WBMC dedicated network they left the users on fixed IPs on WBMC shared. Am I correct and is that still the case?
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Broadband and Line rental: Zen Unlimited Fibre 2, Mobile: Vodaphone
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j0hn

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2019, 09:31:29 AM »

I think they did at that time but that's definitely not the case now.
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kitz

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Re: Help picking an ISP - Leaving Plusnet
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2019, 06:50:40 PM »

As Jelv correctly said, they were which is why I mentioned it..  but I noticed a change fairly recently so not sure now.   
I'll try ask someone, but I've been in hospital and morphined up so will respond when I can.
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Please do not PM me with queries for broadband help as I may not be able to respond.
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