TalkTalk vs Plusnet ?

SouthLondonUser

In my area I can get 44 MB/s fibre broadband.

I am leaving Vodafone because they don't let me use my own router, and theirs is particularly poor, as per my other post: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5603868

I have narrowed the choice down to Talk talk or Plusnet. I used to be on TalkTalk before joining Vodafone and I found it OK, way better than Vodafone.

Does anybody have experience with either TalkTalk or Plusnet?

Is there anything in particular I should watch out for? Eg Vodafone did not specify the restriction against using your own equipment anywhere in the contract!

Is there any test or comparison of the two routers?

Thanks!

kwikbreaks

Plusnet are happy for you to use your own router but obviously will not offer support for your own. You have the option to not even have theirs delivered or at least did when I joined a few years back.

I recently saw a post from somebody complaining about evening throtting with Plusnet. It simply doesn't happen or at least doesn't for me and I suspect that their issue was poor WiFi so maybe the router supplied isn't all that good - few ISP ones are from what I can make out but I have always used my own and would not tolerate any ISP that insisted on theirs being used. With cable you must use VM's but can set it to be a modem and use your own router.

SouthLondonUser

Is there any information (specs, manufacturer and model, manual etc) on the routers used by talkTalk and Plusnet? I couldn't find any

lee111s

I believe the plusnet router is the same/very similar to BT's home hub.

Not sure why it's relevant though if you're wanting to use your own.

SouthLondonUser

I wanted to buy my own router (but haven't done so yet) because Vodafone's is terrible. After much haggling, and after threatening to escalate to the Ombudsman because the restriction against using my own equipment is not in the contract, Vodafone agreed to let me cancel without penalty. Btw, I will make a separate post about this once it is all over.
My point is that, if the Talktalk or Plusnet router are decent enough, I won't have to buy a new one.

System

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Plusnet are happy for you to use your own router but obviously will not offer support for your own. You have the option to not even have theirs delivered or at least did when I joined a few years back.

This still applies. I signed up at the beginning of the month, told them I had my own that I wanted to use and they were fine with that.

I recently saw a post from somebody complaining about evening throtting with Plusnet. It simply doesn't happen or at least doesn't for me

The only people really noticing throttling which is beyond simple contention ratio issues are those thieving music, films etc using various file sharing services and streaming on Kodi and the like.

2see

re plusnet hub,
from what I`ve read on the net , it`s a bt home hub 5
without the bt fon stuff,
my bt hub 5 would disconnect me, then connect to some bt system,
disconnect & reconnect me, found it in the hub stats, often
thanks to that, the system in the exchange thinks it`s a line problem & drops the speed,
I got a netgear d6400 & no more probs,,

kwikbreaks

Tarambor wrote: »

The only people really noticing throttling which is beyond simple contention ratio issues are those thieving music, films etc using various file sharing services and streaming on Kodi and the like.

I used to run a SamKnows box which does speed tests throughout the day and night (not constantly obviously but every couple of hours or so). It showed pretty much constant high speeds with the odd small downward blip.

I gave up using it when it hung twice locking up my wired network completely. I spend a lot of time away from home in the summer months but have stuff that runs 24x7 and also like to be able to access my CCTV when away. SamKnows couldn't explain the hangs which I strongly suspect were failed firmware updates so I stopped running it.

There is also another slight drawback - all the testing makes you a "high user" - with my own stuff I was regularly over 300GB each month and I suspect that ISPs are more likely to offer good loyalty deals to lower usage customers. That is pure speculation of course.

mxo

As a current Plusnet customer, I would strongly advise avoiding them like the plague. They are the worst ISP I've ever had the experience of using, their customer service is terrible and they refuse to help when you have a problem. Don't use them.

cajef

Just to give a different perspective and redress the balance, as a Plusnet customer for many years previously on ADSL and now fibre I have always had a stable connection with good speeds and I would recommend them, on the odd occasion I have had a problem it has been sorted within a reasonable time frame.

While I can sympathise with people who have had or got unresolved problems unfortunately on forums such as these you always hear from the customers with a complaint but never from the thousands that are satisfied with their ISP.

mxo

cajef wrote: »

Just to give a different perspective and redress the balance, as a Plusnet customer for many years previously on ADSL and now fibre I have always had a stable connection with good speeds and I would recommend them, on the odd occasion I have a problem it has been sorted within a reasonable time frame.

While I can sympathise with people who have had or got unresolved problems unfortunately on forums such as these you always hear from the customers with a complaint but never from the thousands that are satisfied with their ISP.

You're very lucky, I wish I was in your shoes! I agree it could be bad luck, though I've been with several of the other big providers, TalkTalk, Sky, BT etc. and didn't have issues with any of them. Personally I seriously regret signing up to Plusnet and would never recommend them in a million years, that's from my own experience.