Sold on faster broadband but not provided the equipment for the speed

hoyteam

Hi,
Plusnet sold me on Unlimited Fibre Extra when my previous contract with them was nearly up in 2018. It has come to my attention that they should have upgraded the modem and router - without the upgrade I can't get the service I have been paying for. I phoned Plusnet today and they agreed to send the newer/correct combined modem and router out to me. Haven't they broken rules by selling a service I couldn't receive? Wondering if, and how, I can proceed with this.

[Deleted User]

Need some more technical data before anybody can advise you. 

What was your advertised and actual speed in 2018 before the contract renewal?
What was the advertised and actual speed after 2018 renewal?
What is the speed now you have the new equipment?
What is the model of both old / new router and modem?

All measured via LAN / ethernet cable direct to the router.

The reason I ask is that modems for VDSL up to typical max line speeds have been around for a decade or so and therefore I can't see how your old modem wouldn't be capable of the new package.

Wifi has improved over that time and newer wifi router will achieve higher wifi speeds but that is nothing to do with your broadband contract.

If you haven't noticed a problem for 3 years then what is the actual basis of you complaint?

neilmcl

What do you mean by you couldn't get the service you were paying for. What speeds were you expecting to get and what have you been getting? I doubt the newer router would've made much of a difference in terms of your speeds, it would possibly had improved wifi performance but that's all.

hoyteam

I was paying for a download range of 64 - 72Mbps with guaranteed minimum of 58.3Mbps. Have been averaging about 40Mbps via ethernet connection and wifi has ranged from around 1 - 30 Mbps. Made it a New Years resolution to look more thoroughly into it as it definitely been worse the past 6 months - figured it was just all of the devices that are now using it but the rabbit hole led to me realising I was never getting the advertised speed because the modem and router are old (which Plusnet also said on the phone today). Looks like there's not much I can do but it's quite frustrating people can be 'upgraded' despite not being told the equipment should also be upgraded. Thanks for the replies.

JJ_Egan

What  Model router is it .

Someone will be able to say its perfectly capable of  80 meg or not .

Must admit my first 80 meg connection and router was about six years ago , that old router worked then and would work now at 80 meg .

hoyteam

It's a 2015 BT Open reach modem and Plusnet 2704N Router.

[Deleted User]

hoyteam said:

It's a 2015 BT Open reach modem and Plusnet 2704N Router.

So your modem is almost certainly ok as it will be a VDSL compatible modem and therefore you were probably being delivered with the broadband speeds that your contract suggested.

The Plusnet 2704N router is a pathetic piece of equipment even when new as a 2.4Ghz only 802.11n device but that what can you expect for "free". This is one the downsides of chasing cheap broadband deals, you think you have bagged the best deal on MSE based purely on monthly price but you aren't looking at the bigger picture and your free wifi router lets the whole deal down. One quick Google of that model as per the link above and you would have known exactly what your problem was.

Broadband is not like gas and electricity for chasing the cheapest deal where you get the same energy regardless of supplier. With broadband, the actual delivery and usability of the broadband varies massively depending on the wifi router.

And this is what pees me off about MSE - they never mention that and just promote monthly price without any context.

I'm a bit puzzled though because that model of router contains an ADSL modem which I assume you didn't use and instead connected to the WAN via ethernet.

I always say on these forums, ditch the "free" ISP modem / router and buy your own equipment which will work with almost any supplier anyway and you will be amazed at the results - I've never used a free ISP router but I've been on the internet since the 1980's when you had to provide your own equipment anyway.

In my mind you have no comeback to Plusnet, their delivery of internet speed stops at the modem and as you haven't got any proof of those speeds you can't really complain.

But it is always worth a try, a well worded and polite letter of complaint pleading ignorance of these new fangled technical things might get you a few quid but you haven't been mis-sold or misled - you have failed to do your research and due diligence and worst of all let it go on for 3 years without asking any questions.

Neil_Jones

The 2704n seems to be the same as the Plusnet Hub Zero?  Does it look like this?

https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/plusnet/1403635/plusnet-hub-zero-2704n-review

If so, the router itself (or that particular router) doesn't have a router in it, that would be provided by the OpenReach router because its what called a DSL router.

Now I can tell you that when I first joined Plusnet Fibre in I think 2014 or 2015, I received not that router (I had the crappy Technicolor 582n, the one before the Zero) and an openreach router.  That was perfectly capable of Fibre speeds 80Mbps, so I suspect your setup can do it too.

Note that if you're connecting via Wi-fi, the internet speeds will never be anywhere near what the line supports.

[Deleted User]

Neil_Jones said:

If so, the router itself (or that particular router) doesn't have a router in it, that would be provided by the OpenReach router because its what called a DSL router.

It does have a router built in and an ADSL modem. Many people that aren't technical confuse modems and routers like yourself but you are totally wrong to say it doesn't have a router. It also has an ADSL modem but sounds like that wasn't used and the Plusnet Wifi router was connected to the WAN via ethernet to the Openreach VDSL modem.

Neil_Jones said:

Note that if you're connecting via Wi-fi, the internet speeds will never be anywhere near what the line supports.

This is also untrue, wifi can now support gigabit speeds with the right devices. I can easily achieve 500 mbps wifi on 802.11ac clients with 2x2 mimo which is fairly old tech now, my 3 year old iPhone XR does that no probs so no reason why somebody on slow FTTC broadband can't get their full internet speed via wifi.

Neil_Jones

I somehow managed to omit that the router doens't have a fibre modem in it.  I saw it had an ADSL modem in it but that wouldn't have been used.

Re Wifi, that 2704n is a crappy piece of junk that only supports 2.4Ghz wireless.  And of course we don't know what hardware the OP is using, but the wireless speed is almost always the limiting factor in these circumstances.

hoyteam

[Deleted User] said:

hoyteam said:

It's a 2015 BT Open reach modem and Plusnet 2704N Router.

So your modem is almost certainly ok as it will be a VDSL compatible modem and therefore you were probably being delivered with the broadband speeds that your contract suggested.

The Plusnet 2704N router is a pathetic piece of equipment even when new as a 2.4Ghz only 802.11n device but that what can you expect for "free". This is one the downsides of chasing cheap broadband deals, you think you have bagged the best deal on MSE based purely on monthly price but you aren't looking at the bigger picture and your free wifi router lets the whole deal down. One quick Google of that model as per the link above and you would have known exactly what your problem was.

Broadband is not like gas and electricity for chasing the cheapest deal where you get the same energy regardless of supplier. With broadband, the actual delivery and usability of the broadband varies massively depending on the wifi router.

And this is what pees me off about MSE - they never mention that and just promote monthly price without any context.

Definitely partly to blame here but, like you mention, how many others are chasing what's advertised as the best deal and don't have the technical know how to properly evaluate it? A new 'free' one is in the post but still tempted to buy a new router anyway!