Plusnet "installation"

BitByBit · 13 March 2018 at 3:04PM

Having a nightmare with my new Plusnet broadband installation. We've just moved in to our new house and obviously wanted to get the internet on as soon as possible. The engineer was booked to come yesterday morning while I was at work and my wife was there to let him in. The house previously had a Virgin Media installation behind the television so I pulled the unit out so that the engineer could see if he could use the same line or if not put the new line in there. It's in the middle of where we use the internet so it's the best place for it (hence the Virgin Media line being there). Anyway, I came home from work to find the engineer had found an old BT line in the hallway and installed it there. It's right in the far corner of the house so it's the worst place in terms of a Wi-Fi signal, but the biggest problem is there are no power sockets nearby. I've had to trail a 5m extension cable through the house to test it works. It can't stay like that as it's a trip hazard for my 3 year old. I rang to complain and was told that I either had to pay for a BT engineer to come and fit another line (at a cost of £120 (after I’ve already paid £60 for the last installation)), or I had to install a new power socket under the router, or I could use my 14 day cooling off period to cancel my Plusnet account, but would have to then pay their activation charge. It seems that Plusnet have no control over the installations they instigate, BT engineers don’t care if you can power your router or not, and that if they do a bad job then I’m the one to pay for it. Be warned.

onomatopoeia99 · 13 March 2018 at 4:32PM

If you want the master socket moved, or a new line, those are separate charges and £120 sounds about right based on the wholesale pricing.

Sounds like you paid for an existing disused line to be activated.

ISPs have limited control over installations, what they do is book the product / service the customer needs through BT wholesale who then send Openreach to do the work.

cajef · 13 March 2018 at 4:57PM

One thing I cannot understand is if your wife was there why did she not tell he engineer where you wanted the master socket installed, then they could have either re-routed or extended the existing old line or fitted a new line if that was necessary.

Yorksboy · 13 March 2018 at 5:06PM

Hi

Have a look at this website;

https://www.vmadmin.co.uk/other/357-moving-bt-infinity-dsl-from-master-socket-to-any-household-extension-socket

This explains how you can fit your own "Master Socket" in your chosen location. As you only need to use telephone style cable this is easily hidden.

BitByBit · 13 March 2018 at 5:26PM

Thanks for your replies. Some helpful stuff there. Honestly I don't know if it is a master socket or not as there are no other BT sockets in the house and there wasn't even that one yesterday morning. You don't get options when you book an installation so the choice of moving a master socket never came up. My wife is not technical and beyond telling the engineer that we wanted it behind the television she deferred to the expert. He found the line and told her it had to go there. I would have pressed my case had i been there but unfortunately work comes first. It's very disappointing that when someone comes to your house to fit a line for broadband, they are happy to leave it knowing it can't be used for that purpose. I'll have to finish the installation myself, I suppose. But if anyone is looking for an ISP bear on mind thst the engineers may not work with your best interests at heart and Plusnet (probably talktalk too) won't help after.

Mister_G · 13 March 2018 at 5:48PM

I had a similar issue with OR the other year. I found that unlimited cups of tea and chocolate HobNobs seem to produce the desired result!

It probably depends on how amenable the OR engineer is!:)

TadleyBaggie · 13 March 2018 at 7:12PM

BitByBit wrote: »

But if anyone is looking for an ISP bear on mind thst the engineers may not work with your best interests at heart and Plusnet (probably talktalk too) won't help after.

The "engineer" was almost certainly working for (or contracted to) Openreach and so it would make no difference who the ISP was, the result would have been the same.

phillw · 13 March 2018 at 10:34PM

BitByBit wrote: »

The house previously had a Virgin Media installation behind the television so I pulled the unit out so that the engineer could see if he could use the same line or if not put the new line in there.

They can't use the same line, only virgin can use virgin lines.

BitByBit wrote: »

Anyway, I came home from work to find the engineer had found an old BT line in the hallway and installed it there.

That is what I'd expect. BT will usually put the master socket as close to where the cable enters the premises as possible. It saves them a lot of money, especially the "but you can't possibly leave it like that, you'll have to redecorate my house because of what your engineers have done".

Legally you can't move a master socket. If you're on ADSL then a phone extension tacked along the skirting board will do it, although it will possibly reduce the speed. I don't think Fibre likes extensions though

BitByBit · 13 March 2018 at 11:31PM

It's a bit surprising how intransigent they are about it. When i had virgin they asked me where i wanted he router to be sited. When I had Sky, the same. With these it's just: 'it goes here even though it's totally impractical'. It's put me off any company that uses OpenReach or BT phone lines.

lee111s · 14 March 2018 at 8:30AM

phillw wrote: »

I don't think Fibre likes extensions though

You mean VDSL2, not fibre right?

kwikbreaks · 14 March 2018 at 12:14PM

BitByBit wrote: »

It's put me off any company that uses OpenReach or BT phone lines.

That's almost all ADSL VDSL broadband then unless you live in Hull and then it's Kingston.

Plusnet "installation"

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free