Another broadband thread
Discussion
Hello all. After having a bit of a nightmare towards the end of last year with Vodafone home broadband, we moved house and switched to Plusnet as our new provider....which has been a shocking experience. Basically I can't get reliable broadband throughout the house, and so I went down every avenue, including buying a BT Mini Home disc kit. Today was the final straw, and after having spent another hour on the phone to them, they have agreed to terminate our contract.
So, I need to find a new provider, and preferably one that will work with the mesh kit I've bought to give good coverage. I know BT owns Plusnet, but is their equipment the same? What's their customer service like? Does anyone provide a decent router as standard?
So, I need to find a new provider, and preferably one that will work with the mesh kit I've bought to give good coverage. I know BT owns Plusnet, but is their equipment the same? What's their customer service like? Does anyone provide a decent router as standard?
I have TalkTalk 150.
On installation, using my smartphone to take measurements, I got 133 download when it was installed in December (on speedtest.net - see below)
Quick download test using the TalkTalk speed test gives about 100 next to the router and 85-95 in the two bedrooms above and 66 in the front bedroom which is the furthest distance from the router (modern brick build house).
However, all broadband speed testers are certainly not equal.
Using broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk - it yields a best of 85
Using speedtest.net, I get 126 (this was the one the engineer told me to use on installation)
Using broadband.co.uk, I get 112
Upload is a consistent 26-28
Overall, therefore, it's hard to understand what the speed is as the tests give different results entirely, same phone, same place.
Talk Talk do have a chat commodity, on which I spent quite some time with "Irene" (ha!) trying to improve the speed but I was told there was nothing wrong with the line and eventually, I just gave up and I concluded "It is what it is" though they did give me the option of cancelling if I wasn't happy.
Given the random variation in results, it will probably be the same for all of them.
TalkTalk use the Openreach router and the perofrated "Handbag" sitting on top of it.
On installation, using my smartphone to take measurements, I got 133 download when it was installed in December (on speedtest.net - see below)
Quick download test using the TalkTalk speed test gives about 100 next to the router and 85-95 in the two bedrooms above and 66 in the front bedroom which is the furthest distance from the router (modern brick build house).
However, all broadband speed testers are certainly not equal.
Using broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk - it yields a best of 85
Using speedtest.net, I get 126 (this was the one the engineer told me to use on installation)
Using broadband.co.uk, I get 112
Upload is a consistent 26-28
Overall, therefore, it's hard to understand what the speed is as the tests give different results entirely, same phone, same place.
Talk Talk do have a chat commodity, on which I spent quite some time with "Irene" (ha!) trying to improve the speed but I was told there was nothing wrong with the line and eventually, I just gave up and I concluded "It is what it is" though they did give me the option of cancelling if I wasn't happy.
Given the random variation in results, it will probably be the same for all of them.
TalkTalk use the Openreach router and the perofrated "Handbag" sitting on top of it.
Edited by LuS1fer on Thursday 11th March 17:22
OP you state that you can't get reliable broadband throughout the house.
What was broadband speed like directly connected to the plusnet router? Either close by on WiFi or even better if directly connected via ethernet.
This will help determine if this issue is with the actual broadband connection into the house or issues with the WiFi performance.
What was broadband speed like directly connected to the plusnet router? Either close by on WiFi or even better if directly connected via ethernet.
This will help determine if this issue is with the actual broadband connection into the house or issues with the WiFi performance.
We’ve had an Open Reach engineer out twice who says there is no issue with the line to the property, and Plusnet wanted to send out a new router, but that would have meant logging yet another new fault giving them another 30 days to resolve it. Which is basically kicking the can down the street. So another (potential) month of dropped Zoom calls with clients, files not getting uploaded to meet deadlines as the broadband disconnects randomly. All the time I’m paying for something that isn’t fit for purpose. I measured speeds tonight outside the room the router is in and it’s showing 19mbps download, 14mbps upload. I assume that isn’t great?
MrB. said:
Has anyone any experience of Zen internet?
They have a good rep, but still use openreach infrastructure I believe.....Same as all the following :
https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/fttc-pro...
Turn7 said:
MrB. said:
Has anyone any experience of Zen internet?
They have a good rep, but still use openreach infrastructure I believe.....Same as all the following :
https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/fttc-pro...
MrB. said:
Yes, I’d seen they use OR infrastructure, but they seem to get a good reputation. Mind you, I went with Plusnet for their “alleged” customer service and I’m back in the same boat. I just want reliable internet access. I don’t have time to be resetting routers and buying mesh kits.
FWIW, Zen's customer service is excellent.But, if you're having problems with hardware, then your ISP isn't going to help very much.
The router supplied by Zen is well regarded as far as ISP-supplied boxes go, but Wi-Fi has limited range and ability to penetrate walls, especially at 5Ghz.
The starting point for diagnostics,
https://www.cablemonkey.co.uk/43-cat5e-rj45-patch-...
Plug in directly and see what happens.
https://www.cablemonkey.co.uk/43-cat5e-rj45-patch-...
Plug in directly and see what happens.
MrB. said:
...19mbps download, 14mbps upload. I assume that isn’t great?
I've just run speedtest.net here using a wired connection linking my Mac to my router - 9.21 download, 0.43 upload. I'm with PlusNet using FTTC but as the cabinet supplying our house is over a mile away i cannot expect any better in the near future.My company supplied Windows laptop, plus twin monitors is also connected via ethernet cable to my router. I have twice daily video conferences with the rest of the team, using MSTeams, with no technical issues.
I also have a TP-link powerline wifi adapter on the landing which enables us to have regular facetime meetings with our son in Australia using an iPad.
If you are having connection issues while using zoom you really should use a wired connection to your router even if it is via a powerline link.
FlossyThePig said:
MrB. said:
...19mbps download, 14mbps upload. I assume that isn’t great?
I've just run speedtest.net here using a wired connection linking my Mac to my router - 9.21 download, 0.43 upload. I'm with PlusNet using FTTC but as the cabinet supplying our house is over a mile away i cannot expect any better in the near future.My company supplied Windows laptop, plus twin monitors is also connected via ethernet cable to my router. I have twice daily video conferences with the rest of the team, using MSTeams, with no technical issues.
I also have a TP-link powerline wifi adapter on the landing which enables us to have regular facetime meetings with our son in Australia using an iPad.
If you are having connection issues while using zoom you really should use a wired connection to your router even if it is via a powerline link.
I do understand that the reliance on wifi is sporadic at times, but this really was bad. The engineers who came out reassured me that the fault was with Plusnet's equipment, not the line into the house as it was getting a consistently strong signal. I'm going to give Zen a call today and discuss with them about their router working with the BT discs.
Thanks for everyone's help too, I really appreciate it.
You could get a USB -> ethernet connection for you wife and connect that direct to router. At least just to test that the internet into the house is OK.
Also, you could hard wire your Mac with a pair of powerline adapters.
The Zen router is supposed to be good, so that might help. Also, you could upgrade to a 3rd party ADSL router - you are not forced to use the providers kit,
Also, you could hard wire your Mac with a pair of powerline adapters.
The Zen router is supposed to be good, so that might help. Also, you could upgrade to a 3rd party ADSL router - you are not forced to use the providers kit,
MrB. said:
I don’t have time to be resetting routers and buying mesh kits.
Do you have the money to hire an experienced WiFi network engineer to come and resolve your problems (which by the sound of it are wireless related rather than the actual ADSL broadband?There's not enough profit margin to hand hold customers extensively.
MrB. said:
The first one is wired to the router, and then the one in my office is wired to my Mac..
As a tip, ideally put the 2nd one half way between your Mac and the router, so it can "pass the parcel" of the wifi signal.Hard wired to your Mac, it has little better chance of receiving a signal than the Mac does.
xeny said:
MrB. said:
The first one is wired to the router, and then the one in my office is wired to my Mac..
As a tip, ideally put the 2nd one half way between your Mac and the router, so it can "pass the parcel" of the wifi signal.Hard wired to your Mac, it has little better chance of receiving a signal than the Mac does.
An issue with WiFI only mesh without ethernet backhaul or dedicated 3rd radio for WiFi backhaul, is that every hop effectively reduces the performance by about 1/2.
Try turning off the disc in the office near the Mac and see if your Mac can find the mesh disc that you have in the middle.
Try turning off the disc in the office near the Mac and see if your Mac can find the mesh disc that you have in the middle.
MrB. said:
Yep, I've done that. The main one is hard-wired to the router, one in my office at the back of the house hard-wired into the Mac, and one, about equidistant between, to "throw" the signal from one to the other as you say. The fourth disc is upstairs.
I suspect you may need either powerline or ethernet to provide a backhaul for the mesh then. What is the place made of - aluminium sheet?Buy these: https://www.ebuyer.com/921055-tp-link-tl-pa4010kit...
Plug both into a double electric socket next to each other and pair them as per the instructions.
Take 1 plug and one of the cables that comes in the box and plug it in to an electric socket next to your router, and connect the network cable to a port on the router.
Take the second plug and plug it to an electric socket in near your Mac. Connect the cable to Ethernet port on your Mac.
These plugs will transmit data over the electrical wiring in your house rather than relying on WiFi. If you need to get Internet to another device, you can add additional plugs as required - just buy another kit as above as single plugs aren't much cheaper.
If you need to get the Surface on a cable connection, buy this: https://www.ebuyer.com/870789-lenovo-thinkpad-usb-...
No ISP is equipped to help you get WiFi working well in an environment where it doesn't for whatever reason. If you get someone in who knows what they're talking about they may be able to sort something out - but most WiFi experts don't do domestic jobs because they're busy charging £700 a day installing Cisco access points the cost north of £500 each for business customers and those that do domestic usually have little more than a working knowledge of how to make cheap stuff work - sometimes.
Plug both into a double electric socket next to each other and pair them as per the instructions.
Take 1 plug and one of the cables that comes in the box and plug it in to an electric socket next to your router, and connect the network cable to a port on the router.
Take the second plug and plug it to an electric socket in near your Mac. Connect the cable to Ethernet port on your Mac.
These plugs will transmit data over the electrical wiring in your house rather than relying on WiFi. If you need to get Internet to another device, you can add additional plugs as required - just buy another kit as above as single plugs aren't much cheaper.
If you need to get the Surface on a cable connection, buy this: https://www.ebuyer.com/870789-lenovo-thinkpad-usb-...
No ISP is equipped to help you get WiFi working well in an environment where it doesn't for whatever reason. If you get someone in who knows what they're talking about they may be able to sort something out - but most WiFi experts don't do domestic jobs because they're busy charging £700 a day installing Cisco access points the cost north of £500 each for business customers and those that do domestic usually have little more than a working knowledge of how to make cheap stuff work - sometimes.
Generally every ISP supplied "WiFi router" is a turd (though the Zen supplied one was actually half decent). As others have said if you need WiFi to work you need a mesh system that has backhaul via a third channel or via powerline. Even a better access point would improve. Best to research the subject.
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