Youtube buffering and very slow page loads

[#1]

Unfortunately, if you take FTTC (NOT Full Fibre) - which is available  to you, you will lose the PSTN service - the option to retain a copper phone service on a product change was removed last year.

There are ways to, effectively, still use a landline, but they involve switching to a VoIP service - a phone service over the internet, rather than a copper line all the way to the telephone exchange, as you have now.

[#2]

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@oliverab wrote:

2025 isn't that far off so I guess it is a discussion we need to have anyway though.

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We have no idea how much longer Plusnet will continue providing the traditional landline service but for information, the final switch off of PSTN has been put back from late 2025 to January 2027.

You can't make any changes now without either losing or transferring the phone to VoIP. With the exception of having no landline phone service during a powercut, your parents may not even notice the difference.

With WBC FTTP available to you don't even consider VDSL.

[#3]

@Baldrick1 Ooops , I missed that - an even better option for @oliverab 

[#4]

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@oliverab wrote:

Currently the line rate is very good, sync at 14M and that should be able to deliver 10M down so I don't see any reason for the ridiculous slowdown.

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The problem is that modern operating systems and applications are not designed to be connected to such a slow connection, there is activity going on in the background of which you will likely be unaware, some are additional 'features' added during updates..

You can only use your limited bandwidthe once, uploads are not independant of downloads due to handshaking requirements. If you add buffer bloat into the equation then this sort of performance is not unexpected.

[#5]

OK so on a practical note what does a simple home VOIP service look like?

I mean in principle my phone extension wiring could be connected to a port of an adaptor that connects to a SIP service and we'd hear a normal dialtone just like it is now. Does it actually work like that? Do I need to migrate my phone number to a SIP provider or is that taken care of as part of an upgrade?

At work we just "pulled the plug" and went digital 7 years ago but it has been a sore point with both me and my boss for different reasons and if anyone is interested I'll take it to General Chat because it isn't Plusnet related apart from probably a good lesson in how not to do a migration.

[#6]

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@oliverab wrote:

I mean in principle my phone extension wiring could be connected to a port of an adaptor that connects to a SIP service and we'd hear a normal dialtone just like it is now. Does it actually work like that? Do I need to migrate my phone number to a SIP provider or is that taken care of as part of an upgrade?

With care, extension wiring can be used. And yes you get a dial tone just as at present - most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between using PSTN and VoIP.

The complication comes because Plusnet don't offer VoIP at all. So you have to either find your own VoIP provider and migrate your number to them, or move to an ISP that will provide both broadband and VoIP.

There are a number of threads discussing the move to VoIP and experiences with various VoIP providers scattered through the Plusnet fora (as there isn't a VoIP specific forum).

[#7]

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@oliverab wrote:

At work we just "pulled the plug" and went digital 7 years ago but it has been a sore point with both me and my boss for different reasons and if anyone is interested I'll take it to General Chat because it isn't Plusnet related apart from probably a good lesson in how not to do a migration.

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Please raise a topic on the Tech Help board..

[#8]

Back to my original query I tried running the exact same speed test from my phone on WiFi with the computer switched off and got far better results which seems to support the suggestions about it being my computer's activity.

Having said that I also got a good test from the phone with the computer running, so maybe the QoS settings on the router are actually working. If the computer was constantly saturating the upstream connection I'd expect that to disrupt everything.

I don't know whether I just have to get a faster connection or if maybe there's some unwanted background stuff going on.

[#9]

@oliverab 

If I was in your position I would get a new full fibre service (FTTP) witout touching the existing ADSL service.

You may need to speak to someone (whoever you order from) rather than making it an online order to avoid the order being interpreted as a migration. It might be simpler to order from a supplier other than a BT Group company as it will help to keep the accounts seperate.

The cheapest  FTTP service would be fine as you have been managing with ADSL.

If you do down the VoIP route and migrate the number it will cease the ADSL line but that will be fine as you would, by then, have the FTTP Internet service.

At some stage the existing Plusnet ADSL contract will have to be renewed to avoid the price going up. Do that by phone and don't change the service in any way as that's the only way you can keep the copper landline service.

[#10]

@oliverab one other thought. I note you have a Draytek 2830Vn.

If you want to experiment with VoIP, the Vn Draytek's support VoIP and I experimented with a cheap supplier using a Draytek a while before moving the landline to VoIP.

[#11]

one other thought. I note you have a Draytek 2830Vn.

The cheapest  FTTP service would be fine as you have been managing with ADSL

The 2830 won't handle anything faster than the FF74 service. I used to use one (in fact I've still got it and a spare lying around) when I was on ADSL and later FTTC (with a separate modem). When I moved to FTTP  the 2830 maxed out at around 120Mb NAT throughput, and no it wasn't a cat5 cable problem!.

[#12]

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@jab1 wrote:

Unfortunately, if you take FTTC (NOT Full Fibre) - which is available  to you, you will lose the PSTN service - the option to retain a copper phone service on a product change was removed last year.

There are ways to, effectively, still use a landline, but they involve switching to a VoIP service - a phone service over the internet, rather than a copper line all the way to the telephone exchange, as you have now.

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Is this information correct? (I know WBC was withdrawn last September). Ordering a new copper line or circuit has stopped, but not retaining the use of an existing one, AFAIK.

I am on FTTC (VDSL) and a landline phone, both from Plusnet. I renewed my existing contract online with Plusnet in March this year without problems. Previously I had changed from Plusnet landline and ADSL2+ to landline and FTTC in September 2022.

I can't see why an existing Plusnet customer with a landline cannot change from ADSL to FTTC and keep the landline - for now!

[#13]

I can't see why an existing Plusnet customer with a landline cannot change from ADSL to FTTC and keep the landline - for now!

@pvmb It's down to the Openreach stop-sell for WLR (Wholesale line rental) from Sept last year. Basically OR will not accept any order which includes WLR. The reason a re-contract on the same product is possible, is that it doesn't involve an order on Openreach.

[#14]

Now I am confused. Are you saying it is not now possible to transfer from landline phone and ADSL (both copper) to landline phone and FTTC (both copper)? Why not? No new copper landline circuit to the customer's premises is involved.

Previously, where I said "(I know WBC was withdrawn last September)" it should have been : "I know WLR was withdrawn last September". Where WLR (Wholesale Line Retail) covers:

WLR3 analogue
ISDN 2
ISDN 30
LLU SMPF
SLU SMPF
Narrowband Line Share
Classic

PS. Looking at the previously posted BT Broadband Availability report - and also that for my own circuit - it does say:

"WBC FTTC Availability Date" - Unavailable

"WBC SOGEA Availability Date" - Available

It isn't clear to me whether this means FTTC can not be moved to - from an existing ADSL service - or it cannot be ordered as a new service to the premises; like ordering a new landline phone line, which would require new copper.

[#15]

Are you saying it is not now possible to transfer from landline phone and ADSL (both copper) to landline phone and FTTC (both copper)? Why not?

Yes! It is not possible to place any order on Openreach for a product change that includes WLR. A change from ADSL to FTTC would involve an order on OR, they will ONLY accept an order for SoGEA in those circumstances

Why not? No new copper landline circuit to the customer's premises is involved.

Its not the provision of a copper circuit that's prevented, its the order of WLR on that circuit!

As per your above post

PS. Looking at the previously posted BT Broadband Availability report - and also that for my own circuit - it does say:

"WBC FTTC Availability Date" - Unavailable

"WBC SOGEA Availability Date" - Available

That means that FTTC i.e VDSL broadband and WLR can't be ordered but SoGEA i.e VDSL Broadband onlty CAN.