Closure of Plusnet Business - Date Confirmed as 28 May 2024

[#1]

I suspect that even if the credentials were changed manually unless the serial number of the router was transferred to the residential account … auto configuration is going to kick in and reset the credentials.

The router is not bricked it’s simply reverting to type when connected to a Plusnet connection.

We’ve seen similar when someone gives away a Plusnet router to another Plusnet user … two customers end up being connected on the same account. Causes no end of confusion if there is a fixed IP on the account,

[#2]

AFAIK It should only autoconfigure if it currently has the setup user configured. If another username is manually configured it should not get overwritten UNLESS it's factory reset

[#3]

Maybe I misunderstand the term "Digital Voice".

I have had a VOIP service to provide a separate business number.

This was provided by the lovely people at SoHo66 and just worked using a Cisco branded SIP router.

My BT phone service uses an ordinary BT phone plug into a DSL filter/splitter.

I am not using BT Digital voice at all as far as I can tell.

What I find odd and perhaps troubling is the idea that I have to move a Plusnet Business account to BT Business ?

If I decided to switch to Zen as a non business user there is SFA BT could do about it.

The BT line rental is and always has been paid from a Non-Business account.

So is the decision to prevent Plusnet Business Users switching to PN Residential Broadband driven by BT or Plusnet ?

[#4]

Maybe I misunderstand the term "Digital Voice".

Digital voice is just a term invented by providers to cover the transfer of traditional phone services to what is really a VOIP service!

It seems they didnt want to use the term voip as it may confuse some people and also make others, who actually knew about voip, query why the service was more expensive than traditional voip suppliers.

[#5]

Plusnet Business to Plusnet Residential restrictions have at least two considerations.

A residential account does not produce a proper VAT invoice which would be in cumbersome to VAT registered businesses.

A residential account needs to be in the name of a person not an otherwise legal entity such as a limited company

I believe that this is all about big bad BT wanting to stop businesses getting excellent internet service at prices not dissimilar to those for residential use. The products are to all intents and purposes identical … same technology, same support, same repair time … but business at a grossly inflated price.

The service we’ve been paying Plusnet £35pcm for will cost over £50 from BT Business with AFAICT an overseas support desk.

Vodafone had some excellent prices (was £18 for the first 12 months and £46 for the next 12 months) but their prices vary widely and we found their credit checking deeply flawed.

Zen’s offer is £48 plus £25 connection charge. No credit check problems as with Vodafone … though some gremlins in the FTTC to FTTP migration ordering process

[#6]

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@Townman wrote:
I suspect that even if the credentials were changed manually unless the serial number of the router was transferred to the residential account … auto configuration is going to kick in and reset the credentials.

The router is not bricked it’s simply reverting to type when connected to a Plusnet connection.

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Thanks @Townman that explains what's happening. As I understand it, when I try to connect to Plusnet at home with my home ID & password, Plusnet's systems check the serial no of the router, discover the account that router is associated with no longer exists, and refuses to connect.

So I need to see if Plusnet will transfer the router to home (maybe not, home is ADSL & would normally only get a Hub one. Also I might activate the £50 'fail to return router' charge if I ever leave Plusnet that came in this February) or just use it as a wired wifi access point.

I guess this is a "nudge" dreamt up by the management to discourage people from selling old routers (which contractually belong to the ISP not the customer) on Fleabay. 

Sad thing is, I didn't WANT to leave Plusnet Business. It was fine. 

[#7]

Indeed, I have found it excellent ... finally biting the bullet and initiating my exit last week.  Final bill is 8th April ... so long as Zen / BT Openreach do not let us down, we'll be an ex-business customer for the second time.

You might ask support to transfer the router SN to the residential account.  In the past, I have found the business to be very flexible about that.  Hub Two on ADSL is not an issue.  AIUI the enforced return of the router is not retrospective.

[#8 · Accepted solution]

@Phil_Cleary drop me a PM to confirm the serial number of hub, the first 6 characters of the MAC (both found on the label), the username of your home broadband account, and I'll see if I can move it across for you.

It looks like the non-return fee only applies for those signed up after 1st Feb 24, more information here.

[#9]

Many thanks, @Gandalf, that sounds great - will message you now

Phil

[#10]

The big change for me was supposed on the 31st, a Sunday where I'm not working from home.

However BT Business seem to be suffering from Premature Ejection syndrome and have terminated my Plusnet service today.

Browsing is fine but anything with a persistent connection is a bit [-Censored-] and is working slowly but with stability on a 4g router instead.

The phone is dead of course and making that work involves a call centre,

So Plusnet, its been a mostly perfect fifteen years, sol long and thanks for all the fish!

I doubt I will say the same about BT in 15 years

[#11]

BT seem to have a rather twisted view of Digital voice.

The simplest route to number porting a long standing BT number seemed to be, go with BT Business.

It isn't quite that straight forward.

Although the BT Smarthub has an Analog phone socket, this is disabled for business accounts.

To use a dedicated handset requires the purchase of IP phones, bear in mind I have three DECT handsets that are not very old.

I was expecting plug and play to just make it all work but everything hinges on using a mobile phone with the cloud voice app, this took a week to start working, two calls came in, one was a loft insulation seller the other was relative that had been trying to call for days.

The App switched to prompting for a password every time it was opened and has now stopped working entirely.

Being lazy has bitten me on the backside, moving to Zen is going to be expensive unless I win an argument that cancels the early termination charge that BT seem to think they deserve.

The solution as delivered is not as described and unfit for purpose.

BT Is broken, it must fall apart so the good bits can be saved.

[#12]

Such is why I did not move my business account to BT Business - zero confidence that they can deliver.

I went to Zen as second choice. Vodafone had a better offer, but they screwed up on credit checking for reasons even they could not discern and declined the business … even when offered cash up front for the full two years.

Had a small hiccup with the Zen order process. Router arrived on time. Kelly Communications attended to do the install single crewed without the right kit … but they resolved that promptly getting the FTTP up after around 3 hours work.

Took just one hour after getting on line to get the phone switched from PTSN to DECT. I did not need to do anything beyond pairing the existing DECT handsets to the router.

The migration (new service installation and number porting) was a ‘non-event’ it worked as it should do.

[#13]

I have FTTC and although I can see the "Dreaming Spires" of Oxford (Just Magdalen College though) FTTP is at least five years away on the Openreach roadmap with no declared date for availability.

With FTTP in probably 2034 ish, by which time I will be retired or dead, SOGEA is the best I can get at present.

I read SOGEA as soggier with a mental picture of limp cornflakes.

Where I live did eventually gain a fibre solution but the infrastructure was third-hand by the time it became Virgin Media.

It started as Comtel, joined NTL and was assimilated into Virgin.

This is probably the main blocker to getting a fibre service on modern infastructure.

I did use Virgin for internet for a year on the 50Mb service but it fell over quite a lot and binned it in favour of Plusnet DSL which was ideal for 14 years,

BT are not even close to providing a service to rival my previous providers.

To quote a reviewer of BT Business on Trustpilot

"BT for business. Well, after two years of being with BT I can absolutely say I would rather poop in my hands and clap than ever give them a penny of money or a minute of time ever again."