Has anyone had a good experience of moving from FFTC to FFTP?

[#1]

@Clarissa 

Although the CSP will probably be at ground level it's possible the installer will be happy to run the fibre cable back up the wall to enter at your preferred location.

Unfortunately you just don't know until they turn up. A good engineer will work with you if it's possible.

The router connects to the ONT via ethernet cable so doesn't have to be in the same location. If it's downstairs you could always get someone in to run a cable externally to your desired location upstairs.

If you leave PN you lose PN email it this matters.

Brian

[#2]

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@Clarissa wrote:

Is there any hope? There must be some customers out there who have had a good experience?

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The issues you see around here are NOT related to the ISP, but BTOR FTTP installation issues / delays.  This you would encounter the same with any ISP using BT supplied infrastructure.

By the way, it is double-T (To The) not double-F as in

• FTTP - Fibre to the Property
• FTTC - Fibre to the Cabinet (then copper to the property ... which will continue long after PTSN is switched off)

[#3]

"In general you only see posts about the ones that go 'pear shaped'."

And there's little in the way of statistics to give any indication of the level of "pear-shapedness". I would also say that some who have 'pear-shaped' migrations/installs never get as far as the forums?

[#4]

Thanks. 

Not sure about the ethernet cable around the house idea. It would have to be an exceptionally long cable - probably over 16 meters. I wonder how much speed I might lose? And are ethernet cables weather proof for extreme cold, etc? Has anyone else installed one outside? Something else for me to Google I guess!

I don't bother with PlusNet email anymore, since they started deleting messages more than 3 months old. I was under the impression that their email service will cease to be available to everyone eventually anyway.

[#5]

I wonder how much speed I might lose? 

You wont lose any speed, Cat5e or better cable is capable of 1Gb up to 100m.

And are ethernet cables weather proof for extreme cold, etc? Has anyone else installed one outside? Something else for me to Google I guess!

Provided its external grade cable it should be fine.

[#6]

Thanks.

I realise the installation issues are mostly caused by BTOR and would therefore apply whichever ISP I go with, but it helps a lot to know what is in my road by way of the BT Wholesale link I was provided with earlier in this thread, and other people's experiences, thanks to the wonderful people on this forum who are willing to share their time and knowledge. I have a better understanding now of why some people encounter more issues. 

The Customer Service and communication / updates during the installation / switch processes is down to the ISP though. Are PlusNet going downhill in terms of customer service, as some people say they are? But then again, some people say the same about Zen. It seems if you read some people's reviews neither company is as good as it once was.

Ha! Ha! Thanks for pointing out my FFTP v FTTP mistake! I thought it was Full Fibre To Cabinet / Full Fibre To Premises, and everyone else was typing it wrong! I will make sure I type it correctly in future.

[#7]

Emails were never deleted at 3 months old.

Deletion could be the function of an email client (something under the control of the user).

What Plusnet does do is to ARCHIVE the content of a mailbox which has not been accessed for 90 days. Such archives are available for restoration for a further 30 days. After that they are indeed lost due to no use of the mailbox.

From were have you gotten the impression about ceasing the mail service? No plans to do this have been announced.

[#8]

@Clarissa wrote:

"And are ethernet cables weather proof for extreme cold, etc?"

The plastic in an unsuitable cable breaking down due to ultraviolet light from the sun is more likely to be a problem than cold weather.

.

[#9]

Ah, it was probably me not reading the emails often enough that caused the deletion then. Apologies for the misinformation. I asked for them to be restored from archive when I discovered archiving was happening, but PN could only restore 3 months' worth, and the ones older than that were completely lost. It's not an issue. I don't use PN email anymore.

Not sure where I got the "No email" in future from. It might have been a premonition. PN do seem to be slimming down their offering to simply residential deals, having got rid of mobile phone deals, business accounts and no VOIP deals.

[#10]

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@Clarissa wrote:

... ethernet cable around the house idea. It would have to be an exceptionally long cable - probably over 16 meters.

... are ethernet cables weather proof for extreme cold, etc? Has anyone else installed one outside?

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Here is an example of exterior grade, UV protected, and weatherproof, Cat6 patch cable (20m) - eBay : Exterior grade Cat-6 patch cable 

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@Clarissa wrote:

... ethernet cable around the house idea. .. ... I wonder how much speed I might lose?

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You wouldn't lose ANY speed.

@Clarissa  also consider using Powerline adaptors to extend your ethernet and/or WiFi across your house -

• What is Powerline ? 
• Powerline adaptors 
• Internet and Wi-Fi anywhere 

.

[#11]

@Clarissa 

PN no longer offer email to new customers - it's now a legacy service. There are rumours from time to time about its forthcoming demise but until PN state otherwise it works.

As stated, if you go down the route of external cabling then so long as it's a good quality outdoor cable then there's no problem. Going down this route gives a solid starting point up and downstairs.

As stated there are other options but given the speeds available it might be worth spending a bob or two as an investment. It's future proof as all you would need to do is change the equipment at either end if required. However, don't do anything until FTTP is installed and running.

If you do go down the FTTP route, do let us know how the install goes.

Brian

[#12]

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@bmc wrote:

@Clarissa 

PN no longer offer email to new customers - it's now a legacy service. There are rumours from time to time about its forthcoming demise but until PN state otherwise it works.

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And those rumours are exactly that until the company publishes an official declaration. Re-igniting unfounded speculation is not helpful.

[#13]

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@Clarissa wrote:

Thanks for the heads up. Forewarned is forearmed. 

I Googled this and found it MIGHT be possible to install the CSP at ground level, like you say it must be, but then run the fibre optic from the CSP across the outside of the building rather than the inside before entering the building through the wall to the ONT on the first floor. I hope I get a engineer willing to do this. Trying to run the cable internally from the ground floor living room at the front of house to the home office on the first floor at the back of the house is not an option .

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what you could do if the engineer who visits won't do this for you, have the ont installed inside at ground level and somebody come over and put external grade cat5e from the ont back outside and up the house to the router up via a conduit

[#14]

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@Smith7 wrote:

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@MisterW wrote:

3) Its not been possible to place any new order for a PSTN connection since Sept 2023

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PlusNet say they can still offer a FFTC service but EE says this is wrong

Openreach are spending millions of pounds putting fibre cables in roads and are going to use them 

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EE is right and wrong at the same time. No one can offer you "WBC FTTC" pn can't idnet cant etc; any one who uses or's products can't do that anymore. Why; because WBC FTTC is an analog phone plus vdsl2 product. What Pn is now offering like many others who use OR products is "WBC SOGEA" which is vdsl2 only - no analog phone connection.

Both are still fttc as its fibre to cabinet internet.

This is how EE is both right and wrong.

[#15]

3) Its not been possible to place any new order for a PSTN connection since Sept 2023

[#16]

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@Clarissa wrote:

So, I now need to decide between PN FF145 @ £26.99pm plus £3pm annual increases, an old Hub Two router (no Wi-Fi 6) for 24 months or take the leap of faith and go to Zen FF100 @ £28pm, a new Wi-Fi 6 router and no price increases for 18 months? 

Zen must charge different prices for different areas where we live its £35 pm with a £15 set up fee 

Zen looks a better deal for you to go for 🤔

Full Fibre 100

105 Mbps

Estimated Download

£35.00per month£15.00 set-up fee