How much downtime can I expect switch from Bt to plusnet?

[#1]

Activation day Friday and I’m working from home will I have any broadband how much downtime can I expect

[#2]

@lennon49lennon Welcome to the forums. Depends (a) When the engineer visits the cab and (b) when the PN system gets all its ducks in a row, but it should be set up by midnight Friday - sometimes earlier.

[#3]

But will BT work until switch happens or can I expect to have no internet tomorrow?

[#4 · Accepted solution]

I can't realistically answer that - no-one can. The chances are that your BT connection will cease early morning, the engineer then visits the cab sometime during the day, and hopefully when he has completed his task, the automated systems will finish the job - as I said previously, this can take up to midnight, but can be earlier.

[#5]

@lennon49lennon  typically you will lose BT services in the early hours, you will first get notified your phone has been transfered - in my case - lunchtime ish - broadband follows - if all goes well an hour or two later, but as already mention any time up to midnight.

You may get lucky, but getting ducks in a row is a bit like herding cats - which is why they say up to midnight.

[#6]

@lennon49lennon  You haven't said if you already have FTTC with BT or are upgrading from ADSL to FTTC with Plusnet, these are different situations. If you are already on FTTC then it is purely a configuration change on Openreach systems, there would be no physical change to the cabinet connections so no engineer visit required. This should happen quickly but Plusnet's systems would have to be updated to activate the new service so there could  be some delay there. The best thing you can do is if/when you BT connection stops working call Plusnet and ask them to activate the new service ASAP, they may be able to get it up and running by manual intervention rather than relying on their somewhat flaky automated systems.

It is difficult to give any estimate of downtime but it could be as little as half an hour or in the worst case all day until midnight.

[#7]

@RealAleMadrid  sorry, but hat is not correct - it matters not that if already on FTTC, an engineer still goes to the cabinet, it is not just a sorftware switch.

Imagine the uproar from Sky/Talk Talk if they thought PN or EE had an adntage when swapping providers!

Also in extreme cases your FTTC port could be taken to provide another customer if the cabinet is full.

[#8]

@Mustrum  Please explain what the engineer does at the PCP, the same Openreach service is being provided on the same e-side line and the same d-side line so there is nothing to be done, why would they need to change the jumpers at all, I always assumed that it was purely a sottware config change to move the service to a different ISP I don't see why Sky or TalkTalk would be treated any differently, perhaps you are thinking of LLU which doesn't apply to FTTC, there would be changes required at the exchange to move the voice connections for non BT suppliers.

The extreme cabinet full case could result in the FTTC port being allocated to another line but that is unlikely to happen as the order is accepted and in progress.

[#9]

@RealAleMadrid  if only it were that simple, however you forgot the OFCOM requirement for treating all suppliers the same, and that BTW control the equipment in the excgange. Openreach only do as instructed by BTW then hand over to the ISP's

[#10]

I'm not sure exactly what happens in the case of a migration from FTTC to FTTC. BTw/Openreach systems don't seem to be 'clever' enough, at least at the ordering stage, to recognise that the customer already has an FTTC connection, since we've seen situations where the order is rejected due to 'cabinet full' . Whether an engineer is actually sent to the cab and jumpers a new allocated line, or OR's engineering systems detect an already connected one and just reconfigure remotely, well probably only OR know !

[#11]

@Mustrum I don't know what point you are trying to make but as far as FTTC is concerned all the equipment for the Broadband connection is Openreach. You haven't answered the question about what work an engineer would carry out at the cabinet. If a customer switches from Plusnet to TalkTalk for instance there would still be no need to change anything at the PCP. In what way would the remote configuration change that I suggest not be treating suppliers in the same way?

The voice circuits will be on different suppliers equipment but in many cases at a local exchange and not the FTTC head end exchange. 

[#12]

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[#13]

Hello @lennon49lennon

Thanks a lot for getting in touch and welcome to our online Community Forum.

We don't know long long your downtime is going to be in all honesty, which is why we advise customers that their connection can go live at any point up to midnight. If there are any issues on the day, our Provisioning / Technical Support Team will be chasing this up the following day.

your current provider will likely cut you off at some point in the morning. An email will be sent advising your phone service is live later on in the day, followed by another about your broadband.

[#14]

So impressed with Plusnet - internet up and running at 9.25 am great speed too. Will be recommending to my friends

[#15]

Thanks a lot for the feedback there @lennon49lennon, I'm glad you're now up and running. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about your service at all