Still on old school Broadband-only contract. New router?

[#1]

I have my phone line with another company, Plusnet supply just my broadband.

I can't switch my phone line to PN as they don't offer options I need that the other supplier does.

Equally the phone supplier don't offer broadband that's competitive with PN.

So I'd like to stay where I am and have been for many years. It works for me.

But my router is pretty old - a Technicolor TG658n, very dated! (Just checked, it's 8 years old)

What are the chances of getting a better one for free or at worst delivery cost without a price hike or contract tie-in (and potential screw-up)?

[#2]

Typo, TG582n router.

[#3]

@HPsauce No chance, I would think, but there are still some BT HH6 modem/routers available on auction sites which will work on PN with no trouble.

[#4]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from ADSL Broadband to My Router

[#5]

or contract tie-in 

@HPsauce well you certainly won't get that! PN like a lot of other ISPs no longer offer BB only contracts. You can stay on the old out of contract price, but they won't offer to recontract.

@jab1   s suggestion of a HH6 is a good one

[#6]

Good suggestion re HH6, I might ask my mates if anyone has a spare one.

I've actually been using a HH5a but it's developed an intermittent fault so had to revert to the TG582n.

On the basis of "If you don't ask you don't get" I might still see what PN can offer, I've been here a while (second time round too).

[#7]

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@HPsauce wrote:

I've been here a while (second time round too).

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Good to see you back on the forum. It's been a while.  🙂

[#8 · Accepted solution]

Hiya @HPsauce, firstly thank you for the loyalty to us for so many years I am sorry our phone service doesn't offer what you are looking for but pleased you want to remain with our broadband service. 

Given the length of time you have been with us, I would be happy to order you a Hub One router, for just the £6.99 p&p cost which would be added to your next bill. 

If you would like me to send you one, please can you just add a comment on the ticket here: https://www.plus.net/wizard/?p=view_question&id=221582076 with your confirmation letting me know once done, and I'll get that ordered for you.

[#9]

That's a very generous offer, I have accepted. 😎

Meanwhile a mate has been round with his TWO spare HH6A's and I've set one up and it's running fine. Uploads are faster too, not sure why.... 🤔

Only real HH6A issue is that it's semi-locked to BT so while I can enter the PlusNet logon credentials I can't save them so will have to manually reconnect after a power outage. Also it's not really configurable enough on separate 2.4 and 5ghz network names, but it will do for now. Interested to see what I can customise on the PN router when it arrives.

[#10]

@HPsauce

There is a thread running on the My Router forumn on how to set up BT Hubs on PlusNet. From memory saving the password is the most common problem but if you follow the guide it should work.

Brian

[#11]

Thanks @HPsauce, it looks like one of my colleagues have already picked that up and actioned it for you

Let us know how you get on with the router!

[#12]

Thanks @LaurenB the router arrived lunchtime today and I'm using it now. 👍

Easy enough to set up and nice that it has the flexibility to configure 2.4ghz and 5ghz with different names.

In that respect it's actually slightly more configurable than the BT Hub6 (Smart Hub type A) I'd borrowed (the old TG582n really wasn't up to the job except as an emergency backup).

The only downside, and it's minor, is that the upload speed is definitely faster (by almost 20%) on the BT Hub 6. Downloads are effectively identical.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread "I've actually been using a HH5a but it's developed an intermittent fault so had to revert to the TG582n." and the new Hub One I've received is at least as capable as the HH5A where I had also split the bands with separate SSIDs. I am able to create a "plug and play" replacement with the new router so no changes in any devices. 😎

I understand that the Hub One is in effect a slightly-modified HH5A anyway so this is not that surprising. Just a bit puzzled about the different upload speeds - test throughputs of almost 0.9mbps (PN) vs almost 1.1mbps (BT Hub 6).

Overall another excellent PlusNet experience. Thanks all round. 

[#13]

Just a bit puzzled about the different upload speeds - test throughputs of almost 0.9mbps (PN) vs almost 1.1mbps (BT Hub 6).

Probably down to the different chipsets. The HH5A (and therefore the PN Hub One) has a Lantiq chipset whereas the HH6(Smart Hub A) has a Broadcom. Depending on your DSLAM type, the differing chipsets in routers can perform slightly better(or worse).

[#14]

Amazing what you find when you have a clear-out. A Plusnet branded Sagemcom 2704N.

I don't think I ever was sent or used it so it must have been "bequeathed" to me by someone, probably when moving home.

I don't suppose it's any use, so I'll "recycle" it unless someone here has a better idea. 🤔

It also has a very long (3 metres?) unshielded ADSL cable with it, so definitely not mine...

[#15]

Amusingly, when I said my old HH5a had developed a fault I was almost certainly wrong. 😂

Too late for it as it's been dismantled and recycled, but my shiny new Plusnet Hub One (essentially the same in a white coat!) developed the exact same symptoms late last night! 😨I also tried the HH6 a mate had lent me - exactly the same symptoms too. 

I triggered a broadband fault report by text, but the Diagnostics Bot said my line was fine. Difficult to believe as my router was attempting to resync constantly, only connecting for at most 30 seconds at a time. 🤔

I checked my phone and got a dial tone but also some odd noises on a quiet line test, so also triggered a test of the phone line by BT. That did come back with a fault - unspecified.

After a couple of hours (almost midnight) it all started working again. And this morning at first all was well, then about 10am the problem reappeared. This time no dial tone!

I then phoned BT to see if they had a fault recorded as nothing was showing on my account. They confirmed it was so I left them to it. I also spoke to a PN advisor (very helpful) to see what status they had and confirm I'd raised a phone fault with BT. They confirmed they could see the repeated disconnections last night and that there was a fault with BT, so best (as I knew) to just leave it with BT for now.

Weirdly not much later it all started working, then went down again and returned a few minutes later. By about 10:45 I had a message from BT saying it was all fixed. And indeed it was, but no indication of what had been wrong.

I went out about an hour later and a few yards down the road passed an Openreach van with someone working in a manhole. Returning a few minutes later the van had moved further along to another manhole.

So I probably blamed my old HH5A for an intermittent BT cabling problem that finally became firm enough to warrant reporting. The presence of engineers working on updating the gas mains in our road could also be a contributing factor, there are lots of big holes and exposed cabling and pipes.