Does Plusnet have any happy customers?

[#1]

Very pleased for you quickbrew. I take it you have either re-set your TP-LINK wifi's ssid and password settings to match those of your new Plusnet router, or changed those of the new router to those of your old Sky one? I did the latter; my two TP-LINK extenders flashed a red light for a minute or two then reverted to normal sending out very strong wifi signals.

[#2]

@DC1,

Hello again. Not sure what I have done wrong but I am sure it is me.

I ended up factory resetting the TP Link powerline kit then started from scratch. It all worked OK with the extender in the same room as the rest of the kit which connects to the router but as soon as I put the extender where it used to reside in another room, it just doesn't work.

I have tried relinking, resetting till I don't know what day of the week it is.

Anyway, long story long (in my case) I have an ethernet cable installed under my lounge floor which allowed me to resite my old TPLink dual band router with clear line of site to the other end of the house using it to rebroadcast the Hub 1.

Works a treat, at farthest point I still get a suitably strong signal.

Meanwhile, I will still play with the Power line extenders and learn from it all. 🤗😊🏆

[#3]

This once happened to me when I had been experimenting moving extenders around.  In my case the problem was that the cloning buttons were just not doing their job.  I overcame that by going into the extenders' settings and cloning them manually by changing their SSID and password to the SSID and password of the router's wifi signal.

[#4]

 @DC1

A happy customer

[#5]

@DC1,

Following your suggestion:

I completely reset the 3 TP Link power line adaptors, the master and the 2 slave units, relinked as indicated in the operators manual also manually edited the SSID and login password to exactly match the router/cloned. 

Got the correct sequence of flashing lights on the powerline slaves and strong signals from them on a WiFi analyser app on my mobile phone. I have also tried using the same channel (6) for the all 3 devices on the 2.4 Ghz and then tried separated to channels  1, 6, 11 but to no avail. 😵 either way. I get a very strong 5 Ghz signal in my lounge but 5 Ghz suffers more significantly from poor brick wall penetration and the powerline adaptors (I have) are 2.4Ghz only -  so 5 Ghz in lounge only. 

I disabled the WiFi on my laptop and connected it to the powerline slave unit via ethernet and got online OK ((so clearly this is a WiFi problem, may even be too many devices interfering with each other as we also have cordless phones (also 2.4 Ghz) in every room))  - switched the wireless back on the laptop, disconnected the ethernet cable and connected to strongest WiFi signal - (being the nearest power line slave unit)  - but it cannot resolve an IP address and ends up with authentication issues. 

I have tested by connecting the powerline master unit directly to the Plusnet Hub 1- which is in turn connected directly to the BT master dual-faced socket - (offering pre-filtered phone on one side and RJ45 router connection next to it,)  with no success.

I have also carried out all of the exact same procedure/s/actions directly from/on my old TPLink router which is currently connected to the Plusnet Hub 1 by a long underfloor ethernet cable (not in the WAN socket)  and set 'successfully' in DHCP relay mode with DNS disabled and broadcasting a nice wide signal covering 95% of the home,  but again problems resolving IP address when using the powerline units, and on the occasional successful IP lock/log-on to the powerline units I have excellent strength WiFi access to my LAN but with no Internet access.

I have no such difficulties wirelessly logging on directly to the common SSID at the TP Link router which provides an IP address (relayed from the Hub 1) almost instantly and has achieved an Internet connection ping as fast as 1 ms. 

As the old TP Link router is doing an excellent job of bouncing my WiFi through 90 deg having  a clear line of site to the far end of the house,  I can get strong WiFi signal down a straight hallway through an open door, to one seat at the dining table but not from the seat opposite which is WiFi blocked by 3 brick walls.  😱 Incidentally, I live in an upstairs flat and all the power sockets are on one ring-main and everything else is on a common consumer unit. 

Looks like the TPLink Powerline units may well end up on Ebay.  The odd thing is they worked on ADSL2+ without issue for over 5 years. 

Hope you are still enjoying a stable service and enjoyed the chocolate.  😇

and to get back on topic: 😈😇😈😇😈😇 I AM a very happy Plusnet customer -  even without a bar of chocolate. Lol. 🤗

[#6]

Crikey quickbrew. Such a pity to have this problem when you are getting such a great broadband service. The only thing that puzzles me is your reference to a TP-LINK router. I've never had such a thing; just a TP-LINK adapter plugged into a power socket near the Plusnet router; a short cable provided by TP-LINK connecting the adapter to that router; and two TP-LINK extenders paired with the adapter in two other rooms. In fact my adapter is a pass-through power socket one so I can power both router and adapter from the same socket. If such an arrangement doesn't work for you even with your router and extenders all cloned to the same SSID and password I can only imagine, as you say, that it's something to do with your upgrade from adsl to fibre (rather puts me off the idea of upgrading- particularly since my 7mb or so of adsl download seems to be running all my kit without problems!). Have you tried the TP-LINK help line?

Incidentally my two extenders work fine even though they are on different ring mains from the converter. What seems to be crucial is not being on the same ring but all the rings they are on being on the same rail in the consumer unit.

[#7]

@DC1, 

Hi DC1, 

Yes, a TPLink Router - N600:

You can see more here: http://www.tp-link.com.au/products/details/cat-15_TD-W8980.html

[#8]

Did you use this instead of a Sky router when you were on Sky broadband? If not I don't understand why you needed it at all, or how it fitted into your system.  All my TP-LINK powerline system has ever needed is a TP converter attached to my Sky, now Plusnet, router, and one or more TP extenders paired with it. 

[#9]

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@DC1 wrote:

Did you use this instead of a Sky router when you were on Sky broadband? If not I don't understand why you needed it at all, or how it fitted into your system.  All my TP-LINK powerline system has ever needed is a TP converter attached to my Sky, now Plusnet, router, and one or more TP extenders paired with it. 

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Hi DC1,

Sorry If I have not explained things very well. This got posted before I had finished so I will reply again.

Admin, if you want to delete this post in error please do so as I dont appear to have that option myself.

[#10]

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@DC1 wrote:

Did you use this instead of a Sky router when you were on Sky broadband? If not I don't understand why you needed it at all, or how it fitted into your system.  All my TP-LINK powerline system has ever needed is a TP converter attached to my Sky, now Plusnet, router, and one or more TP extenders paired with it. 

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@DC1

Hi DC1,

Sorry about my previous false post got posted accidentally before I was ready (fat Finger syndrome).

Yes, you are right about the TP-Link N600 router I was fed up with Sky’s paltry equipment so eventually installed my own.

 Over the years, I needed to upgrade my Sky routers, initially from 8011g to 8011n for which they charged me £30.00 for the router and their current one Sky’s Hub SR-102 was just too expensive from them for a router I could outperform for the same money elsewhere, so I bought the current Sky router on eBay - but it packed up after about 3 months.

During this long period of fighting with Sky for my rights, they repeatedly refused to give me my login details so I could use my own router as they say it is against their Ts & Cs and they won’t offer any help or support unless you use their equipment.

As you know - being Ex Sky yourself, the login details are encrypted with a decryption passkey supplied and programmed within the Sky router firmware and will only work with a Sky router unless you can decrypt the information from the router itself - which is what I did, quite legal but Sky don’t like it.

To accomplish this used ‘Wireshark’ to decrypt and extract the login information I needed - to be able to use my own router - which just happens to be a TP-Link one I chose on a special ½ price offer for the features (less than half the cost of the current Sky SR-102) and it has served me well this last 18 months or so.

I have attached a small diagram which visually displays the WiFi coverage I am currently getting just using the two routers as previously explained in my earlier post.

Sorry if I confused matters without proper explanation.

Cheers, 

[#11]

I'm not happy as they have not yet sent me a cashback cheque from november 2016, the Daily mail have interviewed me today regarding this and say they have seen a lot of complaints regarding the same so they are doing an article on the scam plus net appear to be running.

Don't ever try phoning unless you are ordering a product you wait for ages to speak to disinterested staff

[#12]

I'm sorry your cashback cheque hasn't yet arrived. I have responded to your other thread regarding this. Although you signed up in November, the redemption for the cashback via the email wasn't completed until January.

[#13]

I am the latest in a long line of unhappy plusnet customers... and I haven't even got any service yet!

6 weeks it has taken for me to not have a service, 4 engineer visits, the first three left saying 'I'm sorry I'm not the right sort of engineer'.  then three turn up at once.  Get my phone line connected and working after much gnashing of teeth and 'I can't do that - Health and Safety mate', tell me I'm up and running but tell plusnet that they still need to send out an engineer to finish the work!  what more can they have to do I think, so I ask plusnet and the operative informs me that they will have to ask open reach.  I ask it to be escalated and I receive an email telling me someone from management will contact me within 4 working hours.  24 hours later, no call and when I do call I'm told they've all gone home for the weekend and to call back on Monday.  So I have a working phone line but they won't connect my broadband until they've spoken with open reach...

Basically this whole process has been frustrating  to say the least and a depressing insight into the human condition.  you can tell when a company is under the cosh when its support operatives all sound harangued on the phone.  Like they spend every hour of every working day dealing with people who are annoyed because getting the basics right is beyond the abilities of the corporation they are supposed to represent.

If you were wondering what the point of my tale is other than the catharsis of its telling not much really.  Nothing will change, big corporations will continue to offer appalling service happy in the knowledge that you have no choice.  If you read any forum on the web about ISPs they appear all the same.  If you need broadband as a business grasp the nettle and ISP will do but be prepared to go through the whole gamut of human emotions on your journey to a level of connectivity most countries in the developing world have enjoyed for over a decade! 

Thanks plusnet... for nothing yet!

[#14]

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@bluedotp wrote:

I am the latest in a long line of unhappy Plusnet customers... and I haven't even got any service yet!

6 weeks it has taken for me to not have a service,

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Well  @bluedotp,

You certainly seem to have suffered more than your fair share of problems but I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned openreach, click here to read their claim of:

"We look after the network that keeps
UK homes and businesses connected"

You may have seen on the News fairly recently that Ofcom (click here to read article) has challenged BT over its suspected incestuous relationship with openreach.

The consumer service Which are currently running a campaign. They know the majority of new customer problems when they choose a new ISP are suffering delays, broken promises, inefficient support service and worse of all when things go wrong, being left in the dark with no idea just what is happening, leaving you wishing you had never signed up in the first place.

Although my words offer little or no comfort for your woes, I am afraid that in your case, (whilst perhaps more extreme than many others), your problems are simply a symptom of a poorly operated infrastructure with problems experienced by all the headline ISPs who have to rely on openreach to carry out connections, maintenance and other new works to the national network.

2 years ago the BBC's Watchdog programme (series 34: episode 6) *

                                                                        Please do watch the video it is very enlightening.*

BBC Watchdog Scalds BT Openreach for New Home Install Delays

Broadband customers can only complain to their providers, not openreach - who have no customer service department at all. In your case this is Plusnet, who are mentioned in this video about openreach, it explains much.

I sincerely wish you get your problems sorted soon but perhaps this post will put things in a more understandable basis.

[#15]

I just received my £50 cash-back cheque from Plusnet - in effect giving me about two months' free line rental, broadband and phone calls.  Very fair consolation indeed for the pain I went through in the connection process.  As I said before, I give Plusnet ten out of ten for making amends.