Fibre Install Nightmare

[#1]

I decided to jump ship from O2 to Plusnet Fibre broadband.On the 22nd May I booked the installation to take place on the 8th June.By the 6th June,the router had not arrived,so I rang Plusnet to inform them of this.I was told a router would be sent out to me.
I was also told that having the router was not crucially important to the install,since the BT engineer would be bringing the modem with them on the 8th,so at least I would have fibre broadband on a PC connected to the modem via ethernet.
At 8am on the 8th June,the BT engineer telephoned to say he was on his way.He did ask if the router had arrived.When I told him it hadn't,he said - "Well there's absolutely no point in me coming to install if there's nothing there for me to install".I told him I was under the impression that he would be bringing a modem & that I could connect a PC to that,he told me "Absolutely not.No way.I'm not coming if the kit's not there".
One hour later the router arrived.I rang the BT engineer on the mobile number he failed to conceal when he rang me earlier.
When I told him the modem had arrived,he responded "Too late.You've missed your slot.Take it up with Plusnet.It's their fault".
Plusnet tell me I now have to wait for TWO WEEKS before a slot becomes available.
After taking a day's leave from work,I will have to take another day off.
To say that I'm unhappy is a gross under statement.
Hitherto,my experience to dealing with Plusnet has been entirely negative and I cannot recommend anyone I know to do business with them.

[#2]

Welcome to the forum tontokowalski  
You can read about a similar situation in this thread http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,105346.0.html
The general consensus is that BT Openreach were in the wrong as their equipment could have been installed and tested without the router being present.

[#3]

After you've taken the second day off work you should be entitled claim compensation from Plusnet - there's been discussion about this on MoneySavingExpert.

[#4]

You should have done what I did.
Raised a ticket 10 days before installation, to ensure your router arrived.
I wanted to pre-configure it, anyway.
It's not true that you could have plugged your PC into the LAN1 port of the BT modem as:-

• You would have no firewall


• You would have no DHCP


• You would have no router supplied DNS

I think BT were right and Plusnet were wrong.

[#5]

OK he might have argued that the connection wasn't safe to use without the router firewall protection, but it would have proved the BT installation and if the router turned up a day or two later he would be up and running without having to take further time off work.
(Your points about DHCP and DNS are wrong as they will be set up on the PC when the PPPoE connection is established)

[#6]

My fibre modem was installed before the BT guys asked for a router.

[#7]

Quote from: Un

You should have done what I did. Raised a ticket 10 days before installation, to ensure your router arrived. I wanted to pre-configure it, anyway. It's not true that you could have plugged your PC into the LAN1 port of the BT modem as:- You would have no firewall You would have no DHCP You would have no router supplied DNS I think BT were right and Plusnet were wrong.

"Raised a ticket".....what's that?

[#8]

http://contactus.plus.net/

[#9]

Quote from: jelv

After you've taken the second day off work you should be entitled claim compensation from Plusnet - there's been discussion about this on MoneySavingExpert.

Link to MSE http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/delivery-rights

[#10]

Quote from: Un

You should have done what I did. Raised a ticket 10 days before installation, to ensure your router arrived. I wanted to pre-configure it, anyway. It's not true that you could have plugged your PC into the LAN1 port of the BT modem as:- You would have no firewall You would have no DHCP You would have no router supplied DNS I think BT were right and Plusnet were wrong.

The BT engineer was wrong, and the bit about DCHP and DNS is wrong. I've read a thread somewhere, I'll see if I can find it.
That's no excuse for Plusnet not getting the Router there in plenty of time though.

[#11]

Regardless of whether or not it would be safe to use the connection without a Router, the engineers responsibility is to install the new socket along with the modem. It's not the BT Openreach Engineers responsibility to install the Router. Whether or not the router has turned up, the installation should have took place.

Quote

"Raised a ticket".....what's that?

If you have raised a ticket, we can get this looked into for you.

[#12]

The BT guy was in the wrong. BT need to set up the modem. They can do this without any need for a router, and indeed they would be better off not doing anything with a router even if it was available as they are not responsible for fixing any problems with a router that doesn't belong to them.
My BT guy didn't ask for a router, and he left the premises before I'd attached my router to the modem. Which I was quite happy about.
My BT guy did a great job. Your original one, I suspect, simply wanted to avoid the job.
That said, plusnet should have got a router to you before the install date.

[#13]

Sad to say there is just the possibility that the BTOR man was running behind time on his job schedule...so an excuse to avoid doing a job was just what he needed to to get ahead - avoid a load of grief from his manager.
Mind if if this was the case it probably was not his fault that he was behind - he'd probably been given a series of dire jobs which over-ran.

[#14]

Quote from: Chris

It's not the BT Openreach Engineers responsibility to install the Router.

I repeatedly get the impression that Openreach engineers routinely connect up the Homehub 3 on BT installs, some of the engineers still seem to be under the impression that FTTC means BT Infinity.
The engineer who installed my FTTC took one look at my router and said 'I don't think it'll work with that' but he installed the modem and waited while I connected my router anyway, he left a little more enlightened than when he arrived.
I don't know what protection it gives but the BT modem (Huawei verion anyway) does have a firewall (it's a setting on the firewall that blocks user access to the GUI), anyone connecting direct to the modem should be OK with a software firewall running anyway.
PlusNet do need to make sure that the routers are sent out in good time but the BT engineer was definitely at fault here for failing to install.

[#15]

I couldn't agree more walker23. With regards to the Wireless Router being sent out, we do try to ensure that these are sent out in a timely fashion ready for when the engineer installs the modem so that you can use the Internet Connection there and then. There was a slight back log of routers being sent via Royal Mail due to the Bank Holidays we have just had but I think that should have cleared by now.