Which UK Broadband Provider Should I Use?

Cromulent · 17 May 2018 at 20:12

I've been using the Vodafone 4G mobile broadband packages while I've been in hospital but I'm being discharged on the 25th of May, and I want to cancel the mobile broadband because it is pretty expensive.

The question I have though is which broadband provider should I go with? Virgin Media is not available in my area so that option is off the table.

I was looking at PlusNet, and they have decent prices, and they seem to win awards.

Does that seem like a reasonable choice or should I go with someone else?

I need to get fully working broadband as soon as possible.

bremen1874 · 17 May 2018 at 20:38

No reason not to choose Plusnet.

Don't forget to check for cashback offers.

PiKe · 17 May 2018 at 20:40

Or Vodafone broadband.

Rroff · 17 May 2018 at 20:49

PiKe said:
Or Vodafone broadband.

I wouldn't use their broadband just out of spite, even though I use them for my mobiles - I can barely make it through the day without either a physical letter, text message, popup from the Vodafone app (admittedly I could uninstall that), email or even occasionally phone calls from an authorised 3rd party trying to push their broadband offering. To the point I'm almost considering cancelling my phone contracts with them even though I have no problem with that and its generally been an excellent service for me but the pestering to take up their broadband is silly - if I didn't take it up the first few times I'm certainly not going to after the 100th time.

Avalon · 18 May 2018 at 00:12

Essentially all FTTC broadband is the same product re-sold by different ISP's, support and the skill set of the person they send out if something goes wrong varies, other than that it's much of a muchness. Go with whoever offers the best deal for you, Sky, Plusnet, Vodafone or BT are my main 'go-to' options, but consider that John Lewis (provided via Plusnet from memory) offer a free laptop on 12 month contracts which with cash back may work out if for example you need a low end laptop.

gord · 18 May 2018 at 12:53

bremen1874 said:
Don't forget to check for cashback offers.

And don't forget to go direct to their site to check that the cashback offer isn't an artificially inflated monthly fee.

ChrisD. · 18 May 2018 at 12:59

Avalon said:
Essentially all FTTC broadband is the same product re-sold by different ISP's, support and the skill set of the person they send out if something goes wrong varies, other than that it's much of a muchness.

True to an extent, but there are congestion issue with some networks, such as Origin and I have read Vodafone too.

Avalon · 18 May 2018 at 15:57

ChrisD. said:
True to an extent, but there are congestion issue with some networks, such as Origin and I have read Vodafone too.

BTO has congestion issues on a local basis, just ask Housey.

phil-k · 18 May 2018 at 16:04

I have been with Plusnet for about 5 years with no problems at all

Cromulent · 18 May 2018 at 16:51

phil-k said:
I have been with Plusnet for about 5 years with no problems at all

I think I'll go with PlusNet then. The price seems reasonable and I've heard good things about their customer service.

Caged · 18 May 2018 at 22:57

Avalon said:
BTO has congestion issues on a local basis, just ask Housey.

That's a BT Wholesale problem, Openreach don't really go above Layer 2.

Kelt · 19 May 2018 at 14:49

Cromulent said:
I think I'll go with PlusNet then. The price seems reasonable and I've heard good things about their customer service.

Have you checked out Talk Talk?
I've just cancelled my Virgin contract and looking at TTs offer of 39mb BB and LL for 22.50 a month with zero setup fees and no increase in price for the 18mth contract.

Can't see cheaper.

Cromulent · 19 May 2018 at 15:17

Kelt said:
Have you checked out Talk Talk?
I've just cancelled my Virgin contract and looking at TTs offer of 39mb BB and LL for 22.50 a month with zero setup fees and no increase in price for the 18mth contract.

Can't see cheaper.

I need the full 76Mbit package. I couldn't cope with slower broadband than that.

bremen1874 · 19 May 2018 at 15:23

Have you checked that you can actually get the full 76Meg? Most people can't.

Kelt · 19 May 2018 at 15:25

Cromulent said:
I need the full 76Mbit package. I couldn't cope with slower broadband than that.

Well they do that 27.50 a month. How much do Plusnet charge?

And do they guarantee no price increase over the contract period?

Rroff · 19 May 2018 at 15:25

bremen1874 said:
Have you checked that you can actually get the full 76Meg? Most people can't.

Ours is starting to slip a bit now uptake of FTTC has picked up

sometimes I have to resync or it drops to 67Mbit or something like that instead.

Not really the end of the world though as long as it doesn't drop massively.

bledd · 19 May 2018 at 20:27

I use Plusnet

APM · 20 May 2018 at 07:06

I've been happy with BT for two years now,was with VM before and it was a nightmare.

Lartyconshayo · 20 May 2018 at 07:34

WJA96 · 20 May 2018 at 08:21

I’m on a mixture of BT (mostly business work), TalkTalk (parents, siblings), Vodafone (two home lines with 10 fixed IP addresses for less than the price of BT and Virgin (Business/Home Office). I had a PlusNet account for YEARS but they messed me about in the mid-2000s and I haven’t touched them since.

As long as you have realistic expectations for what you are getting for the money (we pay something genuinely horrendous to BT every month for our 1Gbps “leased line” in Media City to £24/month with TalkTalk) then I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with anyone at the moment. Vodafone have this guarantee which they do actually honour and it does push them to upgrade lines and I have to say I’ve been very happy with all of them recently.

That said, Bledd’s been on here a long time and he’s no-ones fool, so I will look at PlusNet next time I come to renew as well.