Home broadband

[nicholab]

Which broadband provider for home I could get Vodafone 500mb or Fibrus 300mb?

[Roberto]

Which broadband provider for home I could get Vodafone 500mb or Fibrus 300mb?

 

Are those the only two choices?

 

If it's going to be over the same BT openreach lines no matter who you choose then what else is important to you? I'd be thinking about things like customer service, availability, etc. https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/guides/which-broadband-provider-is-best-for-customer-service/. Also about your needs - how many people and devices - a couple with a tablet each and maybe a couple of TVs might have different needs from a family with 2 or 3 kids, all of you on the go, multiple TVs, consoles, computers all going at once.

 

I've got 350 Mbs Virgin Media cable and to be honest, I think that's fast enough for my partner and I (and we have a fair amount of 'smart home' ballast, a bewildering array of devices that I use for WFH on top of the normal personal devices, and it doesn't struggle in the slightest when we have family visiting either who might bring mobile, tablet, laptop of their own. But you may have different needs of course.

 

Is your house large enough that a WiFi Mesh might be a good idea? If so, do any of the providers you're looking at have an especially good or especially bad story if you might need that capability?

[nicholab]

Fibrus is there own network and 2 eero’s and Vodafone is openreach and their router. I can go with any openreach FTTP ISP but my BT contact is £43 for 150mbit!

[Roberto]

Fibrus is there own network and 2 eero’s and Vodafone is openreach and their router. I can go with any openreach FTTP ISP but my BT contact is £43 for 150mbit!

 

I have to say I quite like the eero mesh. Use it at home myself with 5 Mesh APs, and it works really well.

[Oaktech]

Just gone with Toob over CityFibre as it's now available in my area. Previously been a happy CityFibre business customer.

 

I run 2 properties off it over a Unifi wireless bridge. Unifi wireless at both properties - one longrange AP and one AC Lite. 2 Unifi 8 port POE Lite switches one at each site. Disposed of the Toob router immediately and now running a Mikrotik Cloudcore router plugged directly into their service. Vonage telephone service over Toob & the wireless bridge with QoS and a Yealink DECT handset at the other end. Toob customer support were very helpful and gave me details to set up the Mikrotik without questioning what I was doing.

[nicholab]

I have had another look and Plusnet can offer me the same service as BT for £27.99 vs 43.74.

 

Not sure if it worth going up to a £300mb service.

 

Plusnet don’t offer a phone service so that might be an issue.

[Roberto]

Plusnet don’t offer a phone service so that might be an issue.

 

Everyone is moving to VOIP these days instead of a traditional PSTN phone if you want a landline. Surprised that plus net don’t have something as they’re part of BT and BT are moving their customers to VOIP. Don’t get me started on how bad that migration was for my elderly in-laws btw, it was shocking, and I hate to think what it must be like for other elderly non-techies who don’t have someone like me to call when it doesn’t work an BT won’t help…

[Jawloms]

I have had another look and Plusnet can offer me the same service as BT for £27.99 vs 43.74.

 

Not sure if it worth going up to a £300mb service.

 

Plusnet don’t offer a phone service so that might be an issue.

 

But they do offer a static IP for a one off payment of about a fiver if that's of interest?

[nicholab]

There now an option to get Fibrus 300/100mb for £19.99 a month with 2 eero’s. Is this worth it they are an alt-net.

[Davit2005]

I'm thinking of EE FTTP. It's about half the price I'm paying my ISP but I have got 5 IPv4 and a IPv6 /56 addresses with my current ISP but TBH one static IPv4 will be OK. Dynamic DNS/IP solution won't work for me at the moment :-( .

 

Anyone gone with EE FTTP residential services, can you use your own router/firewall any chance of a static IPv4??

 

Run my own PBX so phone wise I'm sorted, eventually will go mobile and use something like WhatsApp only I'm sure :-)

Edited November 6, 2023 by Davit2005

[Horizontalmatt]

Just gone with Toob over CityFibre as it's now available in my area. Previously been a happy CityFibre business customer.

 

I run 2 properties off it over a Unifi wireless bridge. Unifi wireless at both properties - one longrange AP and one AC Lite. 2 Unifi 8 port POE Lite switches one at each site. Disposed of the Toob router immediately and now running a Mikrotik Cloudcore router plugged directly into their service. Vonage telephone service over Toob & the wireless bridge with QoS and a Yealink DECT handset at the other end. Toob customer support were very helpful and gave me details to set up the Mikrotik without questioning what I was doing.

 

I am counting the days for CityFibre to be available in my area. Virgin's connection is so temperamental on my road

[Davit2005]

I am counting the days for CityFibre to be available in my area. Virgin's connection is so temperamental on my road

 

Not a fan of VM at all. I was with Cable & Wireless, then stayed when they went over to NTL and then stayed a bit when the went to VM. The minute they went to VM I started having issues to the point where all the support calls were refunded as lasted at least 10 mins.

 

A previous job had our LEA internet provided by VM, lets jus not go there at all, so many issues such a long time to get anything done.

 

I've not personally had issues with BT at all but there have been like 2 issues when I was a field engineer but that is it.

 

City Fibre not available in my area :-( .

Edited November 7, 2023 by Davit2005

[2ilent8cho]

Can you get Zen? They give you a static IP, have actual Tech support at the over end, don't oversubscribe their network and guaranteed no price increases mid contract. But it is £40 a month for 300Mbps.

[Davit2005]

Can you get Zen? They give you a static IP, have actual Tech support at the over end, don't oversubscribe their network and guaranteed no price increases mid contract. But it is £40 a month for 300Mbps.

 

Good call on the Zen :-)

[nicholab]

I could get Zen but Fibrus and Plusnet offer connections for cheaper >£27.99. Fibrus offer two eero’s as part of their package.

 

I would also need to have a new fibre run from the pole and a new ONT.

Edited November 7, 2023 by nicholab

[timbo343]

I could get Zen but Fibrus and Plusnet offer connections for cheaper >£27.99. Fibrus offer two eero’s as part of their package.

 

I would also need to have a new fibre run from the pole and a new ONT.

The eeros aren't really worth it - ive got one on TalkTalk. I had a Draytek 2860 and thought the eero would be better, how wrong was i!

 

I bought a draytek 2765 and put the eero in as a glorified AP.

[nicholab]

The eeros aren't really worth it - ive got one on TalkTalk. I had a Draytek 2860 and thought the eero would be better, how wrong was i!

 

I bought a draytek 2765 and put the eero in as a glorified AP.

 

I am wondering if the use of the existing openreach fibre is less hassle. That saves having a new fibre and ONT on the wall so I might win wife points!

[timbo343]

I am wondering if the use of the existing openreach fibre is less hassle. That saves having a new fibre and ONT on the wall so I might win wife points!

Depends where they come into the house. I told the MJ Quinn guy where i wanted the ONT. They wanted to put it on the other aide of the wall to where the grey splice box was on the external wall, that's behind the tv, so i got them to put the ONT where the master BT socket was in the hall.

 

Fortunately i've run cat6 throughout the house and they all terminate in the old airing cupboard so router and eero is up there out the way.

 

What i'm trying to say is, you should be able to get them to out the ONT where ever.

[XiJ]

My ont is in my loft with my cab. I ran some conduit through the loft allowing him to run the fibre from the splice box up the drain pipe and through my conduit. I had a pull cord to help me pull it through while he fed it in. He was more than happy to do that. It took all of 10 mins.

 

He spent the rest of the day sat waiting for a mate to help him lift the ‘manhole’ cover he needed access to. Only time I’ve felt sorry for openreach!

[nicholab]

I already have an Openreach ONT with internal splice point. Moving to Fibrus I would get a new fibre run from the pole and new ONT. There an Alt-net in NI and the North.

[timbo343]

I already have an Openreach ONT with internal splice point. Moving to Fibrus I would get a new fibre run from the pole and new ONT. There an Alt-net in NI and the North.

Then as you say if it means keeping the other half happy, i'd go with that option [emoji854] unless you can talk them round to improved speeds and cheaper bills.

[jmak]

Trying to decide what to do with mine. I signed up that I was interested in Country Broadband about 2½ years ago. There's been a coil of fibre on post next to my house for over a year and about a month ago they told me I could arrange connection.

 

But Openreach are putting in poles and supposed to have five available within 3 months. County Broadband haven't had the best reputation and I presume I'd be stuck with them whereas I'd be able to choose retail provider if I wait for Openreach.

 

The two doubts I have are 1) will it actually take 3 months? 2) How will they connect it? The post 5m from my house carries overhead power, Openreach copper and County Broadband fibre. Apparently Openreach aren't allowed to put fibre on poles that already carry power or County Broadband fibre, so I can't see where it would come from.

[gethmyster]

I'm leaving Vodafone to go back to VM next week after a few years away - Not loads of choice and no FTTP yet. I left VM mostly just to get better pricing and moved the TV as well but now we're on FreeSat we only need internet. They had a good deal (thanks MSE) so moving back. I haven't been the biggest fan of Vodafone - no major issue just niggles.

 

We have a connection from VM at school and generally don't have any issues so hoping it's the same at home.

[Davit2005]

Hmm, from my own experience personally, experience of an education IT support role where they unfortunately for us used VM for the LEA provided internet and a work colleague who VM have been sending the wrong type of engineer out to for over 2 years I'm jus not a fan of VM at all. Yep they all can have issues and most non VM connections is going to be Openreach or a contractor on their behalf anyway.

[nicholab]

I am I letting the side down not having the fastest internet connection can get being a techie?

 

I wish city fibre were building near me but I am not sure they cover the Glens of Antrim.

Edited November 20, 2023 by nicholab