Broadband

Information about Plusnet Fibre

1. What is Plusnet Fibre?

It's our fibre optic broadband service, offering super-fast download speeds.

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2. How does it work?

Plusnet Fibre uses technology known as 'Fibre To The Cabinet' (or FTTC), which connects telephone exchanges to street cabinets using fibre optic links.

Distance from the telephone exchange no longer has a major influence on your line speed. Instead, distance from the green street cabinet and the quality of the line between the cabinet and your property are now the main factors in determining how fast your line can go.

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3. Who can get it?

If you're a new Plusnet Value or Extra customer
If you can get it in your area, you'll be able to add it to your service when you sign up.

If you're already a Plusnet customer
If you can get it in your area, you'll be able to upgrade to Plusnet Fibre through our Product Change tool.

You'll need to change to either a Plusnet Value or Extra service if you're not on them already.

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4. How can I find out if Plusnet Fibre is available in my area?

Put your telephone number or postcode in our Fibre Availability checker and we'll tell you straight away.

Note: There are some reasons why you may not be able to get Plusnet Fibre, even though you live in a fibre optic broadband enabled area.

• If you're connected directly to a telephone exchange, rather than via a green street cabinet
• If your line is too far from your nearest green street cabinet to support a stable fibre optic broadband service
• Work hasn't yet been done at your nearest green street cabinet
• Your green street cabinet isn't suitable for fibre optic cabling

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5. How much does it cost?

Please see our price guide for more information.

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6. What's the best way to check my speed?

Once Plusnet Fibre is installed, try running a speed test to see how it's shaping up. We recommend http://www.mybroadbandspeed.co.uk. Results are shown in kilobits (kb) and megabytes (MB).

Here's a screen shot showing speedtest results from both standard and fibre broadband products:

In the above example, the speed is 37149kbps (about 37Mb). Your web browser would show this as about 4MB as it uses megabytes (MB) to diplay speed.

Don't worry if you're not seeing full speeds straight away. This should increase within a few hours and you'll probably see some variation in speeds over the first 10 days.

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Installing Plusnet Fibre

7. What happens when the engineer visits?

On the day, the engineer will

Before the engineer leaves

Call to let you know when they'll start working on your line and when they'll arrive at your property (make sure you're in) Temporarily cut off your telephone line while they work. This won't be for too long but make sure you have a mobile handy if you need to make or take a call on the day Install your new master socket faceplate (and extension cable if required) Connect the BT Openreach modem to your line and make sure that the DSL light turns green

We recommend checking that your telephone line works - here's how: To test inbound calls, ask someone to call your home number from another line or mobile. Make sure your telephone rings and you can hear the caller clearly To test outbound calls, dial 17070 from one of your handsets and choose the Quiet Line test. You should be able to hear the test voice clearly with no background noise If you find any problems with your line, make sure you tell the engineer so they can look at it for you.

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8. Where will the engineer install the new master socket and BT Openreach modem?

The engineer should be able to install the service wherever you like, subject to the following requirements:

1. The BT Openreach modem must be connected directly to your new master socket.

2. Your router needs to be connected to the BT Openreach modem with the included Ethernet cable.

3. Both will need to be plugged into a power outlet.

If your master socket isn't in a convenient place (e.g. if there are no nearby power outlets or it's in a garage or attic), the engineer can fit a data extension cable. This will allow you to install the BT Openreach modem up to 30m away from your master socket. If required, the engineer can pin the cable to a skirting board and door frames but may not be able to drill holes in your walls or run it under carpets.

Also, if you're going to use wireless, you'll get a better signal if you can place the router close to where you'll be using broadband the most.

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9. How long will the engineer take?

Installing the Plusnet Fibre takes about 3-4 hours (less if you don't have an extension lead fitted).

You'll get a choice of engineer appointment slots when you signup. These will either be AM (8am to 1pm) or PM (1pm to 6pm) Monday to Friday. Once you've requested your installation we'll let you know as soon as an appointment has been booked for you.

Note: your broadband and telephone won't work for a short while, this is whilst the engineer is connecting your service.

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10. Do I need to be in when the engineer arrives?

Yes. The engineer will require access to you property, so make sure someone is there to let them in.

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11. Will I need microfilters after the installation?

No, your new master socket has built-in filtering. Once Plusnet Fibre is installed, you can remove the microfilters you're currently using.

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12. Can I use my own extension cable(s)?

Only if it's for telephone handsets and other devices in your property. If you don't want the fibre modem to be installed at your master socket then you'll need to ask the engineer to install an extension cable for you (see the last question).

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13. Will I need a new router?

Yes. We supply a fibre wireless router (P&P £4.99) when you sign up. We'll make sure it arrives before or on the day the engineer installs Plusnet Fibre.

We strongly recommend using the router we supply. You can try using your own router if you'd prefer, however this may not work. (For more information see question 16).

Note: You'll get also get a free BT fibre modem which your fibre router will plug into. The BT engineer will bring you your free modem on your installation day.

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14. Tell me more about the router you'll send me

The Netgear WNR1000 supports Wireless-N and has 4 LAN ports for you to connect via Ethernet. Please see Netgear's website for more information.

It's easy to set up using the included guide or the installation guide on our website.

We recommend installing capable Wireless-N adapters on all the computers you use wirelessly. This is because Wireless-G based equipment can't handle the high speeds of fibre optic broadband.

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15. Can I use my own router?

We strongly recommend using the router we're supplying. You can use your own router if you'd prefer, but please note:

• The majority of current broadband routers WON'T work
• Most cable routers will work with fibre if they can use PPPoE and have an Ethernet WAN port
• If you're a Wifi user, we recommend a Wireless-N or better router. This is because Wireless-G based equipment can't handle the high speeds of fibre optic broadband
• If you use your own router we can't provide support if you have problems with it

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This page last updated 15^th March 2012