Dan Howdle | May 3rd, 2022
Plusnet broadband review 2022: Is it any good?
Yorkshire-based Plusnet is constantly nipping at the heels of its better known rivals, with decent broadband speeds, great customer service and – most importantly – budget-friendly provision.
Results of our broadband survey
We interviewed 6,000 household broadband decision makers in 2021. This is how Plusnet broadband customers rated their service:
| Installation/switching | |
| Speed satisfaction | |
| Reliability |
| Equipment/routers | |
| Value for money | |
| Likeliness to recommend |
Our review of Plusnet broadband
Plusnet was bought by BT in 2007, but it operates as a separate business, so its broadband deals are often quite different from those of its parent company.
This page will tell you everything you need to know about Plusnet broadband, including what deals are on offer, what to expect in terms of equipment, installation, customer service and special offers, and whether the provider is right for you.
Reasons to buy
- Stellar customer service
- Quick installation
- Decent gift offers
Reasons to avoid
- First month payable upfront
- Slower speeds than Virgin Media and other ultrafast providers
- Line rental required for broadband
Plusnet offers many benefits, including consistently great customer service, competitive average download and upload speeds and quick installation that’s also free of charge (the brand doesn’t charge any upfront fees for getting your broadband up and running).
While Plusnet can’t compete with the speeds offered by Virgin Media, BT, EE and other providers offering ultrafast fibre broadband, average download and upload speeds are in line with what’s available from other major UK providers. Additionally, Plusnet is known for its affordability, and a great option if you’re on a budget and don’t necessarily need an ultrafast connection.
As with all broadband providers, there are some negative aspects with Plusnet. The brand is pretty ‘no-frills’ and the standard ADSL broadband deal comes with a fairly basic router. However you will occasionally see a Reward Card, cashback or an Amazon gift card on offer.
That being said, if you don’t mind dispensing with the bells and whistles, Plusnet’s great customer service keeps its customers smiling and online – surely that’s worth considering?
-
Full Fibre 74- 74Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£24.99 per month£0 one-off cost24 month contract -
£70 Reward CardUnlimited Fibre Extra
- 66Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- PAYG calls
- £70 Reward Card
- Free activation worth £10
£24.99 per month£70 Reward Card£0 one-off cost18 month contract -
£70 Reward CardUnlimited Fibre + Eve & Weekend Calls
- 36Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- Inclusive calls
- £70 Reward Card
- Free activation worth £10
£28.70 per month£70 Reward Card£0 one-off cost18 month contract
Overview
Here’s a quick look at what you can expect to find in a Plusnet broadband deal.
| Download speeds | 10Mbps, 36Mbps, 66Mbps |
|---|---|
| Upload speeds | 1Mbps, 9Mbps, 18Mbps |
| Broadband | ADSL & Fibre |
| Home Phone | Yes |
| Freebies to look for | Reward cards, Free activation, cashback |
| Packages available | Broadband, Broadband and phone |
| Router | Hub One, Hub Two |
| Contract lengths | 12 months, 18 months |
| Prices from | £18.95 per month |
Broadband speeds
Plusnet offers broadband with a choice of three speeds:
Unlimited Broadband: Plusnet’s standard / ADSL deal offers average download speeds of 10Mbps. This deal is great for everyday internet use on a couple of devices, but won’t meet your needs if you regularly stream content or play games online.
Unlimited Fibre: The brand’s entry-level fibre offer has average download speeds of 36Mbps. The package is ideal for multitasking across multiple devices in an average sized household, where people stream content or play games online regularly.
Unlimited Fibre Extra: Customers on the brand’s top-level fibre deal can access average download speeds of 66Mbps. This is perfect for a larger household where members are vying for an internet connection, downloading large files, playing games or streaming content online on a daily basis.
Not sure which package to pick? Our guide to deciding what broadband speed you need has all the answers.
Upload speeds
Upload speeds indicate how fast you can copy or send data from your devices to the internet, cloud storage, or other devices. For most of us, upload speed is less important than download speed, as we stream more data than we send.
Those of us who work from home may take more of an interest in upload speeds, perhaps if you regularly store or share large documents online.
- Unlimited Broadband from Plusnet has an average upload speed of 1Mbps
- Unlimited Fibre has an average upload speed of 9Mbps
- Unlimited Fibre Extra has an average upload speed of 18Mbps
-
Full Fibre 74
- 74Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- No phone line
£24.99 per month£0 one-off cost24 month contract -
£70 Reward CardUnlimited Fibre Extra
- 66Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- PAYG calls
- £70 Reward Card
- Free activation worth £10
£24.99 per month£70 Reward Card£0 one-off cost18 month contract -
£70 Reward CardUnlimited Fibre + Eve & Weekend Calls
- 36Mb average speed +
- Unlimited usage +
- Inclusive calls
- £70 Reward Card
- Free activation worth £10
£28.70 per month£70 Reward Card£0 one-off cost18 month contract
Packages
All deals also include a landline phone connection, with Pay As You Go (PAYG) calls included, as standard. You can also add a range of different call packages to your broadband deal if you’re a regular landline phone user, like free evening and weekend calls to UK landlines and mobiles or free weekend unlimited calls.
Line rental is included in your monthly payments, and you can spread your deal over 12 or 18 months.
Plusnet’s 1571 Voicemail service is included as standard on all paid call plans and Voicemail Extra can also be added to your package for an additional monthly charge.
Plusnet broadband customers can add BT Sport or BT Sport HD to their existing broadband package for an additional monthly fee and then watch the channel through the BT Sport App on your phone or cast it to your TV if you’ve got a Google Chromecast or another bit of kit. The BT Sport app is also available on your tablet, Xbox, PlayStation, Apple TV or Samsung TV, and you can also watch BT Sport. If you have broadband with Plusnet and are an existing Sky TV customer, you can also add on BT Sport at a discounted rate if you sign-up through Plusnet.
Plusnet Call Protect is included in all line rental packages, which blocks nuisance calls on your landline and sends them straight into your junk voicemail.
Routers and installation
All Plusnet broadband customers are sent a router that can be self-installed quickly and easily. If you’re an Unlimited Broadband (standard broadband or ADSL) customer, you’ll get a Hub One, which has four Ethernet ports and two wireless antennas for 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz Wi-Fi connections. The Hub One is a much more capable device than the Hub Zero, which was previously given to Unlimited Broadband customers.
Fibre broadband customers will receive the Plusnet Hub Two, which has four Gigabit Ethernet ports and two wireless antennas for 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz Wi-Fi connections. The Hub Two is a much more capable device than the Hub One, , making it a much better choice for larger households due to its extra range.
You can always choose to use your own router, though Plusnet advises against this and won’t be able to help you with any technical issues if you’re using a model they haven’t supplied.
Installation
Plusnet customers must pay an activation fee to get their broadband up and running, which is occasionally waived as a special offer. Activation usually takes between 5-10 working days if you’re setting it up from scratch, and a minimum of 10 working days if you’re switching from another broadband provider.
In some cases, an engineer may need to install a new phone line at your property if you don’t already have one, or if you’re switching over from a cable service. Your broadband and phone should go live within five working days of the engineer’s appointment. Otherwise you will be sent a router close to your agreed activation date that can be easily self-installed.
Plusnet warns that you will probably see your broadband speed vary over the first 10 days as their system runs tests to find the best speed for your service. You may also experience sudden disconnections during this period.
To find out more about what to expect, read our guide on broadband installation.
Customer service
Plusnet always does exceptionally well in customer service surveys, and has won an array of awards for supporting its customers when things go wrong.
The brand’s UK-based contact centre is open via Live Chat or over the phone on 0800 432 0200, between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am and 7pm on Saturdays and 9am and 6pm on Sundays, 365 days a year. You can contact Plusnet support using Twitter as well.
It's free to call Plusnet's customer services, but with answers to many common questions listed on the website, you might discover you don't need to make the call at all.
The brand also came second (behind EE) for customer service in Ofcom’s latest report – 81% of their customers were satisfied with the services they get from Plusnet, though overall satisfaction with complaints handling came in below average.
Our verdict: Very good
With affordable deals at competitive speeds, and great reputation for customer service, Plusnet is a broadband provider with many attractive qualities.
Though it’s not a great choice for TV lovers, or heavy internet users and doesn’t offer an exciting range of freebies like some brands, the Yorkshire-based provider is a solid choice for no-nonsense broadband provision that’s reliable and budget friendly.
Our experts are available from 10am-6:30pm Monday to Saturday