PLUSNET VALUE FOR MONEY REVIEW
Plusnet value for money: How good is it?
Historically, Plusnet has leaned heavily on its customer service reputation to differentiate itself. But these days, upon close-up examination you can’t help but feel this is a brand in decline. Value for money is a big part of that.
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Plusnet Value for Money Scorecard
Six key areas. One overall score. All calculated using our transparent methodology.
What you get as standard
The features, equipment and services included as standard, before paid add-ons, premium tiers or optional upgrades are added.
Included router quality
How much value the included router adds to the package, including Wi-Fi standard, ports, coverage and overall hardware quality.
Annual price rises
How clearly annual price rises are explained, how predictable they are, and how much they add during the minimum term.
Cost of upgrades and extras
Which useful extras cost more, which are bundled in, and whether upgrades feel sensible or too easy to overspend on.
End-of-contract pricing
What happens when the minimum term ends, whether the price jumps, and how easy it is to avoid poor rollover value.
Service guarantees
The service guarantees, speed promises, compensation rules and fault protections that apply when the connection underperforms.
Fibredog Router Comparison Tool
Compare this provider's routers with each other, or with any other national provider.
Fibredog Annual Price Rise Comparison
See how much each of these provider's packages will go up every April and compare that to any other provider.
Fibredog Rollover Price Calculator
Tell us who you're with and what you're paying and we will tell you how much your price will go up when your contract ends.
Fibredog Speed Guarantees Test
Tell us who you're with and we will check if they're delivering you the minimum speed they promised.
Included router value
Plusnet supplies the same router with every Full Fibre package. Unfortunately, the Hub Two is now badly dated, and there’s no better model or whole-home Wi-Fi upgrade available.
Plusnet gives every package the same ageing router
The Hub Two was once decent
The Plusnet Hub Two is a dual-band Wi-Fi 5 router with seven internal antennas and four Gigabit Ethernet sockets. It was perfectly respectable when it launched and should still handle browsing, streaming and video calls in an average home. The problem is that Wi-Fi 5 is now old technology, and Plusnet has done nothing to replace it.
Full Fibre 900 gets no better equipment
Every Plusnet package comes with the same Hub Two, including Full Fibre 900. A wired device can make good use of those faster speeds, but the router’s older Wi-Fi makes it harder to get what you’re paying for around the home. Choosing a faster package changes the connection coming in, but does nothing to improve the Wi-Fi reaching your devices.
There’s no upgrade when the Hub Two falls short
Plusnet doesn’t offer a newer router, premium model, mesh system or whole-home Wi-Fi service. If the Hub Two can’t reach every room, you’ll need to buy and set up your own equipment. You can replace it with a compatible third-party router on Full Fibre, which is useful, but Plusnet may ask you to reconnect the Hub Two while investigating a fault.
Other providers also supply older routers, but many give you a supported route to better Wi-Fi. Sky, for example, lets you pay extra for a Wi-Fi 6 router and mesh system. Plusnet gives you no such option. An old standard router is much harder to forgive when there’s nowhere else to go.
Sources: Plusnet, Arcadyan Technology
INTERACTIVE TOOL
Compare routers from any provider
This provider’s routers are pre-selected for comparison with one another. However, you can use this tool to compare any router from any major provider using the dropdown menus below.
| Feature | Choose router | Choose router |
|---|---|---|
| Fibredog rating | — | — |
| Router included as standard | — | — |
| Router manufacturer | — | — |
| Router model | — | — |
| Wi-Fi standard | — | — |
| Wi-Fi bands | — | — |
| 2.4GHz supported | — | — |
| 5GHz supported | — | — |
| 6GHz supported | — | — |
| Beamforming | — | — |
| Antenna count | — | — |
| Maximum connected devices | — | — |
| Stated coverage | — | — |
| Total Ethernet ports | — | — |
| MU-MIMO | — | — |
| OFDMA | — | — |
| WPA3 security | — | — |
| Guest network | — | — |
| Antenna type | — | — |
| Gigabit Ethernet ports | — | — |
| 2.5Gb Ethernet ports | — | — |
| 5Gb Ethernet ports | — | — |
| 10Gb Ethernet ports | — | — |
| WAN port speed | — | — |
| USB ports | — | — |
| Telephone ports | — | — |
| ONT Ethernet input | — | — |
| Coaxial input | — | — |
| Power connection | — | — |
| Mesh support | — | — |
| Provider mesh product | — | — |
| Third-party router use | — | — |
| Modem mode | — | — |
| Compatible broadband technology | — | — |
| App management | — | — |
| Parental controls | — | — |
| QoS | — | — |
| Automated QoS | — | — |
| Device prioritisation | — | — |
| Anti-bufferbloat controls | — | — |
| Manual queue management (SQM/CAKE) | — | — |
| Smart channel selection | — | — |
| Security features | — | — |
| Gamer mode | — | — |
| Game traffic prioritisation | — | — |
| Gaming QoS profiles | — | — |
| Server ping routing tools | — | — |
| Latency dashboards | — | — |
| Per-device gaming presets | — | — |
| Gaming VPN routing features | — | — |
| Work from home mode | — | — |
| Automatic firmware updates | — | — |
| Firmware update notes | — | — |
| Router height | — | — |
| Router width | — | — |
| Router depth | — | — |
| Router weight | — | — |
| Power consumption | — | — |
| Router orientation | — | — |
| Wall mountable | — | — |
| Router colour | — | — |
| Self-installation | — | — |
| Browser admin interface | — | — |
| WPS | — | — |
| Status light control | — | — |
| Reset button | — | — |
| Wi-Fi on/off button | — | — |
| Where would you like to go next? | See all tools | See all tools |
Which Plusnet router do you get?
Plusnet Hub Two
Included across Plusnet's current Fibre and Full Fibre range.
It is a dual-band Wi-Fi 5 router with Gigabit Ethernet, beamforming and a strong 4x4 radio on the 5GHz band.
No router upgrade
Even the 900Mbps package receives the same Hub Two.
Plusnet offers no newer premium router, app-managed replacement or package-specific equipment upgrade.
Third-party equipment
Customers must provide their own upgrade for newer Wi-Fi or mesh coverage.
On Full Fibre, a compatible third-party router can replace the Hub Two and connect directly to the Openreach ONT.
Is Plusnet’s included router good value for money?
That depends on the price of the package, but the Hub Two itself is difficult to call good value. It’s usable rather than useless, yet supplying Wi-Fi 5 with Full Fibre 900 is badly out of step with the market. Faster broadband and newer Wi-Fi equipment are often available elsewhere for similar money.
The complete lack of an upgrade makes matters worse. If the Hub Two covers your home and connects everything reliably, you may have no reason to care. If it doesn’t, solving the problem is entirely down to you. Buying your own equipment can work, but you shouldn’t need to do that immediately after signing a new broadband contract.
Having trouble choosing a broadband provider?
No single best provider or package exists – only the best pick for you personally. Fibredog's YourMatch™ system uses thousands of provider metrics and a lot of maths to find you your perfect match.
Plusnet has no provider router-upgrade path
Every current Full Fibre package receives the same ageing Hub Two. Faster broadband does not unlock newer equipment, and Plusnet sells neither a premium router nor a managed mesh add-on.
The Hub Two is the only supplied option
The same dual-band Wi-Fi 5 router is used throughout the current Full Fibre range, regardless of the speed selected.
There is no checkout choice, premium tier or package-specific route to better Plusnet hardware.
Your practical upgrade comes from elsewhere
If the Hub Two cannot provide the coverage or controls you need, you must buy and configure your own router, access points or mesh system.
That flexibility prevents a complete dead end, but the equipment cost and support burden sit with you rather than Plusnet.
What to do before your Plusnet deal rolls over
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Calculate the standard-price jump
Use the calculator above with your promotional starting price and the £4 annual increases that have applied during the term.
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Read Plusnet’s notice
Check the minimum-term end date, published post-contract price and available renewal deal when Plusnet’s notification arrives.
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Do not drift onto the standard rate
Plusnet continues the service monthly after the minimum term, but current evidence shows a substantial average jump from promotional to standard pricing.
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Compare value, not just the discount
Check Plusnet’s new-customer and renewal offers against rivals, remembering that the Hub Two and limited feature set may require extra equipment of your own.
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Recontract or switch
Make the decision before the discount expires. Renewing starts a new minimum term; otherwise switch or accept the higher rolling monthly price.
Do not accept the standard price without comparing
Plusnet supports online recontracting and may offer another deal as the minimum term ends. Its published post-contract prices can be substantially higher than the promotional package prices, so allowing the account to roll over without checking is likely to represent poor value.
Compare the renewal with Plusnet’s current offers and competing providers before taking another minimum term. Remember to compare router quality and missing features too, rather than looking only at the headline monthly discount.
Treat the rollover price as a warning, not a benchmark: A large saving against Plusnet’s standard rate can still be uncompetitive. Judge the renewal against equivalent live deals from the whole market.
How Plusnet service guarantees work in practice
Plusnet covers incoming speed and qualifying service failures, but it offers no provider-backed whole-home Wi-Fi guarantee.
The problem
Your Plusnet service feels slow. The first task is to separate a weak incoming connection from poor coverage produced by the Hub Two inside the home.
Layer 1: the contract
Plusnet participates in automatic compensation for delayed activation, missed appointments and a qualifying total loss of service. The two-working-day threshold triggers compensation; it should not be read as an unconditional promise that every fault will be repaired within exactly 48 elapsed hours.
Layer 2: the minimum speed
Each current Full Fibre package has a published minimum speed. If the connection stays below your personalised minimum, Plusnet has a 30-day period to resolve it before the penalty-free exit protection becomes relevant.
Layer 3: there is no Wi-Fi guarantee
Plusnet does not sell a managed mesh service or promise a minimum wireless speed in every room. A healthy line combined with weak Hub Two coverage therefore falls outside a provider-backed whole-home Wi-Fi guarantee.
What this means
Use Plusnet's speed and fault protections when the broadband reaching the router is at fault. If the line is healthy and the problem is only in-home Wi-Fi, reposition the Hub Two or use independent networking equipment.
Having trouble choosing a broadband provider?
No single best provider or package exists – only the best pick for you personally. Fibredog's YourMatch™ system uses thousands of provider metrics and a lot of maths to find you your perfect match.
Some links on this page may earn us a small commission if you click through and buy. This never affects either what you pay, or our scores and recommendations. If, however, you’d rather bypass affiliate links, use this direct Plusnet link instead.
