BT Halo 3 or something else

[macp]

Just wanted some advice folks. I am on the BT Halo 3 fibre package which promises speeds of 66-73Mbps. Currently im paying £47.49 per mth inc landline. Im out of contract now so contacted BT to see what deals are on offer. But overall I have had no major issues with BT.

To stay where I am they offered £45.49 per mth with a fifty quid gift card thrown in. Or they could 'downgrade' me. As they put it to a fibre 2 package with the same speeds for £31.99 per mth. But this removes the Halo backup. This being a free mobile mini hub if the wifi goes down. Also free priority support for fault fixing.

Im seeing a lot of posts by forum members paying around £25 for Plusnet fibre. Firstly anybody else on a Halo 3 package. How does it compare to what im being offered. Secondly am I just paying too much when I could go to Plusnet and be just as happy. Or just downgrade to fibre 2 with BT ?

As always thankyou in advance for your time & patience.

Edited by macp on Saturday 2nd December 17:58

[macp]

A gentle bump

[Blockbuster]

Do you actually need the hybrid connect thing? Or could you make do with using the mobile hotspot on a smart phone instead? Do you have any of the extra WiFi discs?

If you don’t need these things then I would definitely be looking at something cheaper. The plusnet router is the same hardware as the BT Smart Hub 2 so you shouldn’t notice a difference.

[normalbloke]

Is BT your only option? I’ve finally managed to get shot of their ‘services’ once and for all, to a third party fibre supplier. Much more for much less.

[macp]

Blockbuster said:

Do you actually need the hybrid connect thing? Or could you make do with using the mobile hotspot on a smart phone instead? Do you have any of the extra WiFi discs?

If you don’t need these things then I would definitely be looking at something cheaper. The plusnet router is the same hardware as the BT Smart Hub 2 so you shouldn’t notice a difference.

Im not sure if I have understood your question. But I use wifi calling on my mobile as the signal round here is quite poor. Never use the landline. We dont have the extra wifi discs. We used to have issues in the past with the signal reaching my daughters room at the very end of the house. But not had that since we got the Smart Hub and placed it in the hall.

The one thing we have been plagued with on three separate occasions. Is losing quality of service from corrosion of the cable coming into the house. To be fair BT have always sorted it pretty quickly. And cost us nothing as it was nothing we did. But still I guess this is where the Halo bit kicks in.

Edited by macp on Sunday 3rd December 10:47

[macp]

normalbloke said:

Is BT your only option? I’ve finally managed to get shot of their ‘services’ once and for all, to a third party fibre supplier. Much more for much less.

Im not 100% certain but yes I think its the only option.

[C G]

BT have the best wireless router I think and that's what you're paying for.

For the past 2 years I've been on Now Broadband for £22 a month for 73 Mb fibre (TTC). The provided modem router is naff but bought a TP link replacement off eBay and it's been faultless.

[normalbloke]

C G said:

BT have the best wireless router I think and that's what you're paying for.

For the past 2 years I've been on Now Broadband for £22 a month for 73 Mb fibre (TTC). The provided modem router is naff but bought a TP link replacement off eBay and it's been faultless.

Interesting. I’ve just finished with BT (FFTC) and swapped to Toob FTTP. the supplied router ( Linksys), is leagues better than the outgoing BT router.
https://www.toob.co.uk/linksys-router/

[macp]

C G said:

BT have the best wireless router I think and that's what you're paying for.

For the past 2 years I've been on Now Broadband for £22 a month for 73 Mb fibre (TTC). The provided modem router is naff but bought a TP link replacement off eBay and it's been faultless.

I also read their router is about the best on the market. We get about 60/17 and not found we needed anymore. If possible Im just looking to save some money. But not notice any drop in performance. And ensuring the signal to the end of the house does not drop.

[b0rk]

macp said:

But I use wifi calling on my mobile as the signal round here is quite poor. N

Halo / Hybrid connect uses a mobile datalink as a backup, if all the mobile networks are poor in your area then why pay the extra for Halo.

[macp]

b0rk said:

macp said:

But I use wifi calling on my mobile as the signal round here is quite poor. N

Halo / Hybrid connect uses a mobile datalink as a backup, if all the mobile networks are poor in your area then why pay the extra for Halo.

Not that I dont appreciate all the replies. But this is the sort of info I was hoping for.

[Derek Smith]

I've got Halo 3 together with the 'priority back-up', which I've never used because I've had no problems for the time I've had it, nor would I have needed it in the five years before on some other package. Once I had a small problem with my BT TV box. They had 'an engineer in the area' and asked if they could attend immediately. He wasn't an engineer as such, and just replaced the box. Solved the problem.

My BT package is not the cheapest, but has been used by a neighbour when his Sky went down, and by a family member when her Virgin connection failed. I get reductions of the total package price, although I have to ask for it. Overall, I have no complaints.

We had a power outage and I went into my local town and had a choice of BT hotspots. Only time I've used one, but it was reassuring.

[trickysummer]

I had a similar dilemma, BT 24 month contract for full fibre 100mbs price was £45 / month, I moved to plus net, £35 / month 500mbs speed. The service has been great, one day when speed dropped & after reporting, a customer service person phoned within 20 mins and verified the line was fault free, and talked me through fault finding it to a mesh repeater on my home WiFi which needed a reboot. All back up quickly.

I’ve been impressed by plus net so far, I moved in April.

[macp]

Thanks all

Im now thinking if I downgrade to the BT fibre 2 package I should still be able to keep the smart hub. Shouldnt I ?

[sgrimshaw]

macp said:

Im now thinking if I downgrade to the BT fibre 2 package I should still be able to keep the smart hub. Shouldnt I ?

Quite likely, yes - but check with BT

I've been with BT for 25+ years, through ADSL -> FTTC -> FTTP, and I've never been without an internet connection for more than an hour or two, and then I can only think of it happening maybe 3 or 4 times ... paying for a mobile signal backup for me would be a waste of money, sounds like you're in a similar position.

I'd check a couple of things, which may make you hold off:

1. How far away are they from installing FTTP in your area.
2. How long would "downgrading" tie you in
3. Is it worth waiting until 1/4/24 and then negotiating AFTER they have applied their annual, frankly obscene, increase.

[macp]

sgrimshaw said:

Quite likely, yes - but check with BT

I've been with BT for 25+ years, through ADSL -> FTTC -> FTTP, and I've never been without an internet connection for more than an hour or two, and then I can only think of it happening maybe 3 or 4 times ... paying for a mobile signal backup for me would be a waste of money, sounds like you're in a similar position.

I'd check a couple of things, which may make you hold off:

1. How far away are they from installing FTTP in your area.
2. How long would "downgrading" tie you in
3. Is it worth waiting until 1/4/24 and then negotiating AFTER they have applied their annual, frankly obscene, increase.

Thankyou for the excellent reply.

And I agree we also have experienced very few outages.

Although we seem to be surrounded by activity (Warmingham). Openreach state they dont have any major plans to to build in this exchange.
Downgrading will tie us in for 24mths
As to point 3 they dont seem keen to negotiate currently so....... ?

So the answer seems to be to just wait it out. And dont do anything. I think ?

[dickymint]

macp said:

sgrimshaw said:

Quite likely, yes - but check with BT

I've been with BT for 25+ years, through ADSL -> FTTC -> FTTP, and I've never been without an internet connection for more than an hour or two, and then I can only think of it happening maybe 3 or 4 times ... paying for a mobile signal backup for me would be a waste of money, sounds like you're in a similar position.

I'd check a couple of things, which may make you hold off:

1. How far away are they from installing FTTP in your area.
2. How long would "downgrading" tie you in
3. Is it worth waiting until 1/4/24 and then negotiating AFTER they have applied their annual, frankly obscene, increase.

Thankyou for the excellent reply.

And I agree we also have experienced very few outages.

Although we seem to be surrounded by activity (Warmingham). Openreach state they dont have any major plans to to build in this exchange.
Downgrading will tie us in for 24mths
As to point 3 they dont seem keen to negotiate currently so....... ?

So the answer seems to be to just wait it out. And dont do anything. I think ?

There are major changes going on now and ongoing with BT and EE (All to be rebranded under EE) existing customers can remain as BT but I'm suspecting there will be incentives to switch to EE - This also applies to BT TV which will for example include Apple TV. I'd say hang fire for now and stay 'out of contract'.

Edited by dickymint on Thursday 7th December 13:24