Plusnet Speed Test - Free FTTC & Full Fibre Speed Check

Run a free Plusnet speed test to accurately measure the performance of your UK broadband connection. This diagnostic tool checks your download speed, upload speed, latency (ping), and jitter in seconds. Once complete, you can compare your actual speeds against Plusnet's officially advertised benchmarks for their older FTTC and newer Full Fibre plans. If your results are lower than expected, read our guide to troubleshoot your Hub Two, check for internal wiring faults using the BT Test Socket, or bypass the ISP hardware entirely.

Technology FTTC (Fibre-to-the-Cabinet) and FTTP (Full Fibre)
Coverage Nationwide UK via the Openreach network
Maximum Speed 900 Mbps on Full Fibre 900
Data Caps Unlimited data on all modern broadband plans
Router Models Plusnet Hub Two (Rebranded BT Smart Hub 2)
Term Contracts Typically 24-month contracts
Typical Latency 8 - 30 Milliseconds (depending on FTTP vs FTTC)
Public WiFi None (Unlike parent company BT, Plusnet lacks hotspot access)

Plusnet Plans & Typical Speeds

Plusnet operates entirely on the BT/Openreach infrastructure. This means your speeds are dictated purely by Openreach's physical cables in your street, not by Plusnet's backend routing.

Plan Name Typical Download Speed Typical Upload Speed Technology Typical Monthly Price
Fibre 36 36 Mbps 9 Mbps FTTC (Copper last mile) £25 / mo
Fibre 66 66 Mbps 19 Mbps FTTC (Copper last mile) £28 / mo
Full Fibre 145 145 Mbps 27 Mbps FTTP (Full Fibre) £40 / mo
Full Fibre 500 500 Mbps 73 Mbps FTTP (Full Fibre) £50 / mo
Full Fibre 900 900 Mbps 110 Mbps FTTP (Full Fibre) £50 / mo

The Hub Two Breakdown

Plusnet currently supplies the Hub Two to its customers. The Hub Two is quite literally a BT Smart Hub 2 enclosed in a white plastic shell with a Plusnet logo. It offers decent range and Wi-Fi 5 capabilities.

  • Admin Access: Go to 192.168.1.254 in your browser. The username is "admin" and the password is printed on the removable plastic card slotted into the back of the router.
  • Wi-Fi Splitting: By default, the Hub Two uses "Smart Wireless" to combine the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands into a single network name. Power users often prefer to disable this in the admin panel to force devices like smart TVs or consoles onto the faster 5 GHz band.

The Ultimate Plusnet Troubleshooting Guide (Reddit Sourced)

To provide actionable advice, we've compiled the most common gripes and technical workarounds discussed by power users on r/Plusnet and r/UK_broadband.

1. The "Bridge Mode" Limitation and Third-Party Routers

Like its parent company BT, Plusnet restricts its Hub Two. It does not officially support a dedicated "Bridge Mode" or "Modem-only mode." If you want to use a high-end mesh system (like UniFi, Eero, or Deco), you must bypass the Hub Two.

  • FTTP (Full Fibre) Bypass: This is easy. Unplug the Hub Two completely. Plug your third-party router's WAN port directly into the Openreach ONT (the white box on your wall). Most standard routers will authenticate automatically via DHCP.
  • FTTC (Fibre 36/66) Bypass: You cannot bridge the Hub Two. You must buy your own VDSL2 Modem/Router (like an ASUS DSL-AC68U). You must configure the new router for PPPoE authentication. Your username is usually [email protected] (found in your welcome email). Some regions also require the connection to be tagged with VLAN 101.

2. The BT Test Socket Trick (FTTC Only)

If you are on an FTTC plan and suffer from constant disconnections or abysmal speeds, your home's internal telephone wiring might be acting as an antenna for interference.

To prove this, locate your BT Master Socket (usually where the phone line enters the house). Unscrew the bottom faceplate and pull it off. This reveals a hidden Test Socket. Plug your Hub Two directly into this test socket using a microfilter. This physically disconnects all internal house wiring. If your speeds improve, your internal wiring is faulty.

3. Diagnosing Hub Two Status Lights

  • Flashing Orange: The Hub is trying to establish a connection. If it flashes for over 10 minutes, there is a line fault to the cabinet.
  • Solid Orange: The Hub has successfully synced with the exchange, but failed to authenticate with Plusnet's servers. This usually means your broadband PPPoE username/password is incorrect, or Plusnet's authentication servers are down.
  • Flashing Pink/Purple: The broadband cable is unplugged or severed.

Understanding FTTC vs FTTP Bottlenecks

If you pay for Fibre 66 (66 Mbps) but only receive 30 Mbps on a wired speed test, Plusnet support will likely inform you that there is no fault. Why?

Fibre 36 and Fibre 66 use FTTC (Fibre-to-the-Cabinet). The "last mile" from the green street cabinet to your home uses copper telephone wires. Speeds over copper degrade massively with distance. If you live 800+ metres away from the cabinet, 30 Mbps is the absolute physical maximum that line can achieve. You are permanently bottlenecked until Openreach installs Full Fibre (FTTP) on your street.

Plusnet Internet - Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Often significantly cheaper than parent company BT while using the exact same Openreach network.
  • Customer service is consistently highly rated (UK-based call centres in Yorkshire).
  • The Hub Two (rebranded Smart Hub 2) is a very reliable piece of ISP-supplied hardware.

Cons:

  • Upload speeds are asymmetrical and relatively slow, even on the top 900 Mbps tier.
  • No native Bridge Mode on the Hub Two router.
  • Historically slower to adopt advanced features like IPv6 compared to competitors.

Competitor Comparison

Competitor Network Focus Key Feature Differences
BT Broadband Openreach (FTTC & FTTP) Plusnet's parent company. BT charges higher monthly premiums but offers perks like access to millions of BT Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide and more advanced mesh Wi-Fi guarantees.
Sky Broadband Openreach (FTTC & FTTP) Another Openreach reseller. Sky locks down their routers extremely tightly (requiring MER/Option 61 authentication to use a third-party router), whereas Plusnet uses simpler PPPoE.
Virgin Media Cable (HFC) & Full Fibre Virgin uses its own private network, bypassing Openreach. They can offer Gigabit speeds in areas where Plusnet is stuck on slow copper FTTC. Virgin's modems also support a native Modem Mode.

Ensure your connection is perfectly stable by using our supplementary testing tools:

  • Ping Test - Evaluate raw latency and response stability.
  • Global Ping Test - Check your latency from routing locations worldwide.

Plusnet Internet - Frequently Asked Questions

What does the flashing orange light on Plusnet Hub Two mean?

A flashing orange light means the Hub is trying to establish a broadband connection with the exchange. If it turns to solid orange, it has synced but failed to authenticate (meaning your Plusnet username/password is incorrect). If it flashes continuously for more than 10 minutes, there is a physical line fault.

How do I log into my Plusnet Hub Two?

Open a browser and navigate to http://192.168.1.254. The username is "admin". The password is printed on the removable plastic card on the back of the Hub (this is NOT the same as your Wi-Fi password). If forgotten, press and hold the reset pinhole on the back for 20 seconds to factory reset.

Can I use my own router with Plusnet?

Yes, but the Hub Two doesn't have a Bridge Mode. For FTTP (Full Fibre), simply plug your third-party router directly into the Openreach ONT wall box. For FTTC, you must purchase a separate VDSL2 Modem/Router and configure it with PPPoE (using your '[email protected]' credentials) and VLAN 101 tagging.

Is Plusnet the same network as BT?

Yes. Plusnet is owned by BT Group. They use the exact same Openreach cables to your house and the exact same EE/BT backbone network. The only differences are the price you pay, the branding on the router (Hub Two = Smart Hub 2), and the customer service teams.