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Hi,
We are in the process of moving (once solicitors finally do their "stuff") and starting to consider all the logistics. Currently with Plusnet who say they need 4 weeks to move us? Generally speaking once we know we've exchanged it'll be about 2 weeks to then complete and move so we have an overlap. Plusnet are firm in their 4 week thing (we did argue that if we were a new customer they would magically be around tomorrow but this fell on deaf ears).
Looks like my only option is to use a temp 4/5G hub thing. Come on hive mind, suggest current best options/solutions. Can either see cheap ones that tie you in for 2 years, or flexible ones which cost about the same as the 2 year deal for a few weeks. What sneaky solutions/deals has anyone used recently?
Thanks
Depends on what usage you need...just basic email etc. access? or you you work from home and need netflix/prime etc? Could you cope with triestrial tv in the meantime?
If the former you can probably get by by teathering your existing mobiles.
I had similar in a house move last year and basicaly loaded up my PC with some games and a bunch of movies and just used my phone for internetting in the interim.
Just use your phone and tether to that. Or change ISP and get yourself setup nice and quickly with Zen who are actually good.
yeah just use your phone or cancel the contract and move to a new supplier.
We will have 2 people WFH and 2 children who would die if their Tiktok usage burned through their mobile data allowance.
We asked about just cancelling Plusnet to be able to go elsewhere but they threw the threat of a £180 cancellation fee in our general direction. Outside of this situation Plusnet have actually always done us proud in the 14 odd years we've been with them. Ah the joys of loyalty.
I assume nearly every house move goes though this nonsense of notice periods. We would love to know when our moving date is more than 4 weeks in advance, but that's just not a thing.
We moved last month from fixed line fibre/copper through BT/Plusnet to a ‘Three Mobile hub’. £20/month for 2 years, first 3 months free. I cannot tell the difference between the two, apart from not paying £38/month. Took all of a minute to set it up, can be used on UK holidays, or hotel rooms etc. After getting it, I’m now wondering why anyone bothers with a fixed line, we certainly dont need one. I suppose if we had 2 teenagers watching films/tv through it it may struggle, but just us 2, with only occasional TV use, no problem at all.
I bought a Zyxel 4g router for £40 off ebay (refurbed but basically new). Added to that a smarty sim for next to nothing per month. As long as you have good 3 signal, job jobbed. Its easier to order the sim once you sign up for Smarty so it comes pre-activated, rather than buying a £1 one then having to activate it on your phone then put in the router.
Same trick will work on all pre-pay sims, but Smarty you get unlimited data for £20. If you stream TV for example you'll need more than you think per month.
First, check your coverage. Can you even get 5g? And if so, who's the provider? Tbh 4g might be ok but it could also be slow as hell.
Three do a 1 month plan, £24 a month currently for the 5g broadband. But that's no use if your only 5g signal is from EE.
If you've got a decent 5g signal then it's excellent. I've been on 5g broadband for a couple of years now, speeds ranging from 100mbps to my current 700-800mbps.
Set up time, providing you know where the mast is and the general do's and don'ts (higher is better, away from window frames, line of sight is the best, a 3ft change in position can make a huge difference) is less than an hour.
Your mileage may vary but when I ended up in this situation last year the provider themselves (Vodafone) sent me a free 4G WiFi hotspot loaded with unlimited data.
Might be worth giving them a call and seeing what the options are.
A 4G/5G USB dongle is cheaper than a full WiFi capable 4G/5G hub.
If you have a router that supports USB backup, then you can get a cheap dongle on a PAYG or monthly contract and shove it in the back.
It might take a bit of fiddling in the router settings but it worked well for me when I last moved house.
I’m currently using a HUAWEI b535 223 or something 4 g router in my motor home. Bought it, an unlocked one, on eBay for about £50, got an ee phone SIM card on a rolling month deal £35 for unlimited data (which if you cancel by the end of the month or whatever period you’re without broadband means you don’t need a contract).
if your signal is poor at home you can connect a Poynting antenna to it and sucker it onto the outside of a window of the house which will get you a decent signal/ speed etc. assuming the network you choose has half decent reception. They have different models for rural/ urban settings. I got mine off Amazon warehouse for £70 and have it mounted on a telescopic awning pole from go outdoors to use either on the Moho or on the in-laws cottage that has no Wi-Fi meaning I can work from there if needed.
We got rid of the wired internet ages ago when I got a new phone.
We have an "old" smartphone which lives in the house, the only app running on it is one to make it into a wifi hotspot. We then leave it in the middle of the house and have an unlimited data 5G sim only contract. We get a SIM with a rolling monthly contract and switch when there is a cheaper offer on the market, using Martin Lewis' website.
Works for us for 2 people WFH, streaming, gaming etc.
The phone also doubles up as the "house phone" as we don't have a landline.