Plusnet broadband has gone down – here's what we know about the outage

[TechRadar]

If you use Plusnet broadband in the UK and have been struggling with your broadband connection today, you aren't alone – a "major" outage hit the network earlier this afternoon and is continuing to cause problems.

According to Downdetector, the issues started at just after 4pm GMT and, at the time of writing, there have been over 30,000 reports of problems from Plusnet users. These are mostly related to "landline internet", with users reporting either "no signal" or "total blackout".

Plusnet has now acknowledged the issue and gave us this statement: "Some of our customers are unable to use their broadband connection. We are working to get them back online as soon as possible.  We’re very sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

Downdetector (above) showed a peak of about 30,000 reports on Plusnet broadband outages, and the number remains high at the time of writing. (Image credit: Downdetector)

According to some commenters on both Downdetector and X (formerly Twitter), the issues could be related to Plusnet's DNS server, which is effectively a phone book that turns domains or websites into IP addresses.

This because some are finding that using a VPN circumvents the issues on their Plusnet broadband. Others on X have also found success by changing their router's DNS settings.

You can read how to do this in our guide on how to change your DNS settings, but it's also possible to do this at a router level by logging into your Plusnet Hub router, going to its Advanced settings and then turning the 'Auto' DNS setting off. 

You should then be able to choose a different DNS, which may be a workaround. However, it's probably wise to wait until Plusnet expands on its initial statement and releases some further advice, if the issues persist and there's no imminent fix.

Plusnet responds

Plusnet has now officially responded with the statement above about its broadband issues, but it's also replied to some commenters on X who are experiencing a particularly blue version of Blue Monday.

As you can see below, it states that it's "investigating a major service outage". In a separate comment, Plusnet's X support said: "We don't have an estimated fix time but are working hard to get this resolved quickly for you."

Hi Tony, we're investigating a major service outage so we can't assist at present I'm afraid. Please bear with us and I'll check back in with you tomorrow to see if there's still an issue we need to sort out for you. - Adam - Plusnet SheffieldJanuary 15, 2024

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While it's scant consolation to Plusnet users, it appears that several hundred BT broadband and TalkTalk users are also reporting broadband issues this afternoon – although nowhere near on the scale of Plusnet.

We've requested comment from Plusnet about a timescale for a resolution and any further advice it has for users, and will update this page when we hear back.

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