Vodafone Broadband Review
Vodafone broadband has its ups and downs. The good stuff includes their budget-friendly prices and a wide range of internet speeds. They’re great for both light browsing and heavy-duty online use.
Plus, in some places, upload and download speeds are the same, which is awesome for gaming or uploading big files. On the flip side, some users face uneven speeds and bumps in their internet stability.
Also, people have mixed feelings about their customer service. So, while Vodafone’s known for being cost-effective, they’ve got a few areas to work on.
Pros
- Vodafone offers the lowest priced fibre broadband, when compared to its competitors like Sky, BT and Virgin Media.
- Vodafone pay monthly mobile customers usually get £3 monthly discount, when they take home broadband from Vodafone.
- Vodafone Pro plans provide reliable, unbreakable home WiFi by using 4G mobile internet during broadband outages. Pro add-ons also include better support, a fixed price guarantee, and other free extras.
Cons
- Vodafone broadband contracts are usually long – 24 months.
- Vodafone does not offer landline which means there is no home phone option.
Speed
Vodafone broadband speeds range between from 38Mbps and 910Mbps catering to different internet users. They offer equal upload and download speeds in FTTP areas, ensuring a smooth experience for gamers and 4K videos .
| Plan | Download speed | Upload speed |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre 1 | 35Mbps | 9Mbps |
| Fibre 2 | 67Mbps | 20Mbps |
| Full Fibre 2 | 82Mbps | 20Mbps |
| Full Fibre 100 | 102Mbps | 102Mbps |
| Full Fibre 200 | 200Mbps | 200Mbps |
| Full Fibre 500 | 500Mbps | 500Mbps |
| Full Fibre 900 | 900Mbps | 900Mbps |
However, customer experiences with speed reliability vary. Some users are happy with the high speeds, while others note inconsistencies.
Vodafone is focused on improving and tailoring their services based on this feedback, aiming to meet the diverse needs of both casual and tech-savvy users.
Reliability
Vodafone’s broadband reliability gets mixed feedback. In areas with FTTP broadband, users often praise its consistent performance. Yet, some people have pointed out issues with speed and network stability in certain regions.
This shows that Vodafone works well in some places, but there’s room for improvement elsewhere.
Overall, the reviews suggest Vodafone offers reliable service most of the time, but it’s not perfect. They are working to make their broadband more reliable for everyone.
Cost
Vodafone broadband is seen as giving good bang for your buck. The pricing is competitive, and you get a decent range of speeds and features for what you pay.
For example, if you want internet that’s fast enough for movies and games, Vodafone often has a cheaper plan than others, without losing out on speed. This makes it a smart pick if you want to save money but still get quality internet.
Vodafone Pro Broadband
Vodafone Pro broadband packages come with some extra features such as:
- Super WiFi
- WiFi Xperts
- 4G broadband backup
- Norton Internet Security
Super WiFi gives the promise that every room gets minimum WiFi speeds. If the speeds drop, Vodafone will provide boosters to boost the signal strength and coverage. If the customers get only slow speeds, they can cancel the service without exit fee.
Vodafone will offer better support with a team of WiFi Xperts who will do regular checks on the line and fix the issues such as slow speeds and faulty setup.
4G broadband backup is a router feature that will ensure unbreakable connectivity during broadband outage. Vodafone provides a 4G dongle with 40GB data which will connect to Vodafone 4G network when there is no broadband connectivity.
Pro customers will also get free upgrade to full broadband (FTTP) which can offer 900Mbps speeds. However, the free upgrade depends up on the location.
Vodafone offers two, entry-level, fibre broadband packages including line rental and PAYG calls. Plus, it offers some ultrafast broadband options.
Vodafone Fibre broadband plans
Vodafone Fibre 1
Fibre 1 comes with 38Mbps average download speed and 10Mbps average upload speed. Suitable for most homes with 3-5 users, for most internet uses – browsing, downloading, streaming and gaming.
Vodafone Fibre 2
Fibre 2 comes with 67Mbps average download speed and 20Mbps average upload speed is ideal for the needs of busy households that spend more time in streaming, gaming and sharing. Great for watching 4K videos, TV shows and for playing bandwidth-intensive games online.
Full Fibre broadband
Vodafone offers four ultrafast plans – 100Mbps, 200 Mbps, 500Mbps and 900M Mbps.
Vodafone’s ultrafast plans are excellent options for homes to connect multiple devices for high quality streaming, downloading and online gaming.
When it comes to availability, the starter level fibre packages – Fibre 1 and Fibre 2 are available in most of the areas across the UK. while the availability of its ultrafast and gigafast broadband depends on the location.
Related
Customer Reviews
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After many years I am departing TalkTalk, my Broadband provider for Vodafone, who have been my mobile Sim provider also for many years.
TalkTalk were good in the early days with comprehensive cheap packages for unlimited UK calls etc. But their Broadband speeds have been consistently poor. E.G. a previous deal quoting up to 20mbps was about 5mbps on a good day. Current deal quoting up to 80mbps averages 25mbps. Whilst my good lady watches her choice via Firestick & ITVX (a dreadfully buggy & slow app) on our main TV, I throw a spanner in the works by trying to watch something on my iPad. Buffering, crashing & stuttering all round. Disgraceful for the money. -
I switched from TalkTalk to Vodafone last year due to slow speeds. Since then, Vodafone has provided faster internet speeds and I am happy and satisfied with it. I can now stream Netflix at 4K over a Superfast 2 connection and play online multiplayer games at about 54Mbps. TalkTalk didn’t provide the speed these things needed, and the internet wasn’t as fast as I needed it to be.
However, Vodafone offers enough bandwidth to connect 2 or 3 devices and do most things online. Also, I can get faster speeds when I’m wired, which I do sometimes. Another thing is that Vodafone fibre broadband is good value and cheap as most ISPs don’t offer the same speed for the same price.
While it offered solid speeds, a year later I felt Vodafone’s customer service could have been better, which reduced my overall satisfaction.
Vodafone WiFi Hub and Ultra Hub Routers
Vodafone broadband packages include WiFi Hub which comes with 4 gigabit connections, seven antennae and advanced Intelligent WiFi feature for reliable WiFi speeds. Vodafone WiFi Hub has the capacity of connecting 50 devices simultaneously.
Vodafone Pro broadband plans come with the Ultra Hub 6E router that supports the advanced 802.11ax WiFi standard and WPA3 security. The Ultra Hub 6E is a tri-band router comes with 6GHz frequency band, in addition to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. This increases reliability and minimize interference in areas of network congestion.
Vodafone broadband routers support 4G broadband backup, which means they can provide connectivity using mobile internet when the broadband service goes down. To access Vodafone’s 4G mobile internet for uninterrupted connectivity, you need to plug the 4G dongle into the router.
In addition, Vodafone Pro service offers Super WiFi boosters to fix the WiFi issues by improving the coverage and signal strength.
Vodafone Pro Extra
- Vodafone Pro Xtra plans which will cost extra, come with anytime home phone & mobile calls, 4K Apple TV and 12 month free Apple TV+ subscription.
- Apple TV+ subscription allows you to stream & watch movies, exclusive Apple Originals and shows in 4K HDR and with Dolby Atmos sound quality. Each subscription can be extended up to six devices.
- You can add Amazon Prime Video or Now TV plans which would cost extra. You can stream TV shows from popular online players such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4 and My5
- Existing Vodafone mobile customers will get price discount and a free Amazon Tech Pack which includes a free Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and a Amazon Echo Dot (4th Generation).
Vodafone broadband vs BT
Cost
Vodafone broadband is cheaper than BT and its deals promise great value for money with free activation and gift vouchers. By contrast, BT fibre plans are expensive, instead, Plusnet which is owned by BT, offers low priced fibre packages which are as good as Vodafone’s.
Speeds
BT offers better range of fibre speeds than Vodafone. BT Fibre 1 comes with faster download speeds than Vodafone Superfast 1 (50Mbps vs 35Mbps).
Speed tests also show BT speeds are more reliable than Vodafone speeds. The average latency level of BT Fibre 1 was also found to be lower than Vodafone, which means, BT broadband is better option for online gaming.
WiFi
Both BT and Vodafone offer excellent WiFi routers with advanced features like WiFi ac standard and smart channel selection.
BT Smart Hub and Vodafone WiFi Hub come with 7 antennas for wider coverage and stronger signal around the home.
Both providers offer minimum WiFi guarantee when the customers subscribe for an add-on. Vodafone Pro packages include 4G backup which provides connectivity through mobile network when broadband goes down.
In a similar way, BT Halo 3 provides unbreakable WiFi by connecting Smart Hub 2 broadband router and mobile network.
Which network does Vodafone use for broadband connectivity?
If you’re considering Vodafone broadband for your home or business, you may be wondering who supplies Vodafone’s internet connections.
Vodafone offers broadband services using the infrastructure of Openreach and CityFibre. Each of these providers has its own strengths and weaknesses that need to be considered to ensure the best possible broadband experience. For example, upload speeds for the service vary from provider to provider, depending on the technology used.
CityFibre network supports pure fibre broadband (FTTP), so you get symmetrical upload speeds, ie. download and upload speeds are the same. However, Openreach offers an asymmetric service, which means upload speeds are significantly lower than download speeds.
Vodafone Broadband Features
Truly unlimited usage
With Vodafone, your internet usage is truly unlimited. This means your monthly data usage is not limited by any usage cap. No monthly download limits apply.
Likewise, no traffic management or traffic shaping applies to your plans. Your connection won’t become slow at peak times.
Pay As You Go Calls
As home phone is included, you get PAYG calls as standard. You can add call plans like evening & weekend, anytime and mobile calls, if you want to upgrade.
Internet security
New Vodafone home broadband customers get F-Secure anti-virus for 6 months at no extra cost.
However, it would cost extra, when it is used for next 12 months. F-Secure comes with licence for up to 5 devices.
Parental controls which you can use to block specific websites, are included for no extra cost.
About Vodafone
Vodafone is one of the leading 4G and 5G mobile operators in the UK, but also offering the superfast 5G service in many cities and towns across the UK.
Vodafone home broadband which was launched in 2015, is now, equally popular for its low cost fibre broadband packages and the new Vodafone Pro packages which come with 4G support.
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