The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
Plusnet down: Internet not working as provider suffers technical issues
Users find workaround for widespread problem
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Plusnet’s internet appears to have broken, with users reporting that they are unable to get online.
Some managed to find a fix, however, because of the limited nature of the issue.
On Monday afternoon, users across the country began reporting that they were unable to get online through their Plusnet connections. The outage came at the end of the working day.
Tracking website DownDetector saw a vast number of reports of issues, right across the country.
But some noted that the issue appeared to be with Plusnet’s DNS servers. Those are used to allow computers to know where websites are, in order to connect to servers and get the information required to show a website.
Luckily, it is possible to use other DNS services, such as those run by Google. The company offers a detailed guide to doing so on its website.
It does however advise that users only undertake such changes if they are “proficient with configuring operating system settings make these changes”. Those who are more anxious about making such changes should perhaps wait until the system comes back online.
Plusnet gave no indication of when that might be. At the time of publication, the company had not addressed the outage on its social channels, and did not immediately respond to a request for more information from The Independent.
The company does not run a service status page on its website, like some other internet service providers. But it does have a devoted page on its website where users can make complaints about issues.
Plusnet is owned by BT, though the parent company did not seem to be having the same widespread issues.
Looking for broadband provider deals?
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments