Vodafone Broadband: Deals & router review

For such a big name telecommunications provider, Vodafone is a relative newcomer to the UK broadband market - Vodafone Broadband only began selling broadband products to residential customers in 2015. This said, for a provider that has been on the scene just five years, it certainly carries its weight - almost 700,000 have signed up to Vodafone Broadband, over 60,000 of which did so in the final quarter of 2019.

What has caused this surge of new customers to switch to Vodafone for their internet? Hopefully, this page will shed some light on it - we’re going to outline its broadband offer, picking apart all the reasons why you may or may not want to consider Vodafone as your next internet provider.

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Vodafone Broadband Down? If you're Vodafone broadband is not working, you can find out how to fix it by reading our Vodafone Broadband Down guide.

Vodafone fibre broadband deals

Vodafone has taken a novel approach in its broadband offer - it’s the first provider we can think of to abolish standard ADSL (11 Mbps) broadband altogether, opting to provide only fibre packages to its customers. This is a sign of Vodafone moving with the times a bit quicker than its competitors - few customers would now opt for such a slow package nowadays without finding themselves disappointed with the product. Here are Vodafone’s fibre broadband packages broken down:

Superfast 1

The lowest speed Vodafone has to offer customers is its Superfast 1 package, which will provide users with fibre speeds that will allow small households to browse the internet and stream movies and videos at a reasonable speed. Here are the two ways you can purchase this deal for your home:

While for Superfast 1 Extra you’d have to fork out an extra £8 a month, we’d say it’s definitely worth considering given the extras that come with it. For this added cost, you’d get not only an unlimited calls package (which might have cost you this amount extra anyway) but a free Apple TV and a subscription to watch all sorts of content for a year.

Beware standard Superfast 1 price hikes!Another seriously attractive feature of the Extra deal is the promise of a fixed price - the price of a standard Superfast 1 package can go up at any moment, even while you’re in contract, and no one wants that.

If you’re a Vodafone Mobile customer, you’re eligible to add either of these broadband deals to your bill for a reduced price. Superfast 1 would cost Vodafone Mobile customers £21 a month, while 1 Extra would add £29 a month to their deal as opposed to £31. For full details on Vodafone’s Superfast 1 deals, head to its website.

Superfast 2

The next set of speeds Vodafone offers is called Superfast 2, which would provide subscribers with 63 Mbps average download speeds - enough for a normal-sized household with a few users likely to be streaming at the same time. Here are the ways you can sign up for this service:

On the face of it, these deals seem eerily similar to Vodafone’s Superfast 1 deals. There hasn’t been a mistake - the only difference is the faster speeds. For Superfast 1 and Superfast 2, users pay the same price. The only drawback is that Superfast 2 may not be available to all those who want it. To find out if you’re eligible for Superfast 2, see Vodafone’s website. It goes without saying that, if Superfast 2 is available to you would receive this deal instead of Superfast 1.

Gigafast broadband

In the last year, Vodafone has also begun rolling out its full-fibre (FTTP) network. It’s currently only available to people in 12 cities and towns across the UK, but it says it’s expanding this network. You can check availability using your postcode on the Vodafone website, and you can also express interest in Gigafast broadband so that when it is available in your area you will be notified. Here are the Gigafast deals currently available to customers:

*Symmetrical speeds basically means that download and upload speeds are the same.

On the face of it, these prices are as good as you will find anywhere for these sorts of speeds. It always concerns us, however, when we see that a deal’s price is changeable - everyone wants a guarantee that their bill won’t rise unexpectedly mid-contract. Unfortunately, the only one of these that offers such a guarantee is Gigafast 900 Extra.

More Gigafast 900 Extra perksAs well as a fixed-price guarantee, 900 Extra customers receive an Apple TV 4K as standard and a 1 year Apple TV + subscription. An Unlimited Anytime calls plan is also included in the price.

Apart from these additional perks, 900 Extra and all other Gigafast customers also receive the same benefits that other Vodafone customers get with their deal as standard - including the 6-month free F-Secure SAFE trial and the Vodafone WiFi Hub as standard. If you ask us, those with reasonably high internet usage shouldn’t think twice about forking out the extra fiver on Gigafast 200.

We don’t see as much value in the standard 500 or 900 packages, however. If our internet usage was that high and all were available to us we’d opt for 900 Extra - the temptation of a free Apple TV 4K is a big draw and a fixed-price for two years would be a weight off the mind. For more information on signing up to a Gigafast deal, head to the Vodafone website.

Vodafone Broadband router

The router available to all new customers is called the Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub and is included and installed at no extra cost when you sign up. This is the same high-performance router designed to be used with Vodafone’s new Gigafast service, so it should keep your internet ticking nicely. Here are some of its features and specifications:

• Dimensions: 275 mm x 170 mm x 70 mm
• Ports: 1 x ADSL/VDSL/g.fast (RJ-11), 4 x Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ45), 1 x Gigabit Ethernet WAN (RJ45), 2 x FXS for analogue phones, fax, pos (RJ11), 2 x USB 2.0
• Wi-Fi: WiFi 11ac: 5GHz 4×4 / 11n: 2,4GHz 3×3 dual-band concurrent with MIMO & beamforming; 2.4 GHz: BCM4360.2, 3×3; 5 GHz: BCM4366e, 4×4
• Memory: 256 MB NAND Flash / 512 MB DDR3
• Extra features: SIP Voice for analogue phones

Put in layman’s terms, Vodafone says that this new router is twice as fast as previous versions, and pairs with its new broadband app to “put you in control” of your connection. Certain functions do certainly give users more control - through the app you’re able to boost WiFi signal from the router to certain devices, create custom WiFi schedules (to cut off certain devices at bedtime, for example), and share network details by scanning a QR code rather than awkwardly seeking out passwords and network IDs underneath the box itself.

For more details on how you can manage your internet via the app, keep scrolling. For more information on the Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub, see the broadband section of Vodafone’s website.

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Vodafone Broadband review

You don’t have to dig particularly deep online to discover that Vodafone’s reputation as a provider of both mobile and broadband services is taking a bit of a hit of late. The beginning of 2020 saw Ofcom announce that it is currently the most complained about telecoms provider in the country, registering seven complaints for every 100,000 customers - joint most with Virgin Media and well above the average of four. Among broadband providers specifically, it performed even worse, registering 26 complaints for every 100,000 customers - 11 above the national average and head and shoulders above Plusnet and TalkTalk, who each registered 22.

If Ofcom’s research into the quality of Vodafone’s service turned up some ugly results, our reading of Vodafone reviews didn’t go much better. Customers past and present who give their opinions on the consumer review site Trustpilot couldn’t have a much poorer opinion - out of over 9,000 reviewers, 85% gave Vodafone the worst score of Bad. This leaves the provider with an awful TrustScore of 1.3 out of 5.

Called Vodafone in November, gave 30 days notice to cancel my pay monthly contract as it had expired. They said (the) final bill will be December. But what happened on the 8th of Jan? Another bill was generated, processed and paid.

According to an update to their review, this reviewer has been forced to file a County Court Judgement in attempt to get their money back! Another reviewer reports being repeatedly overcharged and being lied to about the status of the refund:

I have contacted Vodafone over 6 times due to my bill being too high, every time I am told that it will readjust to the correct price after the billing cycle. 4 months later I am still being charged too much and have massively overpaid while being told that my refund has been processed…

It’s all very well to be tempted to sign up by a cheap deal, but if the end result is that you’ll be overcharged and will have to chase a refund for months (if you receive it at all!) then we would say it negates the value of your package somewhat. This stands out - among a smattering of other types of complaints - as something Vodafone will have to iron out if it wants to regain the trust of its customers.

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Vodafone Broadband login

As we mentioned in our rundown on the features of Vodafone’s latest Wi-Fi Hub, the accompanying app - the Vodafone Broadband app - is a handy way to manage your internet usage from your smartphone or tablet. Here’s a short list of things you can do via the app:

• Change your WiFi’s name and password
• Share your WiFi info with people using a QR code
• View and manage the devices connected to your network
• Prioritise a certain device to give it a faster connection
• Check your broadband speed to claim discounts with Vodafone’s Ultimate Broadband Guarantee
• Set up a custom WiFi schedule with on/off times that you choose
• Access the live chat function to get help from an agent

No more checking under the router to give a friend the passwordThe app’s function that allows you to simply scan a QR code is one of our favourite features here. It eliminates the fuss of craning your neck to look underneath the box and then read an endless stream of digits at them only to get it wrong the first time round! They simply scan the code and they’re connected.

For a full list of the app’s features, see our dedicated Vodafone login page (link coming soon). The page includes a more detailed section on this and Vodafone’s other apps, which includes information on what Vodafone customers think of it.

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Vodafone Broadband contact

There are a number of ways you can get in touch with Vodafone depending on your issue and whether you’re a new or existing customer. We take you through every channel, including customer service numbers, email addresses and even options for getting your issue solved yourself on our Vodafone contact page (link coming soon).

If, however, you’re just looking to get in touch with Vodafone over the phone about its broadband deals as a prospective customer, you should call the number below:

We would recommend saving yourself the stress of waiting to talk to someone and potentially being pressured into a deal that isn’t necessarily right for you. If you want some advice you can always consult with Vodafone’s chatbot, MOBi, or a specialist if needs be - these are available from 8 am to 11 pm, seven days a week.

Frequently asked questions

Finally, we’re going to go through some commonly asked questions about Vodafone Broadband. We hope these will save you the trouble of chasing down answers yourself online or over the phone.

How do I claim money back with the Ultimate Broadband Guarantee?

You can check to see if your download speed falls below the minimum speed specified in your deal via the Vodafone Broadband app - you will be notified in the ‘Current max speed’ tile. If this is the case, just click on the tile and you’ll see an option to claim your 15% discount. Once this is approved, it will be applied to your next monthly bill.

How do I manage the Vodafone Boost feature?

To prioritise a certain device and give it a faster signal than others, you’ll need to enter into the Vodafone Broadband app and follow these steps:

• Under the ‘Connected Devices’ tile, click ‘Device Boost’
• A list of devices currently connected will appear - click the one you want to boost
• Choose how long you’d like the boost to last
• The device is now boosted until the allotted time or until you click ‘Stop boost’

Do I contact Vodafone or F-Secure for help with F-Secure SAFE?

If you have a query about your antivirus protection (for which you get a free 6-month trial when you sign up), you can contact F-Secure customer services directly by calling 0203 936 3622. Their offices are open weekdays from 9 am to 6 pm, and you’ll be charged the standard rate for a call. You can also go to F-Secure’s support page to consult their Knowledge Base or Community, where you might be able to get the answer you need without speaking to anyone.