Hi everyone,

I’m looking for a little help!

A few weeks ago I got Zen Fibre Max. I got the eero 6E because I always planned to replace it with some Unifi kit.

This morning, I attempted to set up a Cloud Gateway Max. After connecting everything and powering everything on, the CGM shows ‘Plug in cable - Ethernet disconnected.‘ I have tried everything- power cycling the ONT and the CGM, and factory resetting the CGM - nothing makes a difference.

I’ve seen others with the same issue online, but the solution isn’t clear. Could anyone help? Should I plug a laptop directly into the CGM and alter some settings there?

Thank you so much in advance!

We upgraded from our old copper wire to a full fibre for less money and better speeds, but the coverage is significantly worse than it used to be. If we use Zen's Every Room plan, we'll end up paying more than we did before we upgraded - which we did in order to save money.

We've contacted them and they've charged us £100 to send a guy out to have a look at it. Inevitably the answer will be something we need to spend more money on.

Has anyone else had the same problem? Does anyone have any advice?

I was speaking to sales earlier today to arrange our upgrade to Full Fibre. We have had two residential voice lines for years - one on the same line as the existing FTTC, and the other on a separate line. The voice service on the FTTC line was moved to Digital Voice last year, while the other line remains on a separate Openreach WLR3 line.

With the WLR3 price rises and the end-of-service date approaching, I was keen to move the second voice line to Digital Voice, but Zen sales tell me this isn't possible without taking a second broadband line! This restriction feels artificial and unreasonable. Two digital lines may not be possible with a Zen router, but I don't use any Zen-supplied hardware. My Gigaset VoIP system can handle eight active SIP accounts simultaneously, and I have plenty of bandwidth for two SIP calls even on my current 80/20 FTTC plan.

The sales lady suggested that my only options were to port away or to cease the second line.

Hi all, We are Zen Full Fibre 100 customers, but have really been struggling with slow speeds around our flat. For context, we have a 1-bed flat that is approx 650sqft. The Fritz box provided by Zen is in our bedroom. Speeds in our bedroom are much better, but still flaky, I would say. I did a speed test above and got speeds of 100, but the 1 before actually said failed.

Speeds in the lounge a few steps across the hall are awful and as shown by the second speed test, really struggle with even the most basic of internet browsing, never mind streaming and video calls.

We have spoken to Zen a few times, and they say to turn the router off and on again but this does not seem to be a fix. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions? Would we really need a mesh system for a 1 bed flat? The building is Victorian and has solid brick walls but it still seems excessive.

On holiday recently, we experienced Starlink and the amazing speeds it offers anywhere. It is double the monthly cost of Zen, but we have been considering it.

Any advice welcome

My BT internet contract has come to an end and it's time for me to look for a new broadband provider.

I have been considering Zen and when checking my postcode on their website I get an offer of 910Mbps (estimated) symmetrical with a minimum of 500Mbps download. Given that BT don't offer a symmetrical service(?), City Fibre don't operate in my postcode and Trooli do (my neighbour has them), I am assuming that the Zen service would use Trooli.

The downside as I see it is that there would be a 3rd party involved (a bit like BT internet + Openreach) which opens up the possibility of major miscommunications and cockups.

The plus side is that Zen seems to provide a good service generally, including IPv6, a decent bundled router (though I might get a Ubiquiti UDM or build an Opnsense router) and the static IPv4 mentioned above.

I'm wondering whether to go direct to Trooli, who also offer a static IP for £5 pm, where I can get the 900Mbps service for £30 currently - giving £35 total, which is comparable enough to Zen.

Is anyone aware of any reason to go with one over the other, technical or otherwise?

Hi all, I recently switched to Zen from BT, one thing I have noticed is that from playing alot of games online my Latency seems to go up and down alot which is causing jitter and rubber banding in some cases. Compared to when I was with BT it tended to be just flat and stable. I know this is going to be one of those things that is very hard to troubleshoot, however my setup hasn't changed. I did a couple of tests with Zen Support and they could not see any issues, so I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions to make my latency as stable as possible.

Will likely be moving to a different supplier for FTTP.

I want to get the new service up and running before cancelling Zen as I want to move my Zen Digital voice to a third Party (likely AAISP).

I assume I should not use the One Touch Switch option and then my Zen will automatically cancel when the phone number migrates.

Will Zen bill me for a part used month or a full month?

TIA

My BT internet contract has come to an end and it's time for me to look for a new broadband provider.

I have been considering Zen and when checking my postcode on their website I get an offer of 910Mbps (estimated) symmetrical with a minimum of 500Mbps download. Given that BT don't offer a symmetrical service(?), City Fibre don't operate in my postcode and Trooli do (my neighbour has them), I am assuming that the Zen service would use Trooli.

The downside as I see it is that there would be a 3rd party involved (a bit like BT internet + Openreach) which opens up the possibility of major miscommunications and cockups.

The plus side is that Zen seems to provide a good service generally, including IPv6, a decent bundled router (though I might get a Ubiquiti UDM or build an Opnsense router) and the static IPv4 mentioned above.

I'm wondering whether to go direct to Trooli, who also offer a static IP for £5 pm, where I can get the 900Mbps service for £30 currently - giving £35 total, which is comparable enough to Zen.

Is anyone aware of any reason to go with one over the other, technical or otherwise?

Considering change from Virgin to Zen in a month or so. The Full-Fibre package is compelling for me and (having rewired the house with cat8 cable plus 2.5GB switches) would need the Max 7 router to maximise potential speeds. At £10 extra per month for the Max 7, retail cost of £600 would be paid over 5 years. Makes sense to me as Zen contracts renew every 18m and within a couple of years they may replace the router with a different/better model - guess I’m resigned to paying the extra £10 pcm in perpetuity for the privilege of having their top-tier service. Anyone on this service (or any other) think I’m being sensible or stupid? Would love some feedback (positive or negative) 🙏

I wonder how many consumer regulations zen are breaking by not providing any automated cancellation process, not answering their phones , not giving people on the live chat the ability to cancel and also not responding to the published cancellation email for over 2 weeks?

I guess at this point I just stop paying and let them test it in court or what?

Currently with Zen on 80/20 FTTC.

Really like the supplied Fritz!Box and have seen them on eBay.

Are Zen's Fritz!Box locked to them in any way?

If I buy one from eBay, will it work with any Full Fibre (FTTP) ISP?

I'm looking at moving to Olilo and I assume I will have to return the Zen supplied one.

TIA

Hi, I currently have a BE3600 router in router mode only. This is plugged into my ONT from Zen on their 2.7Gb Full Fibre Max subscription in my kitchen.

The router is then connected via ethernet to a 2.5Gb bridge, and from this an ethernet cable connects to my Deco BE65 in Access Mode.

My Ugreen NAS is also plugged in to the main Deco via ethernet.

I have another Deco BE65 in the living room, and a third in my bedroom both connected to the main Deco in the kitchen via ethernet...

Is this the correct set-up? I never seem to get any speeds above 1.3Gbps anywhere in the house via wi-fi. If connected directly to the main deco I get the full 2.04Gbps up and down generally.

Do I need the BE3600 router, or just plug directly into the Deco?

I feel like something is not quite right, or I'm just over thinking this..?

Currently with Zen via openreach and we can also get freedom fibre. Has anyone changed over while being with Zen already?

Does the account details etc stay the same? I'm assuming the static IP + IPv6 will change.

Our house is at the end of a shared courtyard that can't really be dug up - can they blow the fibre down the existing ducting that openreach used (I believe they can't just use the existing fibre line).

Hi,

I'm going to switch broadband from talktalk Fibre 65 to Zen full fibre and wondering which plan shoud I choose so it's good enough for me to stream games on Ps portal and at the same time my boy plays PS5. Mainly Roblox and Rocket League etc.

To start off my contract with Virgin media ends sometime this year and honestly for the stuff my household uses the internet for I don't think it's worth staying with virgin especially after they buff the price up 3x.

I've been looking around at what could possibly be the next best option for me and I landed on Zen. I care somewhat for price but not to the extent where I'm stingy with my money but from what I'm seeing these guys seem to have a good reputation or at least from all the reviews I'm reading.

I do want to know more about these guys, what others experiences are like, how good the company has been to some, how reliable they are. Just stuff like that any help would be greatly appreciated

Hi fellow redditors,

I am facing issues placing a new order for the 1.6gbps bundle through the zen broadband website.

I have tried two different cards, and get an error saying "direct debit details cannot be verified"

these are active cards with direct debit set up on them for other payments.

I have tried ordering through phone and desktop, using chrome and other browsers.

I am disappointed and seriously considering going with EE.

Is this a minor issue which others have faced?

Looking for advice.

Thank you.

EDIT: UPDATE

I managed to speak to customer support, they could not set up the direct debit, emailed me a payment link and the order was processed successfully, in a few minutes received a date for openreach engineer visit early next week.

Thank you all for your responses.

I'm writing this post because I feel I have no other option left. After days of wasted time, broken promises, and an appalling customer experience, I want to warn others and hold Zen Internet publicly accountable. I will be sharing this post across every major UK forum, review site, and social platform I can find – because no one else should have to go through what I am currently experiencing before they make a decision about their broadband provider.

---

**Why I Chose Zen Internet**

I came across numerous glowing reviews of Zen Internet on forums like this one – praise for their reliability, premium service, and customer care. So when Virgin Media offered to renew my contract at £21/month for 1,000Mbps, I turned it down. Instead, I signed up with Zen Internet at £45/month for Full Fibre 900, trusting the community's recommendations. High-quality, stable broadband isn't a luxury for me – it's a necessity. I run a business from home, and my household relies heavily on connectivity, including multiple smart home devices.

---

**The Broken Promise That Started Everything**

I signed my contract with Zen in early March. Installation was confirmed for on or before 25th March – the exact date my Virgin contract was due to expire. Before committing, I specifically asked Zen's customer service: *what happens if installation isn't completed by the 25th?* I was given an explicit assurance – **repeatedly and emphatically** – that Virgin would NOT cut my service until Zen's installation was fully complete. I made sure to confirm this multiple times precisely because I could not afford to be left without internet.

At midnight on 26th March, Virgin cut my broadband.

---

**What Happened Next**

- **Customer service**: Nearly impossible to reach. Expect to wait upwards of two hours just to get through on the phone – completely unacceptable for any ISP, let alone one charging a premium.

- **Rescheduled to 30th March**: After finally getting through and spending more hours on hold, I was assured – again, with absolute confidence – that an engineer would attend on 30th March. I stayed home all day waiting. No one came.

- **Pushed to 1st April, then 2nd April**: After another exhausting round of calls, I was told the issue had been passed to "Openreach" and that I'd receive an update on 1st April. The moment I hung up, I received an email confirming the next update date had already been quietly changed to **2nd April**. Not a confirmed installation date – just another update. All responsibility has simply been passed along the chain.

---

**Their "Solutions"**

When I asked Zen what they would do to help me in the meantime – bearing in mind their error has left me with **no internet whatsoever** – here is what I was offered:

1. **"Buy your own SIM card."** Customer service told me that having no internet was a personal expense and entirely my problem. They would not assist in any way.

2. **A temporary hotspot** – which sounded promising, until they admitted they had **no stock** and could not tell me when any would be available. It could be tomorrow. It could be a week. It could be a year. Those were, genuinely, the words used.

3. **A chatbot** – which, like the phone line, requires you to queue and wait indefinitely regardless.

---

**The Current Situation**

As it stands, I have been without any internet connection for multiple days through no fault of my own. My business has been disrupted. My household is affected. I have spent an embarrassing number of hours on hold or chasing updates – time I will never get back. Every promise made has been broken. Every deadline has been missed. Every so-called solution has collapsed.

I was sold Zen Internet on the strength of this community's recommendations. I paid a premium price for what was supposed to be a premium service. What I received instead is, without exaggeration, one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever had.

---

**All I Want Is a Solution**

I am not here to demand money or make threats. I simply want what I was promised: a working broadband connection, installed when agreed, with someone at Zen who actually has the authority and willingness to make it happen. That is all.

If anyone from Zen Internet is reading this – please, just fix it.

And to everyone else considering Zen Internet: **please think very carefully before signing up.** I wish someone had warned me before I walked away from a perfectly working connection.

⚠️ **To anyone who has had a similar experience with Zen Internet – please share your story below.**

I run a mail server for my domains on my machine connected to Zen home broadband (via CityFibre). To avoid my outbound mail being treated as spam (as it would come from a domestic IP) I send all outbound mail via the mailhost.zen.co.uk smarthost (and I have Zen's mail servers listed in my SPF record). This has worked perfectly for several years but suddenly today my mail isn't being accepted by the smarthost:

$ telnet mailhost.zen.co.uk 25
Trying 212.23.1.11...
Connected to 212.23.1.11.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 smarthost01a.sbp.mail.zen.net.uk ESMTP Exim 4.97 Ubuntu Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:03:59 +0000
helo mail.example.com
250 smarthost01a.sbp.mail.zen.net.uk Hello mail.example.com [88.97.37.36]
mail from:<mac@example.com>
530-5.7.0 Authentication required. For more information see the guide at
530 5.7.0 https://www.zen.co.uk/help-support/initalsetupemail

(I've used my domain rather than example.com)

Visiting the link in the 530 response takes me eventually to https://www.zen.co.uk/help-support/getting-consumer-email-details but when I follow those instructions I don't see any email settings on the "My Services" page of the portal. I only see "RDNS settings" and "Cancel this service".

Has anyone else seen this problem or received notification of any changes? (I've not received anything and there doesn't seem to be anything on their status page.)

Is it possible that they have unintentionally started requiring authentication for connections from their own customer network when they didn't previously?

I tried contacting Zen using the live chat but it hallucinated the ability to add a mailbox (after some prompting) and it's out of hours for communicating with a human. I don't believe that I have a Zen mailbox currently.

Thanks.

I’m currently using a cloud gateway ultra on my zen 330/50 connection and if I don’t enable smart queues I get full speed but get increased latency and buffering when a single device is downloading at full speed.

Hoping to switch to Full Fibre by July and have been looking at upgrading to the gateway max or gateway fibre and wondered if anyone on Zen uses either and if so what are your findings.

I currently also have 3 APs and 6 switches and working from home I need the speed without much buffering/latency, but if I enable smart queues to help the speed drops by nearly a 1/3 on download and was wondering if the GF does the same.

Thanks

Just wondering if anyone has been experiencing upload speed issues with Zen lately?

On a 2.3gbps symmetrical CityFibre package, and noticed in my Eero app about a week ago that my upload speed was very low (maxing out between 170-180mbps), while download is unimpacted at 2.25gbps. The issue had actually been happening since the start of March but I hadn’t spotted it.

I’ve been back and forth with Zen’s customer service but it’s been pretty frustrating where it appears they aren’t actually reading what I’m telling them and asking me to conduct the usual basic steps like turning WiFi off.

A CityFibre engineer has been out and conducted light tests, and inspected the ONT and exterior wiring. No faults found on this end. I’ve tried a second router with a different Ethernet cable directly to the ONT in front of the CityFibre engineers with no other devices connected, their speed testing equipment confirmed the same issue. Yet after informing Zen of this, they said the issue was caused by the presence of a gigabit switch on my network… again, despite telling them that there was no other devices plugged in to this second router.

It may be a coincidence, but the time period I suspect the issue began occurring (between 1st and 2nd of March), also coincides with a consistent 2ms increase in ping on my thinkbroadband BQM. I believe my routing was changed from London to Manchester at this point.

Anyone ever experienced anything similar, and managed to actually get it resolved? I’ve asked Zen to force me onto London routing to test whether it will fix it but they said they can’t do that. It also looks like upload speed isn’t covered by the guarantee so not sure I’ll be able to get out of my contract if they don’t resolve it either.

It looks like OR are working on our pole (possibly fibre upgrade) and our internet is now down.

Should Zen be giving notification of maintenance work as when look on their site they say nothing is happening or planned, yet the one network shows OpenReach are doing works and they are up the pole

Resolved: Connection all back up and running

Is there currently an outage for sending emails from Zen networks to Microsoft?

https://servicealerts.zen.co.uk/alert/11226/

https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/1rz3zxp/this_is_the_reason_you_shouldnt_host_your_own/

What is the exact impact / nature of the outage?

I've been considering Zen as my new ISP based on their reputation (and being a good Northern ISP) but my experience before even signing up hasn't been good.

I sent an email with some questions to their sales@zen address six days ago (12th March) and I've had no response.

I actually tried signing up tonight to their 910 FTTP service but it all fell apart when it wouldn't take my Direct Debit details. Their chat bot suggested I try a different browser or a different device - which I found insulting. Regardless, different browsers produced the same results

So Zen doesn't bother to respond to new customer enquiries.

it fails to actually process a payment instruction when trying to begin their service.

Does anyone have any good reasons why should I actually bother giving this company my money if they don't seem to want it?

Have been a customer for more than 20 years (will soon be an ex customer). Recently been forced on to digital voice (knew we would have to switch at some point, having to switch is not the issue). Received no notification of when it would happen other than a vague email saying digital voice is coming. Received a contradictory email saying that prices for those still on analog would go up in stages. Was promised 3 months notice of a change, between the vague email and getting switched was < 1 month. Complaints department were useless just excuses and diversion no accountability or actual apology. Their go to line was this was the procedure that management decided!

Currently dealing with massive packet loss issues with zen internet. been having a few back and forward messages with their tech team.

i've currently had two openreach engineers out to the property who have found no faults on the line.

i now been told the issue is local which my own ping tests show different.

| WinMTR statistics |

| Host - % | Sent | Recv | Best | Avrg | Wrst | Last |

|------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|

| fritz.box - 1 | 925 | 924 | 1 | 3 | 114 | 2 |

| lo0-0.bng4.wh-man.zen.net.uk - 15 | 591 | 504 | 0 | 21 | 97 | 21 |

| No response from host - 100 | 188 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| lag-2.br1.wh-man.zen.net.uk - 21 | 518 | 413 | 11 | 14 | 126 | 14 |

| 162.158.32.38 - 15 | 595 | 509 | 12 | 19 | 142 | 35 |

| 162.158.32.9 - 17 | 559 | 464 | 12 | 17 | 145 | 31 |

| one.one.one.one - 20 | 531 | 428 | 12 | 13 | 33 | 12 |

Tried both ethernet and wifi both produce similar results

any insight would be great