John Lewis offers broadband from £20.50 per month with a choice of Unlimited, Fibre and Fibre Extra broadband plans.
In the UK, John Lewis offers home broadband from £20.50 per month. You can get an average download speed of 10Mbps (Unlimited), 36Mbps (Fibre) or 66Mbps (Fibre Extra), with evening and weekend calls also included within your plan.
In this article, we’ll review John Lewis Broadband. We’ll start by comparing the three John Lewis broadband plans. We’ll also look at how John Lewis Broadband compares to Plusnet (the division of BT that provides the underlying service for John Lewis). We’ll also look at the router that’s provided and how you can switch from your current provider to John Lewis Broadband.
| Prices From: | £20.50 per month |
|---|---|
| Best Offer: | |
| Contract Length: | 12 months |
| Download Speed: | 10Mbps (Unlimited) 36Mbps (Fibre) 66Mbps (Fibre Extra) |
| Upload Speed: | 1Mbps (Unlimited) 9Mbps (Fibre) 18Mbps (Fibre Extra) |
| Router: | Sagemcom 2704n (Unlimited) ZyXEL VMG3925 (Fibre & Fibre Extra) |
| Coverage: | 98% of UK homes (Unlimited) 91% of UK homes (Fibre & Fibre Extra) |
Contents
John Lewis Broadband Plans
If you’re looking at John Lewis Broadband, there’s currently a choice of three different plans you’re able to choose from:
- Unlimited (£20.50pm): Making use of copper broadband (ADSL) technology, this gives you an average download speed of 10Mbps. It’s suitable for homes with a handful of connected devices.
- Fibre (£25pm): Making use of fibre broadband technology, this gives you an average download speed of 36Mbps (around 3.5x faster than normal broadband).
- Fibre Extra (£28pm): This is the fastest available plan on John Lewis Broadband. It gives you an average download speed of 66Mbps (around six times faster than normal broadband).
All of the plans include a home phone service with evening and weekend calls to UK landlines. You’ll also get a John Lewis email address included on all plans.
The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of the three John Lewis Broadband plans:
| Unlimited | Fibre | Fibre Extra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price: | £20.50 per month | £25 per month | £28 per month |
| John Lewis e-Gift Card: | - | - | - |
| Download Speed: | 10Mbps average download | 36Mbps average download | 66Mbps average download |
| Upload Speed: | 1Mbps average upload | 9Mbps average upload | 18Mbps average upload |
| Inclusive Features | |||
| Phone Line: | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inclusive Calls: | Evening & weekend | Evening & weekend | Evening & weekend |
| BullGuard Security: | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| UK Support: | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Technology | |||
| Technology: | ADSL | Fibre (FTTC) | Fibre (FTTC) |
| Router: | Sagemcom 2704n | ZyXEL VMG3925 | ZyXEL VMG3925 |
| Availability: | 98% of UK homes Check availability → |
91% of UK homes Check availability → |
91% of UK homes Check availability → |
At present, John Lewis do not offer any Gfast or full fibre (FTTP) broadband plans.
Unlimited
John Lewis’ entry-level broadband plan is known as Unlimited Broadband. Currently available for £20.50 per month, it gives you unlimited downloads and an average speed of 10Mbps.
Unlimited Broadband should be enough for the majority of households using a couple of devices at the same time (e.g. for browsing the web, for social media and for shopping online). You can stream HD-quality video on two devices at the same time, but it won’t be enough to stream ultra-HD (4K) quality video.
| Service | Average Speed | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Unlimited | 10Mbps download | 12 month contract | £0 | £20.50/month |
Fibre
If you’re looking for superfast broadband, you can get Fibre broadband from John Lewis. This is currently available for £25 per month.
With Fibre broadband, you’ll get an average download speed of 36Mbps (this is about three and a half times faster than normal broadband). This should allow you to do a lot more things at the same time using your connection. For instance, you can stream HD-quality video on seven devices at the same time or you can stream 4K-quality video on one device.
| Service | Average Speed | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fibre | 36Mbps download | 12 month contract | £0 | £25/month |
Fibre Extra
For the fastest available download speeds on John Lewis Broadband, you should choose the Fibre Extra plan. Currently available for £28 per month, it's about six times faster than regular broadband.
On Fibre Extra, you’ll get an average download speed of 66Mbps. This makes it a good option for households with lots of connected devices (e.g. busy families where you’re streaming and downloading on multiple devices at the same time).
| Service | Average Speed | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fibre Extra | 66Mbps download | 12 month contract | £0 | £28/month |
For more information, you can also compare the three plans on the John Lewis website.
John Lewis Broadband VS Plusnet
In the background, John Lewis Broadband is actually powered by Plusnet (which is a part of the BT Consumer division). Although you’re getting a John Lewis branded service, the underlying broadband service and customer support is actually provided by Plusnet.
Comparing the two providers side-by-side, you’ll normally pay a little bit more for John Lewis Broadband. You will, however, benefit from a shorter 12-month contract on John Lewis Broadband. In contrast, Plusnet has an 18-month contract on many of their plans. In addition, you’ll get evening & weekend calls included on John Lewis Broadband whereas Plusnet doesn’t have any inclusive calls.
The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of John Lewis Broadband and Plusnet:
| John Lewis Broadband | Plusnet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
 |
||
| Unlimited (10Mb): | £20.50 per month (12 months) |
£18.99 per month with £70 reward card (12 months) |
|
| Fibre (36Mb): | £25 per month (12 months) |
£22.99 per month with £70 reward card (18 months) |
|
| Fibre Extra (66Mb): | £28 per month (12 months) |
£24.99 per month with £70 reward card (18 months) |
|
| Inclusive Features | |||
| Calls: | Evening & weekend calls | No calls included | |
| Reward Card: | John Lewis e-Gift Card (Spend at JL & Waitrose) |
Prepaid Mastercard (Spend anywhere) |
|
| Security Software: | BullGuard Security | Plusnet Protect (Unlimited & Fibre Extra only) |
|
| UK Support: | Yes | Yes | |
| Router: | Sagemcom 2704n (Unlimited) ZyXEL VMG3925 (Fibre & Fibre Extra) |
Plusnet Hub Zero 2704n (Unlimited) Plusnet Hub One (Fibre & Fibre Extra) |
|
| Learn More | |||
| More Information: | John Lewis Broadband website | Plusnet website | |
If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to John Lewis Broadband, Plusnet is a good alternative as you’ll get the same underlying service. However, if you’d like the shorter 12-month contract and the inclusive evening & weekend calls, we think John Lewis Broadband is also a very good option.
John Lewis Broadband Speeds
The following table shows the average download speed and upload speed you can expect on each John Lewis Broadband plan:
| John Lewis Broadband Plan | Average Download Speed | Average Upload Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | 10Mbps | 1Mbps |
| Fibre | 36Mbps | 9Mbps |
| Fibre Extra | 66Mbps | 18Mbps |
It’s worth bearing in mind these figures are based on a national average. At least 50% of customers across the UK should be able to get this speed during the peak hours each evening (8pm to 10pm). In practice, the speed in your home will depend on multiple other factors such as the distance to your nearest cabinet/exchange and the quality of your home’s internal wiring.
To get a personalised estimate of the speeds available where you live, start an order on the John Lewis website. The first step is a broadband availability check where you’ll be given the estimated download speed at your address.
Check John Lewis Broadband Speed →
John Lewis Broadband Router
You’ll be provided with a wireless router at no extra charge when you sign up for John Lewis Broadband. This will produce a Wi-Fi network for your other devices to connect to. You’ll also get some Ethernet sockets, allowing you to connect wired devices to your home network.
At present, John Lewis is providing the Sagemcom 2704n router to customers on Unlimited broadband. This is a single-band Wi-Fi 4 router, based on the Plusnet Hub Zero.
Customers taking Fibre broadband or Fibre Extra broadband will receive the more advanced ZyXEL VMG3925 router which supports dual-band Wi-Fi 5 technology.
The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of the two routers:
| Sagemcom 2704n | ZyXEL VMG3925 | |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
| Availability | ||
| John Lewis Plans: | Unlimited | Fibre Fibre Extra |
| Connectivity | ||
| Dual-Band Wi-Fi: | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Connectivity: | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n/ac |
| Wi-Fi Speed: | Up to 300Mbps total | Up to 1600Mbps total |
| 2.4GHz Wi-Fi: | 2×2 MIMO (up to 300Mbps) | 2×2 MIMO (up to 300Mbps) |
| 5GHz Wi-Fi: | Not supported | 3×3 MIMO (up to 1300Mbps) |
| Ethernet: | 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports | 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports |
| USB ports: | No | 1 USB 2.0 port |
| Other: | WPA2 security | WPA2 security |
| Other | ||
| Colour: | White | Black |
| Dimensions: | 14 x 11 x 4 cm | 18.0 x 14.5 x 2.98 cm |
| More Information: | John Lewis Website | John Lewis Website |
You can find more information about the John Lewis Broadband routers and how to set them up on the John Lewis Broadband website.
Coverage & Availability
The John Lewis Broadband service is provided using the Openreach network. This means it makes use of the phone line going into your home.
Unlimited Broadband is available in around 98% of UK homes. It uses copper broadband (ADSL) technology, where a copper phone line runs from the telephone exchange to your home.
Fibre Broadband and Fibre Extra Broadband are available in around 91% of UK homes. They both use fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) technology. This means a fibre optic cable runs to your nearest street cabinet, with only the “last mile” from the cabinet to your home using a traditional copper phone line.
To check the availability of the plans where you live, you should start an order on the John Lewis Broadband website. After entering your postcode and address, you’ll be told about the plans available where you live.
Check John Lewis Broadband Coverage →
Switching to John Lewis Broadband
If you’re currently using another broadband provider, it’s easy switching your service to John Lewis Broadband.
Start by ordering your new service on the John Lewis Broadband website. When you sign up, you’ll be given the option to keep your current phone number. You’ll also be given a switchover date for you service (typically for around two weeks time). You’ll continue receiving a service from your old provider until the John Lewis Broadband service goes live.
In most cases, there’s no need to cancel your old broadband service. This is because it will normally be done automatically for you. The main exception to this is if you’re a Virgin Media customer. If this is the case, you’ll need to contact them separately to cancel.
For step-by-step instructions on how to switch to John Lewis Broadband, please select your current broadband provider from the list below:
Switch to John Lewis
Your step-by-step guide to switching
You can also read our in-depth guide to switching home broadband provider.
More Information
For more information, please see the official John Lewis Broadband website.
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