Netgear Orbi With Plusnet: How to Set It Up Properly (and Fix Double NAT)
12 November 2026 · By Ethan Fernandes
Double NAT or devices dropping with Netgear Orbi and Plusnet broadband? The right setup for this combination, whether to keep the Plusnet Hub Two, what full fibre needs, and how to protect your home phone.
Quick fix
For most homes, keep the Plusnet Hub Two as the router, put the Orbi into Access Point mode and turn off the hub's Wi-Fi. On full fibre, if you don't need the Plusnet home phone, you can instead connect the Orbi straight to the Openreach fibre box (PPPoE, your Plusnet account login).
Rather we just fixed it? We can usually sort this remotely today, or visit you at home across West London. 7 days, until 9pm.
Get help todayYou've added Netgear Orbi to your Plusnet broadband and it isn't quite right: the app warns about double NAT, games report strict or moderate NAT, a work VPN drops, smart devices disappear, or phones hop between the Plusnet Hub Two's Wi-Fi and the Orbi. The cause is that both are acting as the router. Here's how to set up this exact combination properly.
The short version: For most homes, keep the Plusnet Hub Two as the router, put the Orbi into Access Point mode and turn off the hub's Wi-Fi. On full fibre, if you don't need the Plusnet home phone, you can instead connect the Orbi straight to the Openreach fibre box (PPPoE, your Plusnet account login).
Before You Start: Two Questions
- Full fibre or part fibre? On full fibre there's an Openreach fibre box on the wall, and your mesh can connect to it directly. On part-fibre broadband, the Hub Two is also your modem. You can either keep it as the router, or set it up as a modem only and let the mesh log in with your Plusnet details.
- Do you use the Plusnet home phone? If your home phone plugs into the Plusnet Hub Two, removing the hub stops the phone working, so keep the hub and use the first option below.
Option 1 (Works for Everyone): Orbi in Access Point mode
- Connect the main Orbi unit to the Plusnet Hub Two with a network cable.
- Switch the Orbi to Access Point mode. Sign in to the Orbi settings at orbilogin.com, go to Advanced > Router / AP Mode and choose AP Mode. The satellites keep working.
- Open the hub's settings (the address and admin password are on the hub's sticker or card) and turn off the hub's Wi-Fi.
- Restart the Orbi and check every room.
This keeps the Plusnet home phone working. In AP mode some Orbi features, such as parental controls and Netgear Armor, are limited because the hub is doing the routing.
Option 2 (Full Fibre, No Home Phone Needed): Replace the Hub
- Connect the main Orbi unit to the network port on the Openreach fibre box.
- In the Orbi settings at orbilogin.com, set the internet connection type to PPPoE and enter the login details. Plusnet uses PPPoE with your Plusnet account username, in the form username@plusdsl.net, and your account password (not the Wi-Fi password). On full fibre, leave any VLAN setting blank or set it to 0, not 101.
- Restart, check you're online, then unplug the Plusnet Hub Two.
This gives the cleanest setup, with every Orbi feature working.
On part-fibre broadband, the Plusnet Hub Two can act as a modem, so your mesh can log in with your Plusnet details. That isn't needed on full fibre.
Still Not Right? Quick Checks
- Two Wi-Fi networks? If the Plusnet Hub Two's Wi-Fi is still on, devices may join it instead of the Orbi. Turn it off, or give it a completely different name.
- Restart in order: the Plusnet Hub Two first, then the main Orbi unit once the hub is online, then the other units.
- Main unit next to the hub, connected by cable. Other units about halfway to the weak areas, not in them.
- Use cables between units where you can. Wired connections between mesh units give much better speed than wireless.
- Smart plugs and cameras won't connect? Many only use 2.4GHz. See smart device won't connect to Wi-Fi.
How We Handle It
We set up Netgear Orbi with Plusnet properly: choosing between keeping the hub or connecting straight to the fibre box, protecting your home phone, configuring the mesh, placing the units for full coverage and testing every room, games console and VPN. See our Wi-Fi and home networking service.
Related Reading
Common questions
Yes. Keep the Plusnet Hub Two as the router and put the Orbi into Access Point mode, or on full fibre connect the Orbi straight to the Openreach fibre box if you don't need the home phone.
On full fibre, usually yes: connect the Orbi to the Openreach fibre box (PPPoE, your Plusnet account login). On part-fibre broadband the hub is also your modem, and if your home phone plugs into the hub it needs to stay.
PPPoE with your Plusnet account username (username@plusdsl.net) and account password, with VLAN blank or 0 on full fibre.
Yes, if the Plusnet Hub Two stays connected and the phone plugs into it. If you remove the hub, a home phone that plugs into it stops working.
Still stuck? We can fix it for you
Most problems like this can be fixed remotely today, anywhere in the UK, or with a home visit across West London. DBS checked, insured, 7 days a week until 9pm.
7 days a week, 8am–9pm