FTTP / Fibre installation

[ScuderiaDave1337]

Hi good folk of PH,

In a few weeks, I will be having FTTP/fibre installed - the existing broadband is provided via ADSL, and so the router connects via a filter to whatever phone socket in the house - this has been good as I've been able to move the router to a more convenient location within the house.

What is it that Openreach will actually be doing to install the fibre? Also, the existing master socket is in a spare bedroom at the back of the house, ideally I'd like this relocated to a better location. Would they be able to do this on the day, or would I need to flag this up beforehand? Apologies in advance if I'm asking stupid questions.

Thanks.

[worsy]

FTTP doesn't use the internal copper wiring. Good news is that you can have it incoming anywhere convenient. Bad news is the router will need to connect to that point.

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

They will pull fibre through the existing underground ducting to the property, fit a grey box on the outside, then run fibre from there to a little white ONT/ONU inside the property somewhere, and then the router will connect via an ethernet cable.

They will usually fit the ONU/ONT wherever you want, as long as you dont have an issue with them running cable around the property, and there is access for the cable routing.

[White-Noise]

When I had mine done I spoke to them ahead of time about what the company would do. When the engineers came out to do it. They were very helpful they had to drag it to across my front lawn to bury it and then went round the side of the house to the living room at the back where I wanted it. We had to work out how it would go around the step for the kitchen because they can't put the wire at right angles because it's fibre optic

I would give them a call if I were you and then work with the engineers and butter them up with some cups of tea and stuff and hopefully they are pretty helpful like mine were!

Inside the house I have my own router in a different location so I just ran a long network cable from where it came into the house under the kitchen cabinets and into the cupboard in the hall.

Edited by White-Noise on Friday 5th September 12:50

[Captain_Morgan]

There are two components

ONT Optical to Ethernet converter this will need power

Router this is connected to the ont via Ethernet and as such can be 100m from this if you have a Ethernet connection between the desired locations

They will generally try and install the ont onto an external wall close to where the cable terminates

If this is via a over head line you might get some wiggle room, if it’s trenched then less so

Generally tea and a drink will make open reach be more “flexible”

[595Heaven]

Bear in mind if you are adding a phone service to the fibre you get another box which also needs power

[phil4]

As above, they plumb all the way to the outside, then run from there to where you want it.

In my case they ran it up to ground floor ceiling height, round the side of the property, up to midway up the upstairs floor, and into the study that's there.

[alangla]

595Heaven said:

Bear in mind if you are adding a phone service to the fibre you get another box which also needs power

Not on any of the installations I’ve had: on Sky routers there’s a BT modular plug on the back that the phone plugs into and on Vodafone ones they supply an RJ11 cable to connect between the router and the phone. Neither had an additional box, though I’ve heard of such things existing. I’ve also heard of BT/EE attempting to resolve voice issues by handing out WiFi enabled handsets to the customer. I believe these just connect directly to the router via WiFi.

[Autopilot]

Does your existing phone line come in underground on via a pole? I didn't know how they (City Fibre / Box) were going to bring fibre in to the house but wasn't a huge surprise that they used the existing phone line from the telegraph pole as a guide wire to bring the fibre in.

They were quite flexible (and knowledgeable) in that I wanted the fibre to come in as close to top of the living room door frame as possible so I could run the fibre across the top of the door frame, down the side, along the skirting a few inches and then through the wall in to the understairs cupboard. They thought this was bonkers until they saw under the stairs where I have a cabinet, patch panel, POE switch etc etc then they got it.

I think it was a mix of skill and luck that the fibre came in exactly where I wanted it (it's a flint fronted house so impossible to get a drill through straight!)

I'm not sure what the BT Openreach policy is (don't forget, there used to be a whole cottage industry creating a things called a 'telephone table' based on the fact that BT would only bring the main connection in by the front door but in my experience they do seem quite helpful!

[595Heaven]

alangla said:

595Heaven said:

Bear in mind if you are adding a phone service to the fibre you get another box which also needs power

Not on any of the installations I’ve had: on Sky routers there’s a BT modular plug on the back that the phone plugs into and on Vodafone ones they supply an RJ11 cable to connect between the router and the phone. Neither had an additional box, though I’ve heard of such things existing. I’ve also heard of BT/EE attempting to resolve voice issues by handing out WiFi enabled handsets to the customer. I believe these just connect directly to the router via WiFi.

Ah,ok. My FTTP provider is Gigaclear and they provided a scone box for the phone. YMMV of course

[Somebody]

I don't think it's been mentioned but the installer will drill a hole to bring the fibre cable into the house. This is from all the FTTP installations I've seen in the vicinity of my house (all underground ducts, no poles).

It's very very rare for them to follow the existing copper cable route into the house.