This topic

Location of the internal ONT

SixtiesFan — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 10:06:56 GMT

I am switching from Plusnet's FFTC service to BT's Full Fibre service on 14th December and plan to use my ASUS RT-AX88U router, which is located on the 1st-floor landing and powered from a Cyberlink UPS device in the loft. There is also an Ethernet cable running from the router to a Synology NAS in an understairs cupboard and another cable connecting to a Powerline adapter for one of my external security cameras, which doesn't have Wi-Fi capability. I have purchased a 15-metre Cat 7 Ethernet cable to run from the ONT to the WAN port on the router, via the UPS data line protection sockets which, according to the manufacturer, "Prevents power surges that travel through Ethernet lines from causing damage to electronics." The current BT master socket, just inside the front door, is fed via a short underground duct to a small connection terminal on the outside wall (on the other side of the front door) and then by an underground cable to the connection chamber in the footpath right outside my house (about 4 metres away). The Openreach engineers have already laid the fibre optic cable from the street chamber to my front door, ready for the internal works to be done in December. My question is this: If the BT engineer removes the master socket entirely, can the ONT be fixed over the wall socket pattress where the master socket is currently fixed or is it not compatible with a standard recessed pattress?

Re: Location of the internal ONT

stevebrass — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 10:51:07 GMT

The engineer may well not remove the existing master socket. You can always ask him/her of course. If not the ONT can be located adjacent to it BUT remember the ONT requires a power supply.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

SixtiesFan — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 13:05:31 GMT

Thanks and yes, I realise that the ONT will require a power supply and I have plenty of sockets nearby, so that won't be a problem. What I really want to know is if the engineer removes the master socket as I shall ask him to do, whether the ONT can be fitted over the existing pattress box so that I don't have an empty metal box stuck in the wall. If that can't be done then I'll have to buy a standard single-socket blanking plate to cover it up or another possible and probably better idea could be to purchase a plate that contains a hole, such as a TV aerial plate and ask the engineer to feed the cable from outside through that.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

stevebrass — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 13:16:14 GMT

The ONT is not designed to fit on a pattress box.

It might just about be "bodged" on would not recommended.

Plan on the basis that if the master socket is removed you will have the pattress to tidy up. But it may be the Engineer will leave the master socket in situ.

As regards feeding the optical cable through as you suggest (if the master socket is removed) there is an official bit of kit that should be used for this purpose.

See attached photos.

But having said all this - what you get on the day - as others will testify can vary.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

SixtiesFan — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 14:30:41 GMT

Do you have a link to show what the "official bit of kit" looks like?

Re: Location of the internal ONT

stevebrass — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 14:45:26 GMT

It is the white cap on the wall from which the fibre optic cable emerges.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

SixtiesFan — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:03:56 GMT

So from what I can see, the neatest solution might be to put the little round connection box inside the pattress (if it will fit) and then mount the ONT over the top, but it might then be a problem to get the cable to the ONT, so if the small connector would fit inside, the cable to the ONT could pass through the cover plate with the hole that I mentioned above and the ONT could be mounted adjacent.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

licquorice — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:03:03 GMT

Its not a connection box, it is just a plastic cover. Best option might be to fit faceplate to pattress with a hole large enough for the optical connector to pass through and then fit the white round cover over the faceplate. The bend radius of the optical cable cannot be too severe as it will kink the fibre.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

SixtiesFan — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:12:04 GMT

Yes, that was another option I had in mind. It could podsibly be affixed with strong glue or sticky pads to the faceplate and I think that may be the best solution as there would be little risk of bending the cable too much.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

licquorice — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:09:11 GMT

It's all hypothetical anyway until the engineer arrives.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

SixtiesFan — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:15:51 GMT

Yes I know. I used to be a telecoms engineer myself a long time ago.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

SixtiesFan — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:44:11 GMT

I've found a suitable aerial faceplate on Amazon that the engineer can use (when the aerial connection part has been removed) to cover the pattress box in the wall once the master socket has been completely removed. I've already removed the front part myself and discarded it as Plusnet cut me off a few days ago, so I have no need of it now as I shall be using my new Gigaset cordless phones with a Sipgate account, which was already up and running until Plusnet terminated my broadband and phone line without warning. I'm currently using the BT Mini Hub which they have kindly provided for me until my FTTP service goes live on 24th December.

Can you tell me the diameter of the small round plastic thingy in the photograph as I'll need to order some suitably-sized circular sticky pads for the engineer to stick it to the new faceplate?

Re: Location of the internal ONT

pippincp — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 16:55:45 GMT

You are assuming the engineer will have an internal cover with him. They don't always due to stocking issues. Additionally the engineers don't normally renove the master socket although may do so on request, especially if (as in your case) it makes install easier.

I suppose it boils down to if you get an Openreach enginner or a contractor. let us know how you get on.

BTW double sided tape may be better than pads.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

SixtiesFan — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 19:04:49 GMT

Not sure what you mean by an "internal cover". Also, I've just noticed that I put the wrong date in my last post. It should have said 14th December, so just over two weeks from now. I'll update this thread with some photographs once the work has been done.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

pippincp — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 19:12:57 GMT

The white cap on the wall from which the fibre optic cable emerges as seen on the photo posted earlier..

Re: Location of the internal ONT

dave44 — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 06:27:18 GMT

There is a case available for the ONT that allow it to fit over the existing pattress box. Officially they are only available new build properties, but you might be able to source one.

See page 4 of the following

https://www.openreach.com/content/dam/openreach/openreach-dam-files/images/fibre-broadband/fibre-for-developers/guides-and-handbooks/feb-2021-updates/New%20sites%20fibre%20handbook%20-%209.4.pdf

Re: Location of the internal ONT

Starwire — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 06:54:26 GMT

Most Service Delivery Engineers don’t carry them and they’re supposed to be put in on Greenfield Sites only.

Saying that though Openreach pay the Developer to install them so it’s virtually guaranteed any over ordered stock will eventually find its way onto Internet Sale Sites.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

SixtiesFan — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 10:07:34 GMT

Having checked the situation behind the BT master socket, I’ve come to the conclusion that to use that for the new FTTP installation, my assumption that it would have been easy to pull the new fibre cable through with the existing copper wires cable would not be the case. For one reason, when they installed the metal back box in the wall, they wrapped the cable around the metal box and cemented it in. Also, without actually removing the back box, it would not be possible to tell how the copper wires cable had been run and it now seems highly likely that even if the metal back box were removed to release the cable, it would still not be possible to use it as a pull wire for the new fibre-optic cable. So, with that in mind, I have taken out the BT master socket and put a plastic blanking plate over it. I’m going to ask the engineer to run the fibre-optic cable under the front door and into the immediately adjacent outside storage cupboard and from there to drill a hole through the wall to bring the fibre-optic cable close to where the BT master socket was previously located. With that in mind, I have run my new Cat 7 Ethernet cable from that point to where my ASUS RT-AX88U router is located on the first-floor landing. I’ve made a sketch of how I think this will work, but I’ll post a photograph of the finished job once the engineer has been.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

stevebrass — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 10:49:04 GMT

Looks good. Having a customer who has given some thought to things is always good for the engineers. If you wish you could drill the hole yourself.

Re: Location of the internal ONT

SixtiesFan — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 12:14:33 GMT

Thanks for confirming I am on the right track. I may have considered drilling the hole myself but I recently tripped up the top of the stairs, crashing my right shoulder into a bedroom door frame, which has resulted in a fracture to my collar bone and my having to keep my arm in a sling.