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FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

johngibbens — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 15:46:58 GMT

Hello community, I have FTTP to my house and now need to also have fast broadband in an ancillary building (a studio) too far from the house for wifi to reach (probably just over 100 metres). The fibre cable serving my house passes by the studio (about 10 metres away) on its way up to the house. So, is it possible to 'splice' the fibre and branch off to the studio without affecting the service to the house and have both locations served by one contract, or, can I set up a separate supply to the studio (it is not its own house)? I don't mind paying for two supplies, but I do need super fast fibre to both locations. Thanks, John.

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

licquorice — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:02:41 GMT

It certainly isn't possible to splice another fibre to serve the outbuilding.

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

ptrduffy — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:04:41 GMT

It's not possible to 'splice' as you're suggesting. The fibre serving your house is part of a Passive Optical Network (PON), and is already spliced multiple times to serve up to 32 (I think) premises. The PONs are designed ahead of the fibre rollout in an area - your outbuilding will not have been included in the PON design, so I very much doubt you will be able to get FTTP there.

Also, at over 100m away, you are just beyong the range of a wired ethernet connection - although it's possible you maye have luck with that.

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

johngibbens — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:24:40 GMT

Thanks ptr, any idea if I am able to get a dedicated supply in there? As I said, I don't mind paying, but, to be clear, the studio is not its own separate address. There doesn't seem to be any way online to raise an order in this situation; to have two separate contracts and two independent lines for one 'property' (but 2 buildings). The answer can't be, 'nothing can be done'....can it? Thanks

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

countrypaul — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:29:50 GMT

You could run your own fibre optic cable from house to studio, the basic cable is around £1/metre ands usually contains several cores. I have no idea on termination costs or if you can buy ready terminated. Ethernet to fibre converters cost around £15 each though some switches support fibre or can have a fibre port added.

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

Crimliar — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:54:52 GMT

@countrypaul what you are suggesting won't work. The ONT is an active device that filters your connection from those of potentially a number of your neighbours. With a 100m run you are looking at either a long high-quality ethernet cable or a specialist WiFi bridge using directional antennas!

Even if OpenReach used PONs rather then ONTs, you'd still only want the one termination before it would cause problems (and probably get you in trouble) - a single termination to replace a PON can be done exactly as you suggested!

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

36ULW — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:09:11 GMT

As said it’s a little more complicated than just Splicing another Fibre on another.

You can have more than one circuit installed but like an ordinary phone line if you wanted a second one you’d have to pay for any and all construction charges to provide you with a second line.

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

countrypaul — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:17:27 GMT

@Crimliar The ONT and PON is irrelevant to what I am suggesting which is simply Ethernet over fibre (his own not OR's). You take a ethernet patch from the BT SH2 ethernet port in the house to a Ethernet/fibre converter (or a switch that supports fibre) take you own Fibre from there to the studio into another converter back to Ethernet. I.e 1000Base-T to 1000Base-SX/LX/LH Single/Multimode Fibre.

The fibre can be up to 10Km iirc and can be easily more than 100m. I had this done between two offices on the same road (contractors managed to break a gas main that was only 8 inches below the surface while digging the trench - but that's another story) nearly 25 years ago.

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

ptrduffy — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:24:25 GMT

@countrypaulthat's how I interpreted your post.

@johngibbensSomething like this would allow you to extend your ethernet to a max of 500m. You would need one in your house and one in your outbuilding, plus the appropriate terminated fibre. And you'd need to make sure the fibre was run between the two with some protection from damage.

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

Crimliar — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:33:55 GMT

Good quality Cat5e or better should be good enough for up to 100m if you go down the cable route.

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

johngibbens — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:46:06 GMT

Thanks v much, to everyone. For a few reasons, I cannot dig to connect. I appreciate it's more costly, but is there any reason I can't simply have, and pay for, a second line? When I spoke to them, BT seemed to NEED a NEW, independent address, which this isn't. It would be very easy (practically and logistically) to add a new cable directly from the telegraph pole into the studio (unlike the house, the studio is close to the road / pole). BT seem to treat my request like it's against the law or rules or something. I want to pay for an extra line - but they're responding to me like I'm the first person that ever asked, and that its impossible.... cos the computer say's no.

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

iniltous — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 18:35:16 GMT

When an area is dimensioned, all the ‘dwellings’ that are appropriately registered as a ‘proper’ address are in effect counted and number used to provide the appropriate size of the network for that immediate area , so your problems are two fold , first you would have to get the studio it’s own postal address , ( otherwise it would never appear as an valid address in the systems used to raise an order ) by making it a property liable for council tax etc , then , once the property is registered an order potentially could be raised , provided there was spare capacity at the CBT , capacity is probably OK , but there is a chance of no spare ‘fibres’ at the CBT
As already suggested the most obvious solution is your own Ethernet ‘cable’ between the two points , or even a point to point microwave link , if there is line of sight , and the prospect of providing a cable link is not practical,
FWIW, you don’t need to adhere to the same standard as Openreach would ( putting cables underground at the appropriate depth of cover , reinstatement etc ) so for arguments sake an Ethernet cable laid overground ( possibly in some sort of flexible conduit) between your house and studio would be no one’s responsibility but your own , if it were damaged , tripped over , etc

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

Crimliar — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 18:36:12 GMT

I'd probably go with a point-to-point link - ubiquity do several. Depending on what you go for you may need a license, but it's not exorbitantly expensive and is pretty much a formality. Speeds are generally not earth-shattering, and the equipment definitely adds a little lag so gaming from the studio could be marginal!

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

gg30340 — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 04:40:09 GMT

Have you considered a 4/5g mobile broadband contract if the signal is good enough at your outbuilding.

Most mobile phone suppliers do them with unlimited data.

Re: FTTP Fibre needed in an outbuilding

johngibbens — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 09:42:25 GMT

Thanks again to everyone...very helpful, and at least I'm better armed now to investigate a workable solution. Didn't know about mobile broadband (prob clear I'm a luddite), so will have a look. I'm with BT (and EE for mobile phones), so presumably as good as any. Appreciate everyone's input..thanks again.