This topic

FTTP installation questions

MVOwner — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 20:09:42 GMT

Hi All,

A few installation questions here Id appreciate help on.

I am awaiting FTTP installation for BT Broadband.

Can someone please confirm:-

1. Is the existing copper wire from the telegraph pole ever kept in place?

2. Is the existing copper wire from the telegraph pole ever used as a wire to secure the new fibre wire?

3. Is the external box absolutely required or can they run the new fibre wire from the telegraph pole directly into the property without the external box.

4. Do they ever 'pull through' the new fibre wire using the existing copper wire where the existing copper wire runs under the floor (in trunking but with bends)

5. If they fit a new clamp on the external of my house near a fascia do they prefer to fit the clamp to brick or a fascia?

6. How large is the drill bit for the hole through the wall?

I would like help with these so I can plan for the installation.

Thanks

MVOwner

Re: FTTP installation questions

pippincp — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 00:43:34 GMT

1. At this time, yes

2. No

3. Normally, yes

4. No

5. Fascia but will be to one of the roof trusses through the fascia.

6. 6mm

Re: FTTP installation questions

ptrduffy — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 08:27:44 GMT

Hi @MVOwner,

@pippincphas covered all the direct questions, I just wanted to offer an additional point related to 4 - if you would like the fibre to come under the floor in trunking, my experience is that the OR contractors will do this happily if you install the trunking and a draw string in advance of thsi visit. This helped me get the ONT in an internal cupboard where I wanted it.

Re: FTTP installation questions

MVOwner — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 09:20:13 GMT

Many thanks for your decent considered responses.

On the subject of a drawstring, I wasn't perhaps providing sufficient detail in my original post. The conduit that is in place has 3 x 90 degree corners between the outside wall and the BT and currently has the BT copper in place and without any spare room so I believe this would make getting a draw string down their pretty much impossible. I was hoping perhaps the OR engineer may consider using the BT copper as the draw string.

Re: FTTP installation questions

licquorice — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 09:30:17 GMT

Bear in mind any answers given on the forum are pure conjecture, what happens depends entirely on the willingness or not of the engineer on the day.

Re: FTTP installation questions

MVOwner — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 00:23:07 GMT

Absolutely I understand it can be down to the mood of the installer on the day (perhaps I'll make them a tea)!!)

I am now considering the cable that runs between the external Openreach box and the internal Openreach box.

I understand that this cable is terminated in the external Openreach box and then passes through the wall construction where it passes through a decorative plastic plate and then plugs into the internal Openreach box. I think a cable exiting the wall through a decorative plastic plate can look sloppy IMHO.

Instead of the cable passing through a decorative plastic plate and directly into the Openreach box, I am considering predrilling the hole through the wall construction myself in advance of the visit to make life nice and simple for the installer. The hole would be drilled from the internal side to the external side and is likely on the internal side to start in the rear of a single gang backbox which is currently installed in the wall. The backbox has no functionality and has a euro plate arrangement. The plate has a blank 50 x 25mm euro front plate.

If I was to want a super neat installation I could remove the blank euro front plate and insert a female to female fibre optic plate. I could then have a fibre optic patch cable from the front plate to the internal Openreach box. I am struggling though to identify the type of female to female fibre optic plate that would replace the existing blank 50 x 25mm euro front plate and was wondering whether it is one of these:-

White Lc-Lc Fibre Euro Module. 25X50mm. | EuroNetwork

Re: FTTP installation questions

iniltous — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 09:35:20 GMT

You cannot provide your own ‘patch’ on the optical side of the OR connection, the cable the installer provides has a SC/APC plug ( so the LC connector you show would be if no use anyway ) and that SC/APC plugs directly into the ONT , as Openreach are responsible for that , they are not going to use something you provide that they then would have to become responsible for , if it failed or was responsible for a high loss , you presumably would expect OR to resolve the issue , even if that were to isolate the issue to that device you provided.

You wanting to make the installation as neat as possible is understandable, but you need to understand that if your requirements become too time consuming , impractical or impracticable , especially if it’s a contractor, they will simply walk away, there almost certainly will be some cable visible unless you provide ‘trunking’ as containment for the cable which is no less impactful visually anyway.

Your suggestion to ‘pull’ an internal optical cable using the copper cable as a draw rope through three 90 degree bends is not likely to be considered.

Re: FTTP installation questions

MVOwner — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 10:05:39 GMT

OK many thanks, so I understand that up to the internal box is not my responsibility or something that is easy to influence.

So I can drill the hole through the wall and fit my own type of decorative blanking in advance can you confirm if the plug on the cable between the internal and external boxes has the plug fitted on site? I believe at least one end of the cable through the wall is supplied bare and terminated on site due to the small size of the drill bit

Re: FTTP installation questions

iniltous — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 11:01:05 GMT

The cable between the ONT and CSP ( available in several pre-made lengths) has the SC/APC plug pre fitted , the obvious installation method is to install the internal side first and pass the non plug side of the cable from inside to out , obviously the installer using the most appropriate cable length to reduce waste , the cable is then cut to the appropriate length before splicing in the CSP to the external optical cable .

Re: FTTP installation questions

MVOwner — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 11:04:09 GMT

Many thanks and I would appreciate confirmation of the approximate diameter of the internal grade cable, I assume it is circa 6mm but would appreciate confirmation of this.

Re: FTTP installation questions

Frogmodem — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 11:08:58 GMT

I had two copper lines coming into my two separate numbers from a nearby pole. A few weeks after my FTTP installation I asked for these to be removed and they were. Took about 30 minutes for one Openreach guy and a ladder. We only have one number now as expected.

Re: FTTP installation questions

iniltous — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 12:31:12 GMT

Search Ezibend optical cable to get an idea ( image) of the type of cable used , 6mm seems to be the consensus for the size of the hole required to pass this cable through.
Obviously the hole needs to be slightly larger than the cable , but the external side should be sealed with silicon to stop any water ingress, OR also use a cable that has a rugged outer jacket that remains on the external part of the cable run , and is stripped off to expose the internal white jacket to give a better appearance internally .

This link provided by an Openreach tech on a similar post

https://dexgreen.com/blogs/dexgreen-news/inside-outside-cable

Re: FTTP installation questions

MVOwner — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 15:35:35 GMT

Many thanks, greatly appeciated.

On a slightly different issue, if I want to later reposition the internal box am I allowed to do so? (I would suggest technically no) and if I were to want to, are the box mountings accessible if I want to reposition it?

Re: FTTP installation questions

36ULW — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 15:59:38 GMT

The Lead In Kit Requires a 10mm Hole for the Tube but the Covers on the inside and out need the hole widening to 12mm.

The Internal Box is the property of Openreach and you’re not supposed to move it.

But there’s nothing stopping you from buying a cable with SC/APC Connectors at either end, along with a Coupler though and an essentially extending the Fibre Cable Openreach install.

Of course like Extension Sockets on Land Lines Openreach will not be responsible for it and if they find it’s causing a fault they’d remove it and charge your CP, who would most likely then pass said charge on you.

Re: FTTP installation questions

iniltous — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 16:08:32 GMT

If you wanted to relocate the ONT , that’s physically possible , it’s only two screws , but obviously the overall distance from the CSP cannot be greater as it’s limited by the length of the cable , and if the distance is shorter you have the problem of storing the excess cable in such a way that it doesn’t introduce optical loss ( it cannot be tightly bound , the minimum bend radius needs to be observed ) .

As far as are you allowed, there is no way for anyone to know if you did , but if you messed up and required a visit to restore a break in service that was caused by your interference then that visit may be chargeable , there is an official way to relocate an ONT that charged for .