Cable Spec

[gudgeon]

I am in the process of building a workshop on my property. It is 100 metres from the main house. I am presently working on the groundworks installing the services, now would be a good oportunity to fit the internet cable before the footpaths etc are complete. Does anyone know the spec for the correct cable that I should install? or do I only install the ducting and a BT Technician will pull the cable later?

[Keith_Beddoe]

@gudgeon 

Welcome to this user forum.

If this is going to be a new phone line, then you need to contact Openreach for advice.

https://www.openreach.com/network-services/altering-our-network

If its just an external phone extension from the main house, then that would be your responsibility, and nothing to do with Openreach, they would not be involved.

[gg30340]

If you are referring the networking cable when you say "opportunity to fit the internet cable"  if so you would need Ethernet  Cat5e or Cat6 and ideally External Ethernet cable. 

At 100 meters you are at the limits for using Ethernet cable without loss of speed which depending on the speed you are starting with may not be too much of a problem.

[gudgeon]

Thank you, it would be a new separate line, coming fro the pole which also feeds the house, its probably about 90m run from the pole to the workshop. I was thinking of puling the cable and then BT woud do the terminations (at pole and in the building) this is why I was wonderning what cable to use. (I could also just leave a draw string in the ducting)

[gudgeon]

Thank you, Yes it would be the networking cable, and therfore as you recommend an external ethernet cable.

[imjolly]

Would the new phone connection at workshop also have a separate broadband package or are you intending to use existing connection

[licquorice · Accepted solution]

I'm confused. Is the cable to supply a new phone line to the workshop or connectivity from the workshop to the house?

If the former, all you can do is provide the duct with a draw rope, you cannot provide the cable, Openreach will do that.

If the latter, then Cat5E or Cat6 external Ethernet cable is required and Openreach will have no involvement.

[iniltous]

If the outbuilding isn’t going to be registered as a separate dwelling , liable for council tax etc, then if you ordered a second line , then obviously you would have to use the main property’s address , and the installer may in effect state the order is for the main address, not some remote building even if you have provided the wherewithal to provide service into it, and only agree to install it in the main address.
Assuming the installer was amenable to do what you want, then presumably the new line would be terminated on a master socket within the main property, and the cable you have provided would have to run from the site of this master socket to the outbuilding, and be connected to the consumer panel of the master socket , in effect just being a very long phone extension , so in the event of a fault it could be easily established if the fault were on your own cabling or what OR are responsible for.

If this is the method you are considering , then it’s not really an ‘internet’ cable , it’s an phone extension and you would plug the router into the extension socket ( I suspect it wouldn’t be brilliant running a router on a 100m extension cable ), the alternative would be to have the router in the main address and use an Ethernet cable from the router located in the main address , the other end plugged into whatever device you want to use in the outbuilding...100m for Ethernet is ( as already stated ) around the limit for wired Ethernet .

[gudgeon]

Thank you mjolly, it would be a new separate broadband package.

[gudgeon]

Thank you licquorice, it is the former, therefore as you suggest, I will install the ducting with a draw cord and Openreach will supply the correct cable and pull it through.