Location of the internal ONT

[SixtiesFan]

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?

[stevebrass]

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.

[SixtiesFan]

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.

[stevebrass]

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.

[SixtiesFan]

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

[stevebrass]

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

[SixtiesFan]

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.

[licquorice]

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.

[SixtiesFan]

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. 

[licquorice]

It's all hypothetical anyway until the engineer arrives.