REQ: Info on FTTP before I take the plunge, please.

[Chainsaw]

Hi,

I am currently on Fibre with Halo 1 + calls with BT. (Been with them since the year dot)

I am getting about 25/6.

I can now move up to FTTP 100/300/900 by phoning the FTTP team and not by ordering online with BT as it reckons I don't have it yet!

I have scoured this forum for some info prior to my taking the plunge as I always like to be informed as I can, especially when the engineer is here.

So, my home is fed by overhead copper wires from a pole just across the road.

I hope to retain the use of my 3 handset DECT phones/answer machine.

The phone wiring arrangement is a bit weird in my house in that from the master socket (just inside front door) it goes to an engineer fitted socket upstairs and loops back downstairs to the first phone. I think they done this in the early days so that my computer was being fed first before any phone?? Irrelevant now probably and will be once FTTP is installed.

I also have network cables under floorboards going to most rooms which terminate at a 4 gang wall plate in same room as my current SH2 (no WAN port). So obviously, I really need to keep the SH2 in this spare room for this reason.

So, basically, the easiest for me would be to get the engineer to drill a hole on the front of the house and into the front bedroom (not too far from where the copper wires are fixed at the moment) and behind the kickboard in the built-in wardrobe along to a power point (still inside the wardrobe), where it cab be fixed to wall replacing a shelf that is currently there and also where the engineer installed socket is at the moment. From the ONT I can then feed through the bedroom wall to the SH2 as I am am doing at the moment. Sounds a bit long winded but hopefully the engineer will allow this.

Would it be better to get some trunking for the fibre cable to be protected inside the wardrobe or could it be placed under the carpet that inside there?

How would my existing DECT phones work with this FTTP system? Would it be just a fibre cable from the pole or shotgun with copper? As I said, I wish to keep my DECT phones and current phone number.

I am pleased with the prices as I am currently paying £50 for BB+LL and its £40 for Full Fibre 100!

Cheers.

[Park_Ranger]

Some information here...... How is 'Fibre to the Home' installed? | BT Help

If we need to visit, the engineer will recommend where to put the equipment, but it will speed up your installation if you think about where you want it to go.

Things to bear in mind when considering where's best for your equipment:

1. We recommend you connect your computer using wires to get the best speeds
2. The Hub and the Openreach fibre modem need to be next to each other, and both need a power socket
3. The Openreach fibre modem needs to be wall mounted, and can't be moved once it's installed
4. It's good to have the equipment close to your TV to make the most of broadband TV services. Or in the room next to your main computer
5. We can use a 30m extension cable, but it can only go along walls - not under carpets or floors - so please move any furniture that's in the way

Before leaving, the engineer will reconnect one of your computers to demonstrate that it's working OK. The engineer will also help you install the set-up disk on your computer. They'll leave you with this disk so that you can install the software on any other computers you've got.

If you have BT TV, the engineer will reconnect your box, but your service won’t be live until the next day (you'll still be able to use Freeview). You'll need to reconnect any other devices such as laptops and wireless printers yourself.

[imjolly]

your phones will depend on whether you get Digital Voice or keep existing copper phone connections

if DV then the SH2 acts as a base station and you normally get a free digital voice phone.  you can connect your existing base to the phone socket on back of hub

[Chainsaw]

Hi Park_Ranger, thanks for your reply.

That sort of scuppers my idea then as to the easiest option for me.

Looking at my layout then, I think it will need to come in to the front upstairs office where my PC is. The ONT can be mounted to the wall next to the new hole and theres a power point as well. The SH2 however still needs to remain in the spare bedroom at the rear of the house as that is where the 4 gang network wall plate is.

Surely the modem and  hub do not need to be next to each other as stated in rule 2 below?

I can send a network cable from the ONT in the office through the loft and down to the hub to go into the WAN port. Then from the hub, to the wall plate which goes to the office wallplate. A bit convoluted but anything else would mean major floor lifting and work!

Also, no need to be close to my TV as there is a cable point next to it.

Ideally, I could do with an Openreach engineer to give me the once over before the install day just to make sure it will all be OK and not waste his time if it can't be done etc..

If what I have mentioned above seems to be the way to go then I need to get my network cable in and over and down to the hub in preparation.

Cheers.

[Chainsaw]

Hi imjolly, thanks for your reply.

Bit confused now.

You say if DV then the SH2 acts as a base station and I could use the free DV phone.

Then you say that I can connect my existing phone (3 x DECT set) straight into the back of the hub as well.

Does the DV phone fit into the back of the hub as well?

Would I be left with the original copper wired phone line that I could still use or would that become redundant once I have the FTTP installed?

I am obviously after the easiest option for me, which is faster BB and keep existing phone setup.

Is this possible please?

Cheers again.

[licquorice]

Hub and ONT don't need to be co-located, they can be 100 metres of Ethernet cable apart.

If using digital voice, you can either use the BT digital voice phones which utilise the built-in DECT base station in the hub or if using your own phones and DECT base station, you can plug the base station into the hub.

Your copper line is totally redundant with digital voice.

[Chainsaw]

Thanks for your reply licquorice,

Good that the Hub and ONT don't need to be together.

Is DV an option when ordering FTTP or does it come as standard.  I'd rather not use it too be honest and stick with the 4 x handsets I have now.

I assume then that the DV set can be placed anywhere  (within range) of the hub to be able to use it? How is it charged if it is not docked on the hub. Excuse my newbie questions!

Also, can I plug my current DECT base/answer machine into the hub AND still use the DV phone and so use either one to make or receive a call?  Or is it a case of 'either or'?

When I rang the FTTP team and asked a few questions, I asked about my existing phone setup and the guy on the phone said that I would keep my existing copper wire phone system.

I suppose I'll know more when I finally call to upgrade. Just not sure if 100 or 300.   I mean 300 is still cheaper than what I'm currently paying so I suppose it's a no brainer!

Cheers again.....