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Message 1 of 5

What should a fibre installation look like?

We have BT fibre to the home, that was installed in our new built house before we moved in.  The two photos show the inside and outside ends of a pipe that feeds the fibre optic cable into the house to the modem from a junction box on the outside wall.

We have recently noticed a foul smell that seems to be coming out of the pipe into the understairs cupboard where the modem is installed. Is it correct that the outside end of this is open to elements? I'm worried that rain water is getting in and stagnating or something has crawled into the pipe and died.

The fact that it has been finished with black tape suggests someone has cut corners, but I'm not sure what this should look like.

Can anyone share a picture of what a good installation is supposed to look like?

 

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Message 2 of 5

Re: What should a fibre installation look like?

I'm no expert as to what a newly installed FTTP should look like. That said, what we see from your photographs seems positively disgusting. Presumably the builder organised this prior to your taking up occupation. He should put it right.

There is no way, at least to my mind, that any sane Openreach operative would have left this rubbish job behind.

 

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Message 3 of 5

Re: What should a fibre installation look like?

I think that the outer pipe was laid into the floor while the house was being built, then openreach have run the cable through it at a later date. Just not sure if it is meant to be open at both ends, seems to be a little tunnel into our house!

Have contacted our builder to try and get them to look at it

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Message 4 of 5

Re: What should a fibre installation look like?

That doesn’t look good but also non standard , the second image is limited , you would normally have ‘a connector bend’ which you can see, a ‘capping 25’ connected to it, and a ‘cover 101’ this covers the hole where the cable goes from outside to inside , the first image of a grey duct entering through what looks like a tiled floor is not what OR do, so presumably this was either the developers own idea , or ( It’s unclear if the home is brand new, or just new to you ) the original occupant asked for this arrangements , so that instead of having surface wiring on the internal wall , opposite connector bend , ( the ‘internal’ wiring  which would normally be visible) asked for it to be hidden  in that non standard ‘tubing’.

TBH, these days chances are,  instead of being on the internal side of an external wall , the service is required more centrally within the property ( like an under-stairs cupboard ) where the developer has installed an Ethernet patch panel etc, the problem is getting from the external wall where the OR duct appears,  into the ‘middle’ of the property , obviously if the builder provides a duct OR use it, but should there be a problem in the future, ( your service off and this this internal duct arrangement needs attention )  , who is responsible for it  ?, it could mean excavating the floor of the property, or reinstalling on the wall opposite the duct , making the Ethernet patch panel unusable.
As already stated, I would be surprised if that was done by OR willingly, but if OR  were asked not to do the usual ‘install’ method and use this ‘Heath Robinson’ lash up, then reluctantly they may have done it..that though means if you complained about it , who is responsible OR or the developer ?

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Message 5 of 5

Re: What should a fibre installation look like?

It's a completely new house, we are first occupants. 

As you described, the modem is in an understairs cupboard with an ethernet patch panel. There is nothing on the inside of the wall by where the openreach box is mounted externally. The fibre presumably runs underneath the hall in that duct.

We've contacted the developer to try and get them to check there isn't a problem, but I have a feeling I'm going to just have to try and tidy up and seal the duct myself, in such a way to try and keep rubbish out while allowing for potential future access if needed! Possibly cut some pipe lagging to size and/or some heat shrink wrap.

As far as I'm concerned the builder built the pipe so it's their problem (for now at least), the cabling that openreach installed works fine so I doubt they'll want anything to do with it.

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