Full Fibre install experience

[Rory]

Been getting increased “pressure” from BT to switch to full fibre so now some building work has been finished I went ahead.

Appt changed three times and I’ve been absolutely bombarded with letters, emails, texts to my mobile and texts to my landline.

Anyway, got installed yesterday.  Moved the incoming overhead from one front corner of the house to the other, both going into the house at first floor level.   I understand why the overhead fibre is taken to a connection box near the ground but it seems ridiculous that there isn’t a reliable solution that can just go straight to the ONT (or do the splice internally if the householder is happy).   And why is there still a copper core with the cable when the point of this exercise is to get rid of copper?

The installer smashed half the face off a brick drilling, in a very visible place,  through a brand-new wall too – she used so much force that the bits of brick are scattered right across the adjoining garage roof.  Looks absolutely ridiculous and I’m annoyed with myself for not standing over her.

Broadband worked immediately, and I could make outgoing calls but can’t receive incoming calls.  She said it would likely change over as soon as she closed the job.   Still didn’t work this morning so called BT and they said ‘Hmmm…it seems that part of the job has been cancelled!”.  I’ve been assured it’ll be sorted in 48hrs.  I tend to give the landline number out as my mobile is a work one.

Never got any info about Digital phones or adapters – I asked about that when I called this morning and they’re sending some.

[Rory]

Sorry to reply to my own post but it seems the "48 hrs" to fix the no incoming calls issue could now be 10-14 days! I called BT again this evening after getting an email saying a new order had been raised - at completely different pricing to what I agreed a few weeks ago.

This seems totally ridiculous - yet there's apparently nothing that can be done until it gets sorted out at BT's convenience, they can't even divert incoming calls which are apparently still being routed over PSTN and just ring out, so giving callers no indication there's a problem. I just have to live with it.

The person I spoke to tonight said it's not beyond the realms of possibility that I'll lose my existing number.

Obviously I'm deeply regretting making the switch now.

[dave44]

“I understand why the overhead fibre is taken to a connection box near the ground but it seems ridiculous that there isn’t a reliable solution that can just go straight to the ONT (or do the splice internally if the householder is happy).   And why is there still a copper core with the cable when the point of this exercise is to get rid of copper?“

There is a small discrete internal splice box available so the installer probably could have used this.

As for the copper hybrid cable, there is a fibre only drop cable available which is meant to be the default now, and installers are strongly discouraged from using copper hybrid cables if the copper pair isn’t required.

Practices are constantly changing and your installer maybe wasn’t aware of recent changes.

[Zurdo]

Sorry to hear you had problems.
I had switch over to FTTP on Wednesday and it was painless. Engineer replaced overhead copper wire with the fibre optic, then down to a box, through the wall to the new modem in the hall and wired up the Smarthub 2. Speed to the router just less than 150 and wireless to the lounge about 90.
Initially wireless seemed slow but aiming the router differently cured it although theoretically it should be omnidirectional.
All in all pleased...£20 plus line rental not too shabby.

[Rory]

"There is a small discrete internal splice box available so the installer probably could have used this.

As for the copper hybrid cable, there is a fibre only drop cable available which is meant to be the default now, and installers are strongly discouraged from using copper hybrid cables if the copper pair isn’t required.

Practices are constantly changing and your installer maybe wasn’t aware of recent changes."

The Openreach lady had only been with them 6mths and she seemed to only have one way of doing things, and that was very much by the book.  I would have been OK with the external CSP being in the house, but knowing there is an internal one is even more annoying now.    The hybrid cable doesn't make a lot of difference in appearance.   I guess they just use whatever they're issued with?

The cabling comes down (and back up) the front face of one of the garage pillar walls and isn't so noticeable and there will usually be car parked there so the CSP isn't very obvious. 

I got up on the garage roof this morning and recovered some chunks of brick facing and worked them back into place - she blasted through so hard bits had gone right across the roof but there were a couple of usable chunks.   Looks better now, but the point the damage has been done is a new wall, in a very visible place, and it's facing the prevailing weather so not ideal.   Looks worse in real life, the sun shining on it as flattened the contours:

[dave44]

I would put some silicon sealant on that hole if I were you as this seems to have been missed.

[DancougaGary]

Silicone is a must since water may leak in the house. Moreover put some wall clip to mount the cable should have better looking.

[Rory]

I have put a couple of chuncks of brick back and siliconed around the hole.  I've got some brick repair mastic stuff which I'll fill in the rest with so hopefully it'll be barely noticeable.

Re clipping the cable, how tight can the bends be?  I didn't want to mess around with it - thinking of damaging the fibre.

I was bemused to get an email from BT yesterday closing my complaint.  Still can't receive calls but this morning the dial tone has changed - still a dial tone but it alternated on and off, like an engaged tone, but with a dial tone as noise.   Can still make calls.

Thanks Goodness the broadband works - I work from home and we don't have 4G here (semi-rural Cheshire) so I'd be pretty stuffed if it didn't work.

[imjolly]

have you checked for any messages on 1571 as that is active automatically with DV

[Rory]

There is a message!   A text from BT saying they added a £50 credit to my account.

I sent a text message from my mobile - that goes to the answerphone and I can pick it up.

Tried to call from my mobile - just hear ringing (on the mobile) then it cuts out after a minute or so, doesn't go to voicemail.  Tried again, this time picking up the phone attached to the Hub while the mobile was ringing and just got a dial tone.

I'm not doing something daft here, am I - I just plug a phone (it's a Panasonic DECT base station, and it is powered up) to the phone port on the hub?