Sub-standard Fibre installation

[templar]

Greetings,

About two years ago my elderly parents decided to get the BT Fibre 100 package. 

The engineer arrived, but was from Turkey and unfortunately spoke broken English, so communication was rather difficult.  He asked me if I had the wire required to fit it, which I was rather perplexed at, as I would assume the engineer would have had all the equipment to facilitate an installation.   He said he did not have sufficient length of wire to lay it down around the periphery of the room and into the back of the router, so he just direct-lined it to the router across the carpet.

At the time I thought the work was rather sub-standard but didn't want to complain and come off as a moaner, as the Fibre did increase our speeds, however my mother, who is 74 and suffers from a slipped disc in her spine and multiple sclerosis has severe problems walking.

The other day she tripped over this wire and narrowly missed hitting her head.  I now deem this a health-hazard.

I've attempted to stick the wire down with masking tape to try to avoid future accidents that could possibly result in serious injury to my mother, but I still think this is damn unacceptable work, and would like to know the best avenue to get this rectified.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NDGeX9mUyiqfYA8H6

Thank you kindly for reading.

[dave44]

It looks to me like it’s possibly the ethernet cable connecting the router to the ONT. Would this be correct?

If so then the easy solution would be to buy a longer one and route it round the edge of the room (along the skirting board or tucked under the edge of the carpet, etc).

[templar]

@dave44 

Hello,

I'm not that tech knowledgeable so forgive me.  By ONT, are you referring to the small square white box on the wall with three green lights on it?

If so, then yes, there is a blue cable coloured ethernet cable connecting this ONT to the router.

So, can I purchase any Ethernet cable or will I require a specific version of Ethernet cable?

Thank you for your prompt reply.

[dave44 · Accepted solution]

Yes the ONT is the white box with the green lights. Any cable of Cat 5e spec or above will do the job.

Example of a 10m white one, but they come in many colours and lengths.

[templar]

@dave44 

These past two years I was under the ridiculous assumption that the Ethernet cable put in was a special one to handle the Fibre speeds! 😆

So, I could just fix this myself. 

Thank you kindly, chap! 👍

I'll go and order a decent length one now.

[WSH]

Any Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable will do.  (Cat = category).  Both are rated for up to 1Gb/s, at up to 100m.   Unofficially, Cat 6 can reach 10Gb/s at up to 55m.  I’d go for pure copper.  Avoid CCA, (copper clad aluminium).  It’s cheap and nasty stuff.

(Do not get Cat 5 by mistake.  That is, 5, without the “e”.  It cannot do more than 100Mb/s.  It’s obsolete and you probably can’t get it today, but just in case).

Cat 7 & 8 are way over the top, performance-wise but will work.

[templar]

@WSH 

Thank you for the extra information, it is much appreciated.

[chrisjp]

Yes, it'll be easy enough to fix this yourself be getting a longer ethernet cable. But, really, it is disgraceful that the technician who fitted FTTP just laid a cable diagonally across a floor. This is clearly a trip risk and is NOT acceptable practice.