Renew contract questions

[Marvel]

I am up for renewal and been offered fibre 65 (what I have now) or Full fibre 150 both for the same price of £28.

Will the full Fibre 150 come with the Eero because its no use for me as most of my devices are connected via wire and they do not have wifi capability.

Looking at photos of the back of the Eero am I right in thinking that it only has 2 ports for a wired connection.

Is there a faster option than my current fibre 65 that is not Full fibre -one that I do not need a new line/cable installing from the pole to my house.

Thank you community.

[Marvel]

That makes sense as on speaking to the neighbour whilst digging they are on virgin.

So in that case virgin own the street green conduit and city fibre will not be allowed to use it to run their cable, or is the conduit its self not owned by anyone so anyone can use it.

[ferguson]

Diamond Cable were long ago subsumed into what is now Virgin Media and their network is an entirely separate one again. 

[Marvel]

Was hoping that someone has already gone through this who can shed some light on it.

Do city fibre have their own fibre in the street or do they use what openreach have on top of the pole.

I have just done some digging - literally. Before I moved here about 20 years ago there was already a box on the wall but not used. see photo. Diamond cable.

Near to my boundary with my neighbour ( low grey fence ) out in the street is a square box with cable TV written on the cover inside are 2 cables in a green conduit, the cables pass through/ under the driveway front garden wall and then enters a black conduit on my property side about 1 inch diameter and 10 inch below ground level see picture with hammer, it then seems to cut across  the corner of the gravel and reappear at the yellow X  and from there to the box the cables just come out of the black conduit and are covered over with cement with no conduit.

I do not know where the green conduit gos to in the street but would city fibre be using this to run their cables through to their nearest underground manhole point.

If so would they dig a trench to the same diamond box position and lay their own conduit. If not then would they allow me to dig my own trench and then them drop a conduit into it and come out at the diamond cable box.  

view from street to house, old cable box can be seen on house, its street position is the black square lidded boxold cablewhere it serfacesthe conduit on my sidethe streetthe green conduit in the street.

[ferguson]

I don't think anyone can answer any more than previously: you need to place an order and then discuss it with the installation engineers. 

[Marvel]

Hope this is the right place to carry on since my post was removed.

Ok new info -- without any action from myself I had a txt from talktalk saying city fibre will be upgrading me for free to full fibre

 I have never seen a city fibre van around here ever as its always been open reach. Last time I had issues here i spoke to the open reach engineer about future installation of full fibre and they pointed out to me the full fibre connections box is ready installed on the top of the pole across the street.

Do city fibre come from underground or do they use the open reach infrastructure at the top of the pole.

If they come from the pole at height then i have a route planned but if they are coming from underground then its more problematic,

Can I have a pre insulation consultation with city fibre before I go ahead.

If they come from above via the pole as now will they remove the old copper wire and use the same tension point on the house. or do they leave that there and fix a new tension point.

If they come from underground how far will they bury the cable in my drive - I am thinking for a future new drive and then having a problem because of where the cable is, so having to pay to have it moved.      

[Marvel]

Thank you Arne for looking at my photos. Actually there are no holes to drill around the fusebox and consumer unit as there are already holes avalible through the wall.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi Marvel

Im not an engineer but with the photos shown it looks to be a reasonable request, only concern is its very close to the fuse box an installer may be wary of drilling there.   I suppose the only way to find out is to request the install and speak to the installer. 

[Marvel]

The drop point is at the corner of the house (semi) at eves level the cable now comes down and into the property at about front door height which now is covered by a porch canopy, from there inside the property it drops to waist height into what is a metre cupboard and its a further 1m to the existing NTE. The router sits on top of the metre cupboard plugged directly into the BT socket. From the post across to street to the NTE socket there are no joins or connections - it comes straight in.

My new proposal is to drop the new fibre cable the same but instead of enter the property at top of front door height to instead go into the attached integral garage at that door height and carry on down but just on the inside of the front of the garage and then at just above floor level fit the outside termination box so its hidden in the garage from there it can be connected to the ONT as normal on the inside of the house wall and about 1m to the side of that entry point. So from the termanation box - straight through the house wall then 1m to the side to the ONT which will replace the NTE sockets position.

Hop that makes sense

[ferguson]

Can you also advise where the existing telephone drop point is connected to the outside of your house and how far the cabling from there has to travel to reach the existing NTE through the wall?  

[Marvel]

Yes I already have the BT NTE box and router directly on the other side the wall that is the inside the integral garage where I would like the outside termination box to be sited. I will send a PM with a photo to help explain.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

I suppose it depends on the physical wiring to the property, the installers are advised to place it at the most convenient point which also has to be by 2 power sockets , does the place you want the install meet the criteria?    

[Marvel]

hanks Arne for your help.

Have to say that is most disappointing, if I do not agree to where they want to put a box on the outside of my property. Going my some complaints I have seen where they have sited the box in unacceptable /ugly positions for the home owner but were just easy for the installer.     

I need some sort of pre assessment before I agree to having fibre installed.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

If you arrange an engineer then stop the installation this will probably be classed as a missed appointment and chargeable.

[Marvel]

Will do - thanks for your help.

Just need clarification from the admins that if I agree to the install and then decide I do not want it cause they cannot fit where I want that I will not be charged.

[ferguson]

Well, do keep us posted if you decide to proceed with this!  🙂

[Marvel]

 I just call them sort of generic Talktalk but I know its  BT that do the install. Currently the router is right there on the other side of the garage wall at the front of the house next to the front door. 

[ferguson]

From what you have described there I can't see a problem, other than how you subsequently site any router/s. TalkTalk don't do the installs, it is the network supplier. 

[Marvel]

The inside of the integral garage is the outside of the property, but with a garage door on the front. The ONT will be directly on the other side of the garage/house wall.

Not arguing with you directly but I do not trust talktalk to then want to charge me for agreeing to have it installed and then say I dont want it.

kind of want them to come around say yes thay can do it that way or no they cannot in which case I will say fine I will stick with the copper cable.  

[ferguson]

As I understand it they can only run a cable outside the house to an entry point that suits where you want the ONT to be directly on an inside wall, not internally. At the end of the day you can but place an order and then, when they turn up, if they cannot meet your wishes then you can cancel it. There are physical limitations. 

[Marvel]

So if they used a splice machine all that is inside that outside box is what looks like a continuous cable not connected to anything. 

I am wondering why cant they put the cable through the wall without any box and then splice on a plug on the end inside the house.

I sort of get it that if they put on a plug outside the house then it would then need a bigger hole to thread it in.

Why do you think that following the current path of my copper will not be feasible.

Before I agree to fitting full fibre is there a way i can discuss my preferred route with the engineer.