Recent Posts

91

IDNet Help / Re: FTTP New Installation Process

« Last post by armadillo on Mar 19, 2024, 22:34:29 »

I would also like them to install the external box where the current FTTC / Phone cable comes in to the property, as it would then be in an external cupboard, offering some protection from the weather, etc, but the last guys that came were talking about installing it on the front of the property underneath the window where the drilling will go, so as to avoid long running cables.

My feeling is that I would rather have a long fibre cable routed round the outside of the property than a long ethernet cable routed inside. Certainly, that is why I had Openreach go over the garage roof and round. They said it is ok to route up to 50m of fibre outside. Anyway, fibre is not lossy and not subject to interference as far as I am aware. The only drawback with the outside routing is vandalism if some idiot decides it would be fun to cut it. Fortunately, I live in a very safe area.

92

IDNet Help / Re: FTTP New Installation Process

« Last post by zappaDPJ on Mar 19, 2024, 18:10:20 »

From what I've seen it's Sky 'engineers' who cause the most damage. They always seem to drill inside out.

93

IDNet Help / Re: FTTP New Installation Process

« Last post by Simon on Mar 19, 2024, 18:03:50 »

Hopefully they'll know what they're doing. 

94

IDNet Help / Re: FTTP New Installation Process

« Last post by zappaDPJ on Mar 19, 2024, 17:29:18 »

I've been reading up a bit about this, and I've seen comments that suggest holding some sort of thick board over the potential exit hole on the internal plasterboard, when drilling from the outside in, can minimise damage to internal plaster?

Of course, I suppose the best method would be to drill from both sides and meet in the middle, but I guess that would require some sort of x-ray vision on the part of the OR engineer.

If the internal wall is plasterboard there really shouldn't be an issue. That said it would be easy enough to drill a small pilot hole from the outside and then finish it off from the inside with the bigger gauge drill bit.

I've drilled multiple holes of all sizes through brick walls and never had an issue. It really comes down to knowing when to hammer or more importantly, when not to.

95

IDNet Help / Re: FTTP New Installation Process

« Last post by Simon on Mar 19, 2024, 17:16:26 »

It just means there's a possibility of leaving a crater around the exit hole which is why it's best to drill from the outside in. It's easy enough to repair on the inside and all but impossible on the outside. If he knows what he's doing he won't use the hammer setting on the way in or the way out, just through the middle. That minimises the risk by quite some margin.

I've been reading up a bit about this, and I've seen comments that suggest holding some sort of thick board over the potential exit hole on the internal plasterboard, when drilling from the outside in, can minimise damage to internal plaster?

Of course, I suppose the best method would be to drill from both sides and meet in the middle, but I guess that would require some sort of x-ray vision on the part of the OR engineer.

I did purchase a Bosch device which is meant to detect plumbing and electrical wiring inside wall cavities - but then I also read that the OR guys carry these.  One concern is that the external wall they will be drilling through has a radiator on the inside of it, and I've no idea where the pipework is situated.

96

IDNet Help / Re: FTTP New Installation Process

« Last post by stan on Mar 19, 2024, 16:34:09 »

They drilled from the inside over the road at my neighbours. it spalled out a treat. He complained and they offered him £250 to get it repaired.  He accepted and bought a slate sign and screwed it over the misplaced and badly drilled hole and associated damage.  He would never have got an invisible repair. The bricks aren't available an the pointing wouldn't have matched.

And, don't forget, they drilleed through his central heatring water pipe and had to get civils to dig up the pavemen due to a blockage  too. Not a lot of profit in that job.

97

IDNet Help / Re: FTTP New Installation Process

« Last post by zappaDPJ on Mar 19, 2024, 14:52:59 »

When I was talking to one of the guys about the drilling, he also said it's possible a brick could 'blow'.  That actually sounds quite alarming!  So, what happens in that event?  Is the brick repairable or will they have to start rebuilding my outside wall?!   

It just means there's a possibility of leaving a crater around the exit hole which is why it's best to drill from the outside in. It's easy enough to repair on the inside and all but impossible on the outside. If he knows what he's doing he won't use the hammer setting on the way in or the way out, just through the middle. That minimises the risk by quite some margin.

98

IDNet Help / Re: FTTP New Installation Process

« Last post by Simon on Mar 19, 2024, 11:58:37 »

Thanks for the update, armadillo.

Your installation seems to have got a lot further than mine, as the guys who came out to me gave up as soon as they found the blockage without installing anything, and that's still the situation now, so I remain totally at square one. 

When I was talking to one of the guys about the drilling, he also said it's possible a brick could 'blow'.  That actually sounds quite alarming!  So, what happens in that event?  Is the brick repairable or will they have to start rebuilding my outside wall?!   

I would also like them to install the external box where the current FTTC / Phone cable comes in to the property, as it would then be in an external cupboard, offering some protection from the weather, etc, but the last guys that came were talking about installing it on the front of the property underneath the window where the drilling will go, so as to avoid long running cables.

I think I'm going to have to get IDNet to chase them again because they haven't come back to me in a couple of weeks now, and the last I heard was that they were coming to dig up the grass so as to install a new duct.

99

IDNet Help / Re: FTTP New Installation Process

« Last post by stan on Mar 18, 2024, 23:23:53 »

Thanks for the detailed progress report.  Would obviously hope it gets done in reasonable time.

I'm such a wuss I keep putting off filling in the form to get the ball rolling with Andrews and Arnold and their FTTP and VOIP contract.

100

IDNet Help / Re: FTTP New Installation Process

« Last post by armadillo on Mar 18, 2024, 23:17:10 »

Here is an update on the process as it has so far unfolded for me. I have read all of Simon's saga with great interest.

The Openreach engineer arrived today to get as much as possible done of the FTTP installation. He also called a 2nd engineer to come over to help, which was a good move.

The main engineer was here for about four hours.

He fitted the external junction box to the front of the house, where the previous copper junction box for FTTC was positioned. That new box encloses the present copper connection also.

He then came inside and fitted the ONT (internal fibre termination box) in my office at the back of the house. He drilled through the cavity wall (saying he hoped a brick would not blow!) He routed a thin(ish) black fibre cable from the ONT taking it outside round the rear of the house, over the flat roof of my garage and round to the external junction box at the front. That was about 20m of the black cable. He said they can route up to 50m outside. That is the route I wanted and he was very cooperative in doing it exactly as I wanted.

Then came the attempt to connect the external junction box from the front of my house to the fibre network in the street. The present copper cable runs through a duct under my garden to the public tarmac footpath in the street, about 6 metres. There he encountered a blockage. As a matter of interest (at least to me), he tracked exactly where my copper cable is routed underground by using a clever detector device that makes a noise when it gets an electromagnetic signal from the copper cable. The signal was fed into the cable by disconnecting it from my network and connecting his special generator to it. I think he called the setup a "cap and genny" - might have been "cat and genny".

There is a fibre box (big covered manhole) about 20m along the footpath. He put rods from there along toward my house and found a blockage after about 10m.

It seems that the copper connection through my 6m duct goes to the copper FTTC cable in the footpath underground with no openable access and simply tarmac covered. So he has put in an order for "Civils" to come and dig up the footpath for the 10m or so between the two blockages and put a duct in that trench (and hopefully a nice little cover at my end so they can maintain if necessary, without digging up all over again).

He said that Civils will put fibre through my garden duct from the footpath end and coil it up outside my house. The Openreach telecom guys will then have to return to connect that new fibre cable to the external junction box. He thinks that should take 2 to 4 weeks.

Since the fibre cable between the external junction box and the internal ONT is connected and the ONT is now connected to power (from my UPS), the telecom guys will be able to test that the network connection is successful (when they have completed it), without needing to have my router connected. Well, so he says but I am not very convinced. I will believe it works when it works!

Meanwhile, my FTTC is working fine as the copper is still connected.

I will update when something happens.