topic Re: FTTP Installation in Full Fibre

FTTP Installation

Prologica — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 13:44:42 GMT

Hi all,

Openreach are installing FTTP tomorrow. It will be connected from a nearby telegraph pole. Our current anchor point is high up on a gable of the house. Currently the copper connection runs down to a bedroom window and in through the window frame.

The bedroom isn’t a great place for the router really - thick brick walls in much of the house and two large chimneys stacks running through bedroom/dining room and lounge/master bedroom. Currently we use power plugs from router (AV plugs) to extend signal to the Smart TV and a WAP set up with Baldrick’s help a couple of years back. We won’t want the external box sited up on the gable so I can only see the cable running from the anchor point, down the side of the bedroom window, under it, down the side of the front door porch canopy to the external box at ground level, then another cable alongside this running back to the bedroom window and in the frame again?

I can’t see how I can site the ONT, router, MYCloud servers and power plugs (if still required) any more centrally without horrid cable runs internally or externally.
Anyone had similar experience and found good solutions? And how large is the ONT overall? I’ve seen varying dimensions online.

thanks!

Re: FTTP Installation

Correlated — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 13:50:37 GMT

Well, your house is kind of pretty much perfect.

Get the new cable chopped in to the render (so it doesn't sit proud). Render over it.

Re: FTTP Installation

Prologica — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:05:35 GMT

Thanks for the compliment @Correlated . I don’t think we’ll be chopping in as we only had the house re rendered and painted last year and the tyrolean finish is v hard to match in. We will paint the cables when the weather warms up.

Its the cable runs, ONT and router location I’d appreciate advice on. Thanks

Re: FTTP Installation

Prologica — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:16:32 GMT

If it helps here’s a really rough sketch of the internal layout of both floors

Re: FTTP Installation

bmc — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:20:16 GMT

@Prologica

OpenReach should be able to run cable externally to where you want the fibre to enter your property. It needs to be near a power source.

You speak to the engineer on the day to see what can (and can't) be done.

Do let us know how it goes.

Brian

Edit : The ONT is about the size of a single power socket and maybe 30mm in depth.

Re: FTTP Installation

Prologica — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:20:19 GMT

This might help show the external options

Re: FTTP Installation

Baldrick1 — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:22:55 GMT

@Prologica

I can’t imagine Openreach routing the cable back to the first floor window. I would expect it to enter your house at ground floor level. Is there a convenient spot where they can drill through with a power socket available on the inside?

Re: FTTP Installation

Correlated — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:25:20 GMT

Ideally in the dining room or bedroom/office depending on which is more easily accessible via outside walls.

I'd make sure there are a couple of free sockets available in the area (after the ONT + router) so you could use Powerline Adapters + Wifi access point.

I use that in my Lounge and get full speed through it.

Power line adapter, ethernet cable, wifi access point.

Re: FTTP Installation

corringham — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:55:25 GMT

@Correlated, our BT line (now disused) used to enter into our loft through a gable end and ran internally before dropping down into a bedroom (behind a built-in wardrobe).

As you have a similar gable end and an office upstairs, something similar may be possible? What is the access to your loft like, and is it boarded?

Re: FTTP Installation

Correlated — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 14:57:59 GMT

This isn't my house

Think you meant @Prologica

Re: FTTP Installation

Prologica — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 15:00:56 GMT

Hi @corringham That’s a thought. The loft is a bit of a warren, two thirds boarded with roll insulation throughout, but not boarded at the gable end where the cable enters. Might be tricky though to find a point to drop the cable down!

Re: FTTP Installation

corringham — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 15:27:29 GMT

@Prologica , it is often easier to find a place where a cable can go UP through a ceiling than a place for it to go down. Drill a 1/4" hole and poke a thin garden cane or similar through - with a bit of wriggling they usually go through loft insulation (but not boarding 😉 ) to show the location from above.

@Correlated, sorry for the mis-attributation.

Re: FTTP Installation

Prologica — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 15:34:41 GMT

@corringham understood. The bedroom/office is under a flat roof though so may be very tricky finding route into the loft rather than up into the external wall. Room has coving too making it a bit more tricky.

From outside, would they install cable over two areas of flat roof and over another gable roof to reach the Bedroom/office?

Re: FTTP Installation

corringham — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 15:59:23 GMT

Ah, that makes it more tricky - I don't recommend drilling up though a flat roof!

I think a cable crossing two flat roofs sounds like a bad idea. It may be better to go from the office through an internal wall if there is a nearby room with suitable ceiling with loft above? Coving can be used to hide cable runs, but it can get a bit clatty.

Re: FTTP Installation

merlin1 — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 16:17:57 GMT

I had a similar installation in December. The overhead fibre is pinned to the brickwork down to a connection box ca 0.5m from the ground. Apparently it has to be mounted at this level as the fibre jointing machine cannot be carried up a ladder. A different fibre runs from this box ca 15cm square and grey, up and along outer brickwork to a new entrypoint. Through the wall to the ONT sited in a bedroom used as an office. Router sits near the ONT and both are powered from a UPS. Cat6 cable then to various location in the house. Cat6 ethernet cable is the best solution but if you cannot fit that use powerline adapters. WiFi not too good through solid walls.

Watch that the engineer takes out the old copper lines, he left mine and even tied new fibre to them and the TV aerial lead with cable ties.

Re: FTTP Installation

corringham — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 16:31:42 GMT

@merlin1 wrote:

... a connection box ca 0.5m from the ground. Apparently it has to be mounted at this level as the fibre jointing machine cannot be carried up a ladder.

Ah, that makes sense but sounds ugly.

WiFi not too good through solid walls.

I have WiFi access points in our attic (Ubiquiti PoE) for each end of our house - our walls are thick and mostly stone, but WiFi goes through ceilings just fine.

Re: FTTP Installation

bmc — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 17:20:43 GMT

@Prologica

It is perhaps unfortunate you've left it late in the day before considering options. Another thing not mentioned yet is OR will drill a couple of anchor points for their ladder - health and safety!!!

Although it's up to the engineer on the day I don't see how you'll end up with a satisfactory solution without running more cable.

One thing to consider is to install the ONT at a potentially suitable point. The get somebody in to run an external cable (another few holes in the wall!!!) up to the loft, bring it inside, cross the house and then back outside down to your office. This option would also allow the use of an ethernet switch in the loft to provide an ethernet cable to each of the WiFi access points.

~Brian

Lots of painting to do in the summer.

Re: FTTP Installation

Prologica — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 17:40:59 GMT

Yes, to be honest I thought I had it sorted but should have bounced it off you guys sooner!
my idea currently is to run the cable down from the anchor point, tight under the bedroom window sill and tight down the edge of the front porch canopy to the external box which can be on or just above the render skirt. From there the cable can run along the render skirt along the lower brickwork right around the side of the house, around a doorframe and hopefully through a new hole in the wooden porch support then up to an entry point at skirt board level in the upstairs bedroom/office. Then along the skirting board a short distance to the new ONT in the corner of the room (stud wall there). Is that likely to be reasonable for them? The cable is only a few cm above ground level at points (it’s a slightly sloping site).
Do they give a choice of white or black cable?

thanks

Re: FTTP Installation

merlin1 — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 17:57:28 GMT

The engineer who did mine told me that a few weeks before he had dragged fibre through someone's loft to reach the required location. So just ask what they can do.

Re: FTTP Installation

merlin1 — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 18:02:53 GMT

BTW you can get fibre extension cables too see https://www.htdata.co.uk/products/product-highlights/faint-fibre-outlet