topic Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP in Full Fibre

Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

robkgee — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 17:19:14 GMT

Hi
I'm about to have the switch over to Full Fibre. Does anyone know if I'm going to be able to keep my current fixed IP address from my Fibre Broadband account?

Thanks

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

bmc — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 17:25:20 GMT

@robkgee

If it's a straight upgrade then your Static IP should remain the same. I would, however, keep an eye on it when FTTP goes live.

Brian

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

plusmouse — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 17:43:54 GMT

@bmc and @robkgee : What`s a fixed Static IP?

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

RealAleMadrid — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 17:48:25 GMT

@plusmouse It's a fixed WAN address that your router uses to connect to the internet. Can be useful if you are running any sort of server or you need to get access to your local network when away from your home.

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

bmc — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 21:12:52 GMT

@plusmouse

Most ISP users have a "dymanic" IP address which can (and does) change. If your connection goes down for a while (say a power cut or you simply switch off the equipment for some reason) then when you re-connect to PN you would be allocated the next available IP address from the "pool" of numbers that is used by PN.

If, as previously stated, you want to know the IP address at all times to be able to connection to your router from an external location you can get a static (fixed) address.

With PN it costs a one off payment of £5.00.

Brian

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

plusmouse — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 08:24:31 GMT

@RealAleMadrid and @bmc - Thanks for explaining that. I`ll have a Dynamic IP as won`t require a Static one!

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

Boz — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 16:05:17 GMT

@bmc - what does it cost to change from FTTC to FTTP? My contract with Plusnet is coming up for renewal soon, and I wondered whether this was a good time to upgrade.

Boz

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

bmc — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 16:10:07 GMT

@Boz

First thing to do is to confirm that FTTP is available to you. Look at the following

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

You're looking for WBC FTTP is the left hand column and Available over to the right. If it's available there will also be a narrative below the results window which will state if any install problems are expected.

If it's available then you can upgrade at any time at the cost of a new contract and losing your landline if you still have one.

Brian

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

Boz — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 19:16:16 GMT

Many thanks for the link, Brian.

It threw up a lot of interesting data about usage etc. on my telephone/broadband. I didn’t see WBC FTTP in the left-hand column, but under Featured Products there was “FTTP on demand” and the word “Available” under the “Availability Date” column. However, at the end of the table of stats, there were some comments, including: “FTTP is not available” and “the exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme”. I’m using fibre at the moment, so it does seem odd to see that last comment.

Anyway, thanks once again for your help.

Boz

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

jab1 — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 19:20:29 GMT

@Boz 'FTTP on Demand' is a very expensive product, only really suitable for a business with very deep pockets.

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

bmc — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 19:42:21 GMT

@Boz

In a victory for the marketing people over common sense FTTC is called Fibre while FTTP is called Full Fibre.

As stated FTTP on Demand is a expensive product not supplied by PN.

Your choice now depends on your landline phone usage. If you want to keep a phone serice you can phone PN and get your contract renewed as an as is basis ie phone and internet. If you're not bothered by your landline or are happy to move to VOIP you can move to a SOGEA connection which is internet only.

Brian

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

Boz — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 17:33:47 GMT

Hi Brian

Thanks again for your comments - you seem to know a lot about this topic!

I suppose that everyone who wants an economical digital landline will have no choice but to move to VOIP. Do you happen to know how soon it will be before Plusnet start to terminate analogue landline contracts?

Boz

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

bmc — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 18:03:04 GMT

@Boz

Most of what I know is from this Forum alongside technical news pages.

Wholesale Line Rentals (WLR - which is for the phone) are being terminated on the 31st December 2025 by BT Wholesale (who market the OpenReach products) except in exceptional cases.

I expect PN will give 3 months notice once a decision is taken as to when they pull the plug.

As with any service you'll get low and high priced VOIP products from various independant providers along with ISP's who offer both VOIP and Internet. It just depends on what you want from a digital phone service.

Brian

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

Boz — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 23:27:40 GMT

Hi Brian

Sorry to resurrect this topic again, but I was recently advised by Plusnet that Full Fibre was now available to me. Not believing this, I used the Broadband Availability link you gave me; and sure enough the wording has changed to FTTP is available.

I don't understand this because nothing physical has changed at the property, so there must still be a length of copper cable being used, and therefore not fibre-to-the-premises!! Could you please advise. VMTs.

By the way, what does ONT mean in this context?

Boz

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

jab1 — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 07:18:25 GMT

@Boz Nothing physical will change at the property until you order FTTP. When the order is accepted PN will place an order with OpenReach who will arrange for an engineer to come and install the fibre cable to your property and disconnect your copper 'last mile' - from the street cab to your home.

ONT means Optical Network Terminal, which is in effect the 'master socket' for the new service.

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

Boz — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 11:30:40 GMT

Many thanks for your help, John.

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

bmc — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 12:06:45 GMT

@Boz

Same deal as before. PN will upgrade you at any time at the cost of a new contract plus you lose your copper landline. If you go VOIP do not transfer your number until after FTTP is up and running.

As stated, ONT is an Optical Network Terminator which goes inside your house and needs a power supply.

https://support.aa.net.uk/Openreach_FTTP_ONT

You also get a CSP (Customer Splice Point) box on an external wall - usually the other side of where the ONT is.

Are you currently served by an underground copper connection or overhead. If the latter a Connectorized Box Terminal (CBT) will have been placed at the top of the telephone pole.

Brian

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

Boz — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:04:27 GMT

Hi Brian

Thanks for coming back to me.

The current line is an overhead cable from a pole about 50 metres away. It crosses two other properties before reaching mine, so I’m assuming that wayleaves will be required (who pays for these?). Would I also be correct in thinking that the fibre cable, running from the CBT, will be attached in some way to the existing copper one.

I still haven’t decided how to deal with the loss of my analogue telephone connection. Plusnet seem adamant about not providing a digital option; and, although I’m reluctant to move away from a provider that I have been with for many years, I may have no choice in the end.

Boz

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

jab1 — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:12:25 GMT

@Boz wrote:

The current line is an overhead cable from a pole about 50 metres away. It crosses two other properties before reaching mine, so I’m assuming that wayleaves will be required (who pays for these?). Would I also be correct in thinking that the fibre cable, running from the CBT, will be attached in some way to the existing copper one.

Boz

I may be wrong here, but I would have thought that seeing as the current copper cable already exists, OpenReach will have wayleave in place - they would need it in case of a cable break, for instance.

The fibre cable would be run in place of the copper, which the installer may or may not remove - depends on the installer and the complexity of removing it.

Re: Switching from FTTC to FTTP - Fixed IP

outcast — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 20:17:43 GMT

@Boz wrote:

I still haven’t decided how to deal with the loss of my analogue telephone connection. Plusnet seem adamant about not providing a digital option; and, although I’m reluctant to move away from a provider that I have been with for many years, I may have no choice in the end.

But you don't have to move away from Plusnet for ongoing provision of your broadband (whether FTTC of FTTP) !

If you want to continue having a house phone after 2025, then you will have to migrate your landline phone number to a third party VoIP provider (such as A&A), and either buy a new VoIP phone handset, or an ATA adaptor to convert your existing telephone handset so that it can be connected via your broadband router (instead of the Openreach Master Socket).

Whether you stay with Plusnet or move to another ISP, either way you will lose your analogue phone by the end of 2025, unless you proactively convert it to VoIP to work over whatever broadband connection you decide to go with.