Fibre install and speed questions

[#1]

Hi.
I had fibre installed a few days ago and the download speed I am getting is significantly below what I was estimated.
I was estimated 41mbps down and 6mbps up. I received 26mbps down and 13mbps up.
The contractor that installed the fibre only seemed to care about getting the job ASAP and I was wondering if he did anything that could have affected the speed I'm getting.
The house is a relatively new build, so we don't have an internal master socket, only an external NTE. I was under the impression for houses where an external NTE existed, the installer would attempt to install an NTE5 plate internally immediately adjacent to the external NTE. The contractor simply replaced one of the my extension faceplates with an NTE5 plate. I did query this with him, but he said he was doing it correctly. Could this have affected my sync speeds significantly?
The second thing I noticed was, after installing the NTE5 faceplate, he reconnected my ADSL modem to the phone socket on the NET5 faceplate whilst the fibre modem was also connected. Could this have affected with the sync speed at all?
Thanks in advance for any help

[#2]

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I was under the impression for houses where an external NTE existed, the installer would attempt to install an NTE5 plate internally immediately adjacent to the external NTE

I believe you're correct, from here http://www.aa.net.uk/broadband-FC.html

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During the installation of the FTTC service the Openreach engineer will fit a Service Specific Front Plate to the existing NTE5. Where no NTE5 exists, Openreach will install an NTE5 within 3 metres of the entrance to the End User premises. Where an external NTE exists Openreach will install an NTE5 with service specific front plate internally immediately adjacent to the external NTE.

If all the installer did is to put a VDSL faceplate on to an existing extension then any other extension may be unfiltered. It really depends on how the extensions were connected orginally and whether he reconnected them via the new faceplate ( I suspect not )

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he reconnected my ADSL modem to the phone socket on the NET5 faceplate

Why!!! , it really doesn't sound like he knew what he was doing. Disconnect it immediately.
For the time being. if you have anything plugged into any of the other sockets, they will need filters, but really, I suspect someone needs to get BT back to do the job properly...

[#3]

Thanks for the reply MisterW.
Unfortunately I'm not sure how the extensions are connected as it was all done during the house build.
I will reconnect the filter to my home phone, thank you.
I disconnected the ADSL modem as soon as he left, I'm not sure what possessed him to do that 
My upload speed seems to have increased to a respectable level - 13 mbps.

[#4]

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Unfortunately I'm not sure how the extensions are connected as it was all done during the house build.

It ought to be possible to get a good idea by looking how the cables are routed. They are either 'daisy chained' i.e there's one cable from the external NTE that goes to the first socket and then another cable from that to the next socket etc OR they are wired in parallel with multiple cables from the external NTE. If it's the latter then it will likely be causing problems , particularly if the ring wire is connected. If the sockets are daisy chained and the new faceplate is on the first socket then it should be reasonably easy to reconnect the other sockets via the faceplate and they would all then be filtered.

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I'm not sure what possessed him to do that

It just makes you think he didn't know what he was doing and gives little confidence that he's done the rest of the work properly.

[#5]

Quote from: MisterW

It ought to be possible to get a good idea by looking how the cables are routed. They are either 'daisy chained' i.e there's one cable from the external NTE that goes to the first socket and then another cable from that to the next socket etc OR they are wired in parallel with multiple cables from the external NTE. If it's the latter then it will likely be causing problems , particularly if the ring wire is connected. If the sockets are daisy chained and the new faceplate is on the first socket then it should be reasonably easy to reconnect the other sockets via the faceplate and they would all then be filtered.

There is a plate on the wall near where the external NTE is, labelled "telephone connections." I had a look inside the plate and I think it looks like they are wired in parallel, I think? I have attached photos.

[#6]

Yes, looks like they're wired in parallel, and the ring wire is connected by the look of it ( the orange wire ).
What the installer should have done IMHO is install a proper NTE5, connected to the cable from the external NTE, in place of that connection box, add the VDSL faceplate and then connect the extensions to the filtered output of the faceplate, simples!.
I'd request that PlusNet get BT back to do the job properly

[#7]

OK, thank you for your advice, much appreciated!
Any staff from plusnet reading this able to arrange Openreach to come out again and complete the install properly please? Any Wednesday/Friday AM/PM is acceptable as these are my days off.

[#8]

Interesting thread on the BT forums here http://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Infinity/Openreach-external-outside-house-modem/td-p/729406

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I was told in training that if you do a FTTC Provision on a house with an External NTE you should remove the External NTE, replace it with Capping 101 and make the first LJU that connects to it an NTE5a. The reason for replacing the External NTE with Capping 101 was to prevent confussion as to where the actual Demarcation Point is. I have done a few but not replaced the External NTE housing because the UG cable and lead in to the house don't don't fit together inside the smaller 101 block. At the end of the day it isn't going to take an Engineer long to figure out that the External NTE is no longer the demarcation point when they open it up and see the UG cable feed is crimped to the lead in to the house.

Sounds like what should be done is that the external NTE is bypassed, the incoming line connected directly to a new internal NTE5a , which then becomes the BT Openreach demarcation point.

[#9]

That's interesting, though I don't have much hope of plusnet sending out an Openreach engineer after the phone call I just had with them.
According to the customer service agent I spoke to, there is nothing wrong with my faceplate being on the extension and its normal to use micro filters on the phone extensions when you have fibre. So to get anyone sent out, I'd have to pay.

[#10]

Thats not right. 
The engineer hasn't set it all up properly.  Hassle down Plusnet and make them send out a engineer.  My engineer left his area manager's calling card in case anything went wrong.
J

[#11]

It never has been normal to have to use microfilters on FTTC!
The filtered face plate that I understand to be an integral part of the current product specification* is a replacement for individual microfilters and filters all extensions as well as the master socket at one point (The NTE5).
I really can't see why a proper NTE5 with the FTTC face plate wasn't fitted at the current internal 'junction box' and the external NTE bypassed.
Someone needs to look again at the supplier spec for FTTC service.
*AFAIK there have been trials of 'self-install' type FTTC where this is not the case but I'd expect you to have been made aware in such circumstances.

[#12]

@Bollo
I'd suggest raising a fault ticket about the slower than estimated speeds, we can get an engineer sent out through that route.

[#13]

Thank you for the info JamieDanjoux and w23.
I have raised a fault ticket as suggested, thank you Chris.
Fingers crossed!