cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

transfer to fibre-optic queries

katie
Grafter
Posts: 152
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

transfer to fibre-optic queries

I have read through all the info & faq's on the Plusnet home page but have a couple of things I'd like to ask about before I commit to transfer.
i. I have been on Plusnet unlimited for quite a while and have webspace and a free domain name on there. If I transfer, can I keep the webspace and domain name.
2. At the moment, my BT master socket is in my front entrance porch. My desktop PC's are in my office upstairs where my modem/router is at present. The extension cable goes from the BT socket in the porch through the wall into the attached garage, round the garage wall to the other side of it, out the exterior wall and up to the first floor where it goes back through the wall into the office and then the modem. My question is, if we did all the preparation work & provided a conduit for the extension cable to go up to the first floor office, would the engineer allow us to do it that way? It sounds complicated, but it saves having cables under carpets, over skirting boards and across the landing and is certainly less than 30 metres.!! We'd be quite willing to do this ourselves if he provided the cable - I take it that our original, ordinary extension cable wouldn't suffice?
3. My modem is a Netgear N300 Wireless ADSL2+ Modem Router DGN2200. The port forwarding is set up for my synology server. Would this model be any good & if not, would I be able to set up port forwarding on the router which Plusnet provide?
Sorry to be a pain but I don't want to go ahead if I'm not sure about things.  Thank You for any help.
Katie
 
21 REPLIES 21
AxeMurderer
Grafter
Posts: 164
Registered: ‎18-05-2011

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

1. Someone from plusnet can answer that, but I think they'll say yes
2. Your setup sounds a lot like mine was. In my case, the engineer converted my existing extension socket to the new master, using my wiring, so any preparation work would have been wasted. If your engineer won't do the same, you could actually do what you are proposing afterwards - the data extension cable is only a long length of modem cable (though I'd use a length of cat5 with RJ11 plugs on the end).
3. Not sure, but I don't think your current router will work with fibre. Post forwarding is a pretty standard feature these days so I'd expect whatever plusnet are providing these days to support it.
katie
Grafter
Posts: 152
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

Thank You so much for your quick reply and the info - it is very helpful. I shall get in touch with Plusnet now and find out about my webspace and then apply to change over.
Katie
chartford
Grafter
Posts: 41
Registered: ‎17-02-2012

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

Hi Katie
I had the same doubts as you about the siting of the master socket and what the Openreach engineer would or would not do.  In the end I took the easy way and called in an ex-BT engineer to swap my master socket from the kitchen downstairs, upstairs into my study, one week prior to the broadband installation itself.  I thought he would have to run cables, but he didn't.  It was an easy 15 minute job which just involved changing faceplates and a bit of internal wiring at the sockets.  When the Openreach engineer came to install my fibre optic broadband, he actually said he would have done it for me that day, so I think the Openreach engineers are actually very amenable to swapping sockets if they can.  Just put the kettle on and have the biscuits ready!  Smiley   I'm not sure if it makes any difference, but mine is a modern house, built ten years ago, so the wiring is fairly new.
I notice you are on unlimited at the moment with Plusnet.  Do make sure that the fibre optic package you have signed up for is enough for you.  I am getting through mine much much faster than I thought I would, having been on unlimited ADSL for a long while. I use a lot of Spotify and BBC iPlayer.   I wish Plusnet offered an unlimited package for fibre.  
Other than that, go for it!  After all my stress about routers and the siting of the master socket, I am delighted with my new fibre connection and it's working really well. Plusnet have been excellent (I'm a newbie come over to Plusnet from O2).   I can't answer your question about your router other than to say if the specs say it can be used with a cable connection I understand it may be ok, but I now use an Apple Extreme router very successfully, connected direct to the modem that the Openreach engineer installed.
Good luck!
chartford
Grafter
Posts: 41
Registered: ‎17-02-2012

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

- sorry double post -
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

Quote from: chartford
It was an easy 15 minute job which just involved changing faceplates and a bit of internal wiring at the sockets.  When the Openreach engineer came to install my fibre optic broadband, he actually said he would have done it for me that day, so I think the Openreach engineers are actually very amenable to swapping sockets if they can.  

The way the master socket was moved is a bodge and if you get a conscientious Openreach engineer they will not do it this way as it's non-standard wiring.
Quote from: chartford
When the Openreach engineer came to install my fibre optic broadband, he actually said he would have done it for me that day, so I think the Openreach engineers are actually very amenable to swapping sockets if they can. 

Because for them it's easier to do it this way then to do it properly.
chartford
Grafter
Posts: 41
Registered: ‎17-02-2012

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

What way should it be done?  This way seems to have worked ok as I'm getting good speeds of around 37 Mbps download and a stable connection?
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

The demarcation point for BT is the master socket. Therefore the incoming cable have to be terminated at the master socket. When they do the bodge move of the master socket  existing internal cabling is being used which is not the property of BT.
katie
Grafter
Posts: 152
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

Thank You for all the replies - they were very helpful. I put the same q's to Plusnet via a ticket & this was my reply -
1. I can confirm that you will keep the components and services that you already have on the account if you were to move to a different package.
2. I am assuming that you are referring to the data extension cable supplied with the Fibre broadband installation. As long as the pathway is clear and safe there should not be any issue in the engineer providing this as long as it is less than 30 metres as you say.
3. The router should be fine as long as you can set it up to use one ethernet port as a WAN port rather than as a LAN port. You must keep the router we supply, but you are free to you any router you wish.
Hope this answers your query fully.
After reading around the forums I have also asked if I can retain my unlimited status.
katie
Grafter
Posts: 152
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

Ok - I can't get unlimited so I will stick to 120Gb - shouldn't be too hard.
All is well and we have another happy Plusnet customer.
Katie
katie
Grafter
Posts: 152
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

I got my router today & the BT man is arriving Friday. Can I open the router or do I have to leave it till the BT guy turns up?Huh
Katie Smiley
delem
Grafter
Posts: 32
Registered: ‎14-10-2011

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

I switched to fibre a couple of months ago and the Openreach engineer was happy to route the extension cable where I wanted it to go. And yes you can open the router before he arrives.
Enjoy your fibre  Smiley
katie
Grafter
Posts: 152
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

Thanks for the info delem. I've been on all week tidying my office so that he can easily access the phone socket in the office. I shall have coffee & biscuits at the ready and hope he'll be in a good mood.
The router is a Netgear N150 Wireless Router WNR 1000 which seems to be a lesser spec than my DGN 2200. I'm not bothered as long as I can do port forwarding for my server & ip cameras. I also like to take the laptop out in the garden in the summer so hopefully the new router will still allow me to do that if the 2200 isn't compatable with fibre.
Katie
delem
Grafter
Posts: 32
Registered: ‎14-10-2011

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

I understand your comments regarding your current router. Before switching to fibre I was using a Draytek 2820vn router. I know the Draytek has a WAN2 port that can be set up to use a PPPoE connection to the Openreach modem but so far I have just used the Netgear WNR1000 supplied by Plusnet and it has worked fine. So there is little incentive to get the Draytek out as it takes up more room than the Netgear one.
The WNR1000 does have a port forwarding set up section in its menu so you should be OK.
katie
Grafter
Posts: 152
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: transfer to fibre-optic queries

Thanks for the further info especially about the port forwarding.
Katie