Fibre Optic Installation

[#1]

I ordered an upgrade to Fibre Optic on 22 June, and despite the promise that my new router would be delivered within 3 to 5 working days of my order, it still has not arrived. Problem is that Open Reach are due here tomorrow between 8am and 1pm.
I tried twice on Monday this week to convince PN that the appointment should be cancelled until they can get a router to me, but I was told that it is normal for the delivery to be so late ( my order was ready for despatch at 2.30 on Monday afternoon). I was also told that it wouldn't matter anyway as the installation can go ahead without the router.
Does anyone on here know whether or not this latter point is true? If Fibre optic can installed without a router, then what is the point of having a router? What reaction should I expect from the BT engineer tomorrow morning?
Ancestor

[#2]

Hi ancestor,
I am sorry to hear that your router has not arrived yet. Your installation should take place as normal, it is not essential that you have your router for the Openreach installation. I'll chase the router up tomorrow morning for you and I'll let you know what is happening with that.
We can get you temporarily connected up to your modem so you can at least use your connection until your router arrives.
Sorry for the inconvenience that this has caused you, but don't worry I'll get this sorted out for you

[#3]

Thanks Chris, much appreciated. I guess that I will have to complete the installation myself when (and if) the router arrives. Quite a let down compared with the promise of complete installation all done for me , as described on the PN sales pages.
What really annoys me is that when I called on Monday there was still time for the router to be despatched to arrive here today, or if not, to cancel the appointment which I was prepared to accept. It seems nobody at PN towers really cares about customers, just you guys who inhabit the forums regularly.
Ancestor 

[#4]

Hi ancestor,
I am honestly, really sorry that you feel that way about our support. I would be more than happy to give you call once the router arrives to give you support on setting it up?
I will chase the router up and see what exactly has happened with that as it would normally have arrived by now.
If there is anything else I can help with in the meantime, please do feel free to let me know.

[#5]

Hi ancestor,
I have taken a look into your router order and can see that it was posted just over 48 hours ago, this should be with you very shortly. I am sorry for the inconvenience that this has caused you. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with.
The engineer will be able to complete the initial Fibre installation for you.

[#6]

Thanks Chris, but it's too late now.  The BT engineer rang me to say he was about to make the connection at the cabinet, but when I told him that the router had not arrived he spoke to his boss and advised me that they could not be sure that I would be left with a working connection, and would probably have to wait until the router arrived. I am not prepared to risk losing the connection for an indefinite time so I had no choice but to cancel. I thought that this might happen, and whilst I accept you have now told me in good faith that the router was despatched 48 hours ago I will only believe that when it arrives.
You will understand my feelings about PN service. It is not rocket science to put a stamp and an address label on a box, so why it should take from 22 June to 3 July is beyond me.
I am extremely angry about this, especially about the ridiculous e mail sent to me at 12.40 am this morning, telling me that my upgrade is now complete, 7 hours before the BT appointment. It's just clumsy and thoughtless.
Ancestor

[#7]

BT are quite capable of demonstrating a working connection without the router, this is yet more incompetence of the part of OpenReach.

[#8]

Why is it that we see yet another example of a failed Fibre Install because OpenReach do not know what they are doing.
I've read too many threads on here with one excuse or another that seems to have been offered by OpenReach from "it's not a home-hub" to "it won't work with one of those" type remark.
I've seen various comments from Plusnet staff about these things being raised with escalation teams and the like, but I'm in no way convinced that this has been dealt with at a high enough level. Has the Plusnet Account Manager made formal complaints to BTw and OpenReach for example?
Even if that's happened, it's clearly had no effect.
ancestor, I suggest you contact Ian Livingstone BT Group CEO, he will ensure the right heads are banged together.

[#9]

Just to reinforce Anotherone's statement: BT's responsibility is to connect the line to the VDSL2/FTTC equipment in the cabinet, install a new faceplate on the master socket (including replacement or relocation of the master where necessary), check that the VDSL2 signal is being recieved, supply and install the VDSL2 modem and check that the modem connects.  It is easier to check when a suitable router is available but any computer with an ethernet connection that's capable of establishing a PPPoE session is perfectly capable of establishing a connection direct via the BT modem (that's pretty much any PC, MAC, Laptop, Netbook etc.) so the lack of a specific router should not be an excuse for not installing an FTTC service.  Some ISPs do not automatically incluse a router for FTTC products, will BT then refuse to ever connect to a customer who, for example, wants to connect direct to a server and not use a router at all?

[#10]

I'm sorry Anotherone, but I don't see this as a BT failing. My situation should not have arisen in the first place if PN had done their job. Why should BT be blamed? The particular BT engineer involved had never come across a situation where there was no router available so spoke to his boss for advice. I don't think he could have done any more.
The cancellation was made by me because even though Chris's message about despatch told me the router was sent 48 hours ago, it was already too late as the BT engineer was here shortly after 8am, and in any case, having been with PN for over 6 years now, I have learnt to take everything with a pinch of salt.
There is a basic rule about providing good customer service, and that is that someone must take ownership of the customer's problem. PN operate on the basis that whoever has a spare few minutes goes to the list and picks up the next ticket, thus there is no continuity. About 2 years ago I had a re ocurring fault and after 10 days I had had responses from 11 diferent agents at PN. Needless to say there was zero progress.
There is also a second basic rule about customer service which is that you must do what you say you are going to do. As part of this problem with my Fibre installation, I had along discussion with one agent, who sent a confirmation of our telephone call which excluded almost everything that I had said and also his committments to me.
You  clearly feel very strongly about BT and/or Open Reach and to some extent I share your view - my problem 2 years ago lasted for over a year before they solved it by replacing the wiring into my house - but in this case I can't  criticise them, because they should not have to make special arrangements to cater for someone elses incompetance.
Ancestor

[#11]

This is from A&A's fibre installation notes.

Quote

Installation An appointment will be made for a BT engineer to come to your site. The engineers' job will be to install a new faceplate and VDSL modem. He will also confirm with you that you have a working internet connection. For this you'll need to connect your PPPoE router (or computer with a PPPoE connection configured) to the modem and check that you have a working internet connection. There has been some cases where the BT engineer comes to site expecting to install a 'BT Home Hub', this is what he would be used to when installing the 'BT Infinity' product, but is not part of our FTTC service. Do give us a call if you have any problems or questions during the installation process. Technical Note that FTTC works differently to typical ADSL broadband and includes a BT VDSL router which talks PPPoE. You will need PPPoE equipment or software to use the service. A PPPoE router can be used. The PPPoE service name must be left blank. The service supports RFC4638 with baby jumbo frames to support 1,500 byte MTU, but if your equipment cannot handle this then 1,492 MTU will be the highest you can use. 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.

[#12]

@ancestor
Well you place the blame wherever you like. Perhaps if you read the other posts since mine, you will see that no "special arrangements" are needed, whether it's Plusnet's or Royal Mail's (or whoever's) fault that your router didn't arrive on time.

[#13]

Quote from: ancestor

The BT engineer rang me to say he was about to make the connection at the cabinet, but when I told him that the router had not arrived he spoke to his boss and advised me that they could not be sure that I would be left with a working connection, and would probably have to wait until the router arrived.

The engineer was totally wrong to say this. What he should have said was:
"I can complete and test the installation but you will only be able to connect to the internet using a single PC using a wired connection until the router arrives. Do you want me to go ahead?"

[#14]

Thanks for your interest everyone. You are missing the point which is that PN offer a turnkey installation for which they charge £25, (plus £4.99 p&p for the router). They failed to deliver the router in the promised 3 to 5 working days following the date of order - and as a matter of interest it has still not arrived so is likely to be tomorrow at best. Quite simply t6hey did not do what they said they would do.
I hear what everyone is saying that BT could have done the change over and left a single wired connection. The problem is that we have often got up to 3 computers running wirelessly, and also that I would have to install the router myself when - or if - it arrives. What do you think are my chances of getting £25 back from PN? There would not hjave been any compensation to me for the inconvenience, so I will wait.
Ancestor

[#15]

The chances of the BT engineer knowing what to do with the router if it isn't a BT homehub are pretty remote!