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And still, a big NOTHING.

UKenGB
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Registered: ‎09-12-2009

And still, a big NOTHING.

Thought I'd start another thread about how I'm being let down by PN over this. Since my last post to this effect, I've had a single response to the ticket saying that there'd be an update on Tuesday 18th. Well it's not rocket science to figure that is now a whole week ago and was there any update? No. Not then and not since.
I realise that this is a trial etc etc, blah, blah blah. But come on, this is simply unacceptable. How hard can it be to just let me know that they cannot get a date from OR (if that is indeed the issue). I'm simply getting nowhere and I'm getting more and more pissed off at PN treating their long standing customer in this way.
I just don't know what to do now. There is fibre in the road outside and it's all ready. I have placed the order. I was told a date. I waited for that. On checking this again I was told it had to be delayed and since then, I might as well be speaking Martian. I've been patient, but this is beyond a joke. WTF is going on? I deserve to be kept informed.
30 REPLIES 30
UKenGB
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Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

Yet another day and still no response. Not to the ticket, nor to a PM to Matty and PN staff seem to not be monitoring this forum. Either that or there's a conspiracy of silence with regard to my FTTP order.
What do I have to do to get someone to actually answer me?
jelv
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Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

Quote from: UKenGB
What do I have to do to get someone to actually answer me?

Migrate to a different ISP!
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
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UKenGB
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Registered: ‎09-12-2009

Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

I'd be a fool not to be looking.
dick:quote
mkeat100
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Registered: ‎13-08-2015

Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

Try 54 weeks of waiting with the only response being that its a political issue! time for Ofcom and the local MP
UKenGB
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Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

Well it's not like there is some sort of fibre holdup here. It IS running down the road in front of the house, so no physical problem with connecting. Apart from the trees apparently. There was no way the fibre could be hung from the pole to the house because of some trees (a tall hedge really). But the copper already runs through those, so what's the problem. They have to be trimmed I'm told.
Finally yesterday, after phoning PN I was told trees have been trimmed (news to me) and the external install would be actually 2 days hence, on the 28th which is now tomorrow. Surprise surprise, he turned up this morning (27th) and announced the trees had not been trimmed. But when we discussed this and he showed me some HYBRID cable with a copper pair AND the fibre, it was decided to replace the current hanging copper with this, so it could just be pulled through the trees with no trimming needed - which is EXACTLY what I had suggested in the first place, when it was first delayed.
So I'm not unhappy that he came a day early and we've been able to work out a solution (the engineer is being extremely helpful), but how hard can it be to agree a schedule and then stick to it. If I had not been here, it would all have been done wrong, because...
Unbeknownst to me, the CSP has to be at knee height, or at least, no higher than can be accessed standing on the ground. But I need it up under the eaves where the copper cable is currently joined and have installed internal wiring to suit that, only to now discover this cannot be done. Everything I know about FTTP, I have had to dig around and find out for myself. Those involved in installing, promoting and offering their services over it should be ashamed of themselves for keeping customers so in the dark. Fortunately I'm sufficiently technically competent to find out these things, but NOWHERE did I see anything about the height limitations of the CSP. So beware.
In the end we agreed the CSP could be placed inside and run the external fibre through the wall, which was easy due to there being a conveniently located air brick and ultimately it will all be hidden by the curtain. But if information was more forthcoming, there wouldn't need to be any such re-planning at the eleventh hour.
Most impressive is how having got the fibre tubing in place, he blew it in from the road and after only a few seconds it came snaking out of the cable/tube. Clever stuff.
Anyway, come later today, the external will be complete (and to my satisfaction:-). So then I'll just be waiting for the internal install work. Scheduled for one day next week, but looks like I'm going to have to be ready the day before - just in case.
dick:quote
RobPN
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Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

Quote from: UKenGB

Unbeknownst to me, the CSP has to be at knee height, or at least, no higher than can be accessed standing on the ground. But I need it up under the eaves where the copper cable is currently joined and have installed internal wiring to suit that, only to now discover this cannot be done. Everything I know about FTTP, I have had to dig around and find out for myself. Those involved in installing, promoting and offering their services over it should be ashamed of themselves for keeping customers so in the dark. Fortunately I'm sufficiently technically competent to find out these things, but NOWHERE did I see anything about the height limitations of the CSP. So beware.
In the end we agreed the CSP could be placed inside and run the external fibre through the wall, which was easy due to there being a conveniently located air brick and ultimately it will all be hidden by the curtain. But if information was more forthcoming, there wouldn't need to be any such re-planning at the eleventh hour.

Well you appear to have reached a suitable compromise and now have the fibre installed to your internal CSP, so with a bit of luck you should be up and running fairly soon.   Wink
Reading the right threads here and elsewhere would have pointed you to the Openreach Developers Guide which would have provided you with the information you mention above, including the fact that the external BFT is not supposed to be routed indoors for more than 2m without being enclosed in metallic conduit due to fire safety rules.
Being aware of that fact enabled me to prepare for my FTTP by installing said conduit (with draw rope) from my proposed entry point above a first floor window, through my loft, down through a chased-out wall, under a floor, then down to a utility cupboard on the ground floor, some 18m.  My internal CSP is actually screwed to the wall approx. 1.5m above floor level.
The internal fibre was then pulled through a second conduit from my computer room upstairs above the cupboard down to the CSP to be spliced.  At my request the engineer kindly left the excess 20+m of internal fibre coiled under the floorboards in case I ever wanted to move the ONT (which I could do by unplugging the fibre from the ONT before carefully pulling it through conduit again to its new location).  The job was completed without using a single cable clip and the only visible fibre is about 10cm where it emerges from the wall and plugs into the ONT.
Regarding your questions elsewhere about FVA, that subject came up when I was chatting to the OR engineer who did my second stage fitting.  He told me some interesting stuff about the ONTs and exchanges;
1. Apparently the type of ONT supplied to me is not enabled for FVA even though it has 2 telephone ports.
2. Not all exchanges (including mine) are enabled for FVA.
Good luck with your second stage appointment.  Smiley
UKenGB
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Registered: ‎09-12-2009

Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

Well I did actually browse through the OR developers guide that you mention, but I must have missed the part about the CSP needing to be accessible from standing on the ground (or floor). In any case, I'm afraid that I think it should NOT be necessary to have to search out a developers guide which by its very title indicates it is not intended for the customer and sift through vast amounts of largely irrelevant information just to find the snippets that are actually relevant. There's not a lot to the installation in truth and wouldn't be hard to put the salient points into some simple and concise documentation available for prospective customers. Originally I had to find out for myself what the difference was between FTTC and FTTP, but this is actually quite important as most ISPs I checked seem to think I can get FTTC and either don't know what FTTP is or have no idea that is what is available in my area and in most cases (all except PN and BT that I've found) cannot offer FTTP in any case.
My complaint on here was largely about PN's bad communication and customer service about my order, but it looks like it has just been bad communication and the process has been churning away, as I hoped. But OR themselves don't seem to know whether they're coming or going. Everything they have said has been inaccurate. If I wasn't as technically minded as I am, there isn't a cat in hell's chance of being able to figure out what's going on. It seems to me the entire fibre rollout is being handled very shoddily. This is not directed at PN, but squarely at OR as they are the ones in charge of that.
We had flyers put through our door over a year ago extolling the virtues of fibre, when it was completely impossible to get it, there wasn't any. Once they actually had laid the fibre, we got another flyer, but the checkers still said not possible and NOWHERE was there any mention of FTTC or FTTP, so no normal person would have any clue about there being different 'types' of fibre connection. If I go onto BT's site now, they are only apparently offering FTTC. It's only when pushing further do you come up against the fact that actually it's different here, so you need to go about it a different way.
Sorry, but it's all being handled very badly. As I said, this is not directed at PN, they are at the mercy of OR, but they could make more information available to help clarify the situation. However, they don't officially offer FTTP so I can accept why they haven't so far. I would like to see them make FTTP a standard offering with FVA if required etc, but that's a different topic.
Anyway, I am of course delighted that the fibre is finally at the house and just need the internal fibre, ONT etc. Can't wait.  Smiley
MattyC
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
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Registered: ‎10-04-2014

Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

We've got an internal installation booked in for 03/09/2015. Are you able to make this?
ex-Plusnet staffer. Any posts after 28/07/2017 aren't on behalf of Plusnet
UKenGB
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Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

Well to be honest, that's the worst day it could be, but I'll be here and available ANY time they can come and do it. Tomorrow would be better, but if they come Thursday, So be it. I WILL be here to welcome them.
UKenGB
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Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

OR engineer just left. Fibre is up and running, but peak at 6.4 Mb up and only 480 Kb down. So something up with the profile. Could someone possibly look into this ASAP?
Thanks.
jelv
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Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

What does https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed say for your current line speed?
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
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UKenGB
Grafter
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Registered: ‎09-12-2009

Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

Just as I said:-
  Current line speed:
  0.5 Mb
MattyC
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
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Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

Working on this now. We need to manually change the profiles upon provision with FTTP.
Are you ok to check your speeds for me in 20 minutes?
Matty
ex-Plusnet staffer. Any posts after 28/07/2017 aren't on behalf of Plusnet
UKenGB
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Re: And still, a big NOTHING.

Thanks Matt. I thought there was some profile changes needed to be done. No problem, I'll leave it half hour and check again.