Upgrading from FTTC to FTTP - fibre routing

[#1]

I want to upgrade from FTTC to FTTP, a few things have been putting me off for a while, one is how the engineer will route the fibre cable from the street connection to the inside of my house where the router is located.

The current copper connection comes in at the front of the house and through a conduit under the floor to the back of the house to where the power, telephone socket and modem / router are situated. There is no sensible place (with a double mains socket) at the front of the house to re-position the ONT / Modem / Router etc.

I really do not want the cable run around the outside of my house, the routing needed to get from the front of the house to the back is complicated and will be for want of better words ... very ugly.

Is there any way to have the engineer route the cable through the conduit ? I'm presuming that I won't have the copper connection for telephone anymore so that could be used to pull the fibre cable through the conduit ? Doing this should actually make the engineer's job much quicker and easier.

Any thoughts gratefully received, thank you.

[#2]

Hi the answer is you will need to speak to the installer on the day and ask if they could do it the way you want, if it's a simple enough job they most likely will, but there are no guarantees so keep that in mind. 

[#3]

@osfan 

There’s no need for the ONT to be installed next to the router (the ONT replaces the FTTC modem), they can be 100m apart providing you interconnect them with Cat 5e or better Ethernet cable. So if the installer won’t pull fibre through the duct, have the ONT installed at the front and pull your own Ethernet cable through. It there’s no convenient mains socket at the front then temporarily provide a mains extension for the installer to use.

If you then come back here we can advise how to power the ONT over the Ethernet cable using a PoE injector/splitter.

[#4]

@osfan 

Use the following Checker

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

In the results window what does it say to the right of WBC FTTP. What you want to see is KCI2 - this means a survey is required giving you a chance to speak to OR.

Below the results window there will be a narrative about FTTP - what does this say?

Brian

[#5]

is it possible for you to run a draw cord through the conduit (or something like "Essentials
Essentials Nylon Cable & Flex Draw Tape" from Screwfix)?

If that were ready to use you might find the installer would be prepared to use it for the "indoor" part of the fibre to get it to the "outdoor" end.

If you use a draw tape it needs to be able to pull from the end you want the router and ONT to the place the hole to the outside will go.

It's a bit risky using the phone wire to pull things through as if it comes apart in the conduit you are stuffed!

[#6]

If you use a draw tape it needs to be able to pull from the end you want the router and ONT to the place the hole to the outside will go.

Note that the distance must be less than 10m as that is the longest internal fibre cable that the engineer will have available.

[#7]

Thanks @Baldrick1

The conduit is outside, so I'd have to have an outdoor ONT installed, but interesting out of the box idea, especially powering the ONT using PoE. Thank you.

[#8]

Thanks Brian

I used the Checker, sadly I have Downstream Line Rate(Mbps): Upto 1000 and Upstream Line Rate (Mbps): Upto 220, Availability Date: Available, FTTP Install Process: 1 stage next to WBC FTTP, no KC12

Notes below:

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG premises served by 2.5 Inch plastic duct 56.

FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

As a WLR withdrawal exchange, product restrictions apply

Thanks for the response.

[#9]

Thanks markhawkin,

I'm going to have a look to see if that's a viable option.

Also thanks for the note of caution about the possibility of the phone wire coming apart in the conduit, very sensible.

[#10]

Thanks MisterW

Good call, I think it's around 9m but I'll measure with the draw tape to be sure if I do go that route. Lots of very useful suggestions from everyone who has replied, thanks all.

[#11]

@osfan 

Quick question before I call it a night.

Is the duct under your house connected directly to the duct from the OR chamber or is their a junction box at your property?

Brian

[#12]

 conduit under the floor to the back of the house to where the power, telephone socket and modem / router are situated.

A consideration, are there any bends in the conduit under the floor, fibre cable does not allow for a sharp bend radius/circle as the fibre wire could fracture.

[#13]

---

@osfan wrote:

... I'd have to have an outdoor ONT installed ...

---

To the best of my knowledge, such things do not exist in the UK.  The CSP goes outside in the majority of installations and the ONT is inside.

There is some flexibility on where the CSP goes - it must be at ground (working height) level).  It can probably go anywhere you are prepared to have a cable run.

The ONT can similarly go anywhere within circa 10m from the CSP where there is a power point.

The router can go up to 100m away from the ONT wherever you are prepared to run an ethernet cable.

>->->-> CSP > - - - - - - 10m  - - - - - - > ONT > ~ ~ ~ ~ 100m ~ ~ ~ ~ > Router

[#14]

@osfan 

I meant to follow up on my last post.

It the duct is continuous from the Chamber to your Master Socket then it's possible the installer could rod the duct and pull the fibre cable all the way inside. It would then be finished with an internal CSP beside the ONT.

The first picture below shows an install similar to yours. The box for the CSP uses the original MS box and you can just see the spare fibre optic cable would round the fittings.

The last picture also shows an internal CSP whiere the cable comes in through the wall from outside.

Brian

[#15]

Thanks for all of the input @bmc  @Dan_the_Van  @Townman 

Having had a better look at the conduit, the uncertainty of bend radius, possible debris in the conduit etc. I have come to the conclusion that trying to use the conduit may be more hassle than it's worth.

I've been looking at a different strategy having a double 13 amp socket installed into the cupboard with my consumer unit (which is not far from the duct from the OR chamber) so that Open Reach can run a very short length of fibre to come into the house inside the consumer unit cupboard. With the ONT in the consumer unit cupboard, I'd connect to a powerline adapter to pass the Ethernet signal to another PLA next to the router on the other side of the house.

I'm not that keen on powerline adapters, but sadly when I bought the house (new build) I wasn't able to get the developer to install Ethernet to the rooms I wanted connected - (all terminating in the consumer unit cupboard), that would have made all of this so much easier.