Broadband wo wo woes

Chris [BEANS]

Chris [BEANS]

Chris [BEANS]

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Joined
30 Dec 2003
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6,374
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Bigger box!
Frustrated!!

So, soon I move house. I'll be moving into a new build, which understandably doesn't show up on many companies, including BT's database.

So. The new place comes with a home network built into the walls and super duper fiber broadband.
Awesome, right?

Wrong!

So the fiber is at the end of a rope, which comes in to a utility cupboard, obviously not connected yet, and in the cupboard is some massive fiber box thing. (Not entirely sure exactly what it is!)

I called BT to tell them I was moving, and they tell me there's no fiber in my area.
I explained that it definitely is and asked if there was any way to get the list updated, or pay for an engineer to come out to see for himself. Turns out if it's not on the list then no.

Then I remembered, if you put my new postcode into the 'can I get infinity' website thing, although there are only about five addresses actually shown right now, one of them is 'plot 58'.
This is another brand new build house, several feet from mine.
The BT website tells me that this address has super duper fiber and can get all services and up to 78mb broadband.

I explained this, and turns out that makes no difference either.

Anyone have any ideas on how I convince BT to sell me their most expensive home package? I'd have assumed they'd want to!

Cheers
 
is there actually anything at the end of that fibre though. it may not actually have any green box in the street yet.
 
My mate had the same problem and in the end he gave up. New build with FTTC right next to his house. Nothing he could say would convince BT that he could have Infinity until they (3 months later) updated their checker.
 
78Mb broadband is not fibre, that is VDSL. BT do not leave unterminated fibre, if it was theirs it would be connected to an openreach box already. In short, you do not have BT fibre
 
You need to place an order for a telephone line and Openreach will come out and survey and connect you to the network, at this point the databases will be updated.

Blame your developer.
 
Moved into a new build, took 2-3 months to get internet :(

Make sure your property is added to the Royal Mail Database, they use this for their checkers, I was able to add mine directly with Royal Mail after I moved in.
 
Hmmmmmm.

Ok, at least I'm getting more information here than from BT!

Can't post a pic as I'm not in there yet, however, when I visited the other day it was basically an open tube in the cupboard under the stairs, with a knotted blue rope sticking out of it.

The guy demoing the house explained that the fiber is tied to the other end and will be pulled through when BT come to hook up the house.

If it's not BT, and neither Sky nor Virgin say they have any connection to it, who might this belong to??
Also, there's a large box in the cupboard, larger than the fuse box for the house, that I'm told relates to the fiber. Any ideas?
I didn't open it up, so can't describe the inside.

As for VDSL, never heard of it, sounds like you know what you're talking about so I'm sure you're right, but the BT website for 'plot 58' does say it's 'Super Fast Fiber'.
 
They put the cable through plastic tubing so it's easier to run, I have my phone line going through one of these outside my front door.

Just get onto the RM database first if you can, that way you should come up on their checkers, the phone monkeys may then actually be able to see you on the system to place an order (your address/area will be associated with a nearby cabinet).

Still expect delays, because Openreach will need to come along and connect your property up most likely.

I still can't get Fibre here, luckily I can get 12-13 Mbps normal ADSL which is actually OK, my last house had 3 Mbps and I was really feeling the pain :(

Edit - one thing I didn't but maybe should have done, waltz into a mobile phone shop and try to buy one of those dongles for internet, will at least let you browse until they hook up your normal internet, either that or tether your phone if you have a good data allowance and your mobile provider allows it.
 
Chris [BEANS];28990884 said:
Can't post a pic as I'm not in there yet, however, when I visited the other day it was basically an open tube in the cupboard under the stairs, with a knotted blue rope sticking out of it.
Click to expand...

yeah thats just a cable run for something.

The guy demoing the house explained that the fiber is tied to the other end and will be pulled through when BT come to hook up the house.
Click to expand...

balls. there isnt just a random bit of fibre tied to a rope. did they say you can get fibre to the property?
 
The utility cupboard with the plastic box probably contains a bunch of poorly terminated Cat5e cables, and the cheapest switch the electricians putting the network in could find. It will all be liberally smeared with plaster.
 
neil_g said:
yeah thats just a cable run for something.
Click to expand...

Yes, I get that, but as the bloke demoing the house specifically told me it was for the fibre broadband, it think it's fair to assume the 'something' is the fibre!

neil_g said:
balls. there isnt just a random bit of fibre tied to a rope. did they say you can get fibre to the property?
Click to expand...

I'd like to think by now it was fairly clear that I've been told that you can get fibre to the property, however for clarity.... Yes, I've been told I can get fibre to the property.

It was a selling point of the property, there's this big mysterious box that I'm told is "to do with the fibre", and the bloke demoing the house specifically pointed out "where the fibre comes in".

Developer also, of course, tells me it's BT.
 
you never actually said. and fibre to the property isnt exactly common.

anyway point still stands, there wont be a random bit of fibre tied to the rope. it may not even have the infrastructure in the road tied into the exchange.
 
Caged said:
The guy demoing the house is an estate agent and doesn't know what he's talking about.
Click to expand...

The estate has been built by a large firm. It was demoed by a guy from the site who went through everything in the house in detail...

I'm not saying he's right, I obviously don't know what's going on here, but as he works for the developers and the home network and fibre broadband was listed as a feature before purchase, I assume he's got a good idea about it....
 
There is no Openreach installation method where fibre optic cabling is tied to the end of a rope waiting to be pulled through a duct. Also both Virgin Media copper co-ax and VDSL2 are marketed as 'fibre', so who knows what you're actually getting.
 
I didn't think BT did any sort of fibre to property yet, more than likely the blue rope just goes to the nearest duct pit to the phone cabinet and BT will use it to pull copper in for typical fibre to cabinet, copper to property installation.

I suspect they've been using the term fibre quite loosely. BT infinity is 'fibre' but it isn't fibre all the way into the house. They wouldn't leave unterminated fibre in a duct either, it's too easily damaged.
 
Last edited:
Random!

Ok, seems like I'm not in a position to give enough information for anyone to know for sure....

At least I know BT aren't necessarily at fault.
I guess I'll wait until I'm in early next month, post some snaps of this 'fibre box' to see if anyone recognises what it is and who it belongs to, and I'll ask around the neighbours to see what the score is with them!

Cheers for the input all. I'll post back with snaps and any additional info as soon as I can....
 
Update!! Not a good one!

Anyone who told me it's not BT, you win!

It's odd that plot 58 shows as eligible, and nobody else is on there?!

My pal with a Facebook account has found a residents group.
Nobody in the group seems to have any idea what's going on, but it seems we're limited to a company called 'See The Light'.

I appear to have been misinformed!!
Not impressed....

Cheers again!
 
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