FTTC from IDNET

[sof2er]

Hello everyone,

My exchange is fiber enabled (wshal / glasgow halfway exchange) and I was thinking of getting a fttc connection and had some questions.
I tried to sign up with BT Infinity first and they told me I need to have my phone line with them (as in line rental + phone package with BT), I'm currently signed for talk talk for another 18 months contract so that's not going to happen. I stumbled accross IDNET while googling for FTTC resellers and wondering if it's possible to order FTTC from you guys while keeping my line rental with TalkTalk (BT Landline number).

I can see a FTTC cabinet right accross the road of my house not further then 20-50 meters located away, my postcode is ****** (according to the BT Broadband availability checker and BT Infinity checker I should have access to FTTC on my landline number)

Main reason to get fiber is the lower latency times (I'm a gamer so would prefer as low as possible, my current pings range from 70 to 120 ms which is a nightmare) and the 10 Mbps upload, I don't download more than 40 gigs a month I reckon.

If all this is possible from IDNET then I'll be ordering FTTC this week from you guys!

(I'm currently on Orange LLU but I can get my mac as soon as I get a response on this )

Thanks in advance

[Glenn]

 

I'm not sure to be honest, Rik may know a little bit more when he pops in. Otherwise, give support a call on Monday, they will know.

[sof2er]

Will do as I'm really concerned since I have a talktalk voice line and Orange LLU broadband (the broadband was installed when we were still with BT voice and later on we swapped BT voice to TalkTalk)

[Simon]

[Rik]

Welcome to the forum, sof2er.

I can't give you a definitive answer and I can't check today, but my thinking is you should be able to do this as the 'last mile' is BT Openreach come what may, so it would just be a case of jumpering the TT line onto the fibre at the exchange, rather than a BT one, both then come to the cabinet (where, actually, the jumpering may take place, come to think of it) where the fibre ceases and the VDSL/phone are put onto a twisted pair for delivery to the home. BT then visit to fit the necessary socket and install the modem.

[sof2er]

Ah Ok,

Just to clear up I will select the option "Keep my current telephone provider" so my line rental will stay with TalkTalk just my broadband will be from Idnet.

I checked today and it seems I'm not on TalkTalk LLU for voice either (as I can dial 17070 and do all the BT phone test facilities indicating it's still a BT line)

[Ray]

 

[Rik]

I checked today and it seems I'm not on TalkTalk LLU for voice either (as I can dial 17070 and do all the BT phone test facilities indicating it's still a BT line)

Should be fine, then.

[Steve]

 

[sof2er]

Phoned up today and they said it was all fine, so just waiting for my MAC code from Orange (phoned them saturday and they said it would take about 48 hours and should be here around wednesday).

After I've ordered ill keep you guys updated with some speedtest and stuff!

[psp83]

After I've ordered ill keep you guys updated with some speedtest and stuff!

Could you do some before and afters please ? speed tests and trace routes for pings.

[sof2er]

Sure, but since my current ISP is sh*t it won't tell you much.

(Pinging about 55-60 minimum in UK and anything outside UK is 90-140 ms)

[sof2er]

Got my mac code yesterday, ordered it and engineer is booked for next week thursday.

Will keep you guys updated how that works out and the speeds ofcourse

[Lance]

 

[Rik]

Got my mac code yesterday, ordered it and engineer is booked for next week thursday.

Will keep you guys updated how that works out and the speeds ofcourse

You do have a router ordered, don't you? Your current one will be no good with fibre.

[sof2er]

I currently own a Linksys Cisco WAG160N Router (http://www.linksysbycisco.com/SA/en/support/WAG160N).

This should be adequate for the fiber connection I think as it supports PPoE encapsulation.

[Rik]

Looking at the setup guide, it refers to connecting to the phone jack by what looks like an RJ11 connector. You'll be connecting to a BT supplied modem via an ethernet cable.

[Ray]

The WAG160N appears to be a modem/router, I don't think it will work, you need an ethernet router, the modem is supplied and installed by BT as part of the fibre installation as I understand it.

[sof2er]

Anyone that can shed some light about the router?

As I understood it I only needed PPPoE encapsulation (which my router supports)

IDNet gives the following router: Wireless Netgear WGR614

Looking at http://www.netgear.com/Products/WirelessRouter/WirelessRoutersforSimpleSharing/WGR614.aspx?detail=Specifications it has all the specifications that my router (Linksys Cisco WAG160N) also has.

http://www.dabs.com/products/linksys-by-cisco-wireless-n-adsl2-modem-router-508M.html#specifications (WAG160N)

If it isn't compatible I'll get the Wireless Netgear WGR614 but comparing both it didn't seem neccesary.

[Rik]

Well yours appears to be an ADSL modem/router and you need what is commonly called a cable router, or just router. As far as I could tell from the instructions, your router has no ethernet 'in' socket, only an ADSL in. For a definitive answer, though, check with support.

[Ray]

I'd agree with that, Rik, there does seem to be a lack of information about FTTC and the equipment you need at the moment though.

[sof2er]

Mailed the support about it, if it's not compatible then I'll just get the other one from IDNet.

[Steve]

If the first ethernet port of the WAG160N will support WAN access you should be o.k ,(incidentaly the WAG320N seems to allow this)

[sof2er]

Yeah I checked and it's RJ11 unfortunately, I need RJ45 (Ethernet/WAN port) so I'll order that router from IDNET.

On a sidenote we only have one faceplate in our house

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/images/iplate/bt-master-socket-nte5-and-old2-large.jpg

(The one on the left)

I'm not sure how it works with those faceplates but I hope that won't cause any issue?

[pctech]

A modem will be supplied which your router connects to.

[sof2er]

BT Engineer came today and I got connected, his tester gave 39.66 Mbit down and 10 Mbit up to the cabinet.

Atm I'm getting the following:


My cabling is actually reducing my speed by a bit, I've used a different cable and had constant 39 Mbit, and this cable gave less dl/upload. Unfortunately the other cable is short and won't work so I'm buying a new cat6 cable tommorrow or something.

Pings are 20 to UK and 30 to most other places.

Anyone knows if interleaving exists on fibre lines?

[Glenn]

I don't know, you and Joe are on the cutting edge of ADSL broadband.

[sof2er]

does anyone know if fttc has interleaving?

Would be sweet to get my ping even lower if possible altough I doubt scotland to london can go any less then 14-16 ms

[Glenn]

Drop support an email or call them tomorrow.

[Technical Ben]

I don't know, you and Joe are on the cutting edge of ADSL broadband.

Can we even call it ADSL when it's Fibre? (Wiki says it's for copper )

[Lance]

Its still copper from the cabinet to the house 

[pctech]

The spec is actually VDSL (Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line)

[Steve]

I was looking up VDSL and VDSL2 the former came out as 'very high bit rate' and the latter 'very high speed' It was wiki though

[pctech]

When I get a sec I will look up the official International Telecoms Union (ITU) specs.

[sof2er]

Interleaving is not enable on my circuit, so it's all fine!

[Aaron]

Did you get your ping any lower since? I thought 20-30ms was high for a fibre connection, considering I average 23ms to idnet.net on a rural adsl max line which is interleaved.

[pctech]

Here are the spec docs on the ITU site

http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-G.993.2/en

[esh]

I'm pretty sure there has to be a bottom line in terms of ping that you simply can't go under. To idnet.net I get 8ms currently on ADSL. If you do a traceroute, my router (the first hop) is a fraction of a millisecond, but the next hop is already at 8ms, so pretty much 99% of my ping time in this instance is between my router and the telehouse router. I guess that is just the inherent DSL latency induced by processing at the exchange. I'd be curious to know any more specific details though, anyone?

Edit: the physical limitation on the transfer of data to the server (~50 miles) is 0.27 milliseconds, which is obviously the absolute hard limit unless you want to shift your ADSL router to relativistic speeds.

[sof2er]

Have to take in mind I live in scotland and the telehouse for IDNet is probably located near london? so my ping times won't really get better than 15-20 ms.

[pctech]

Telehouse is in London.

http://telehouse.net/global-locations/united-kingdom/