FTTC Now available...or is it?

Inkblot · Feb 11, 2011, 11:18:52

Greetings all, been absent for a few months due to personal reasons but hoping to become a regular again

I have been expecting FTTC to be available by March 31st (Was December 2010 but was put back 3 months) and on Wednesday (9th) I checked to see if the date had been pushed back again and was flabbergasted to see that FTTC was showing as available from the 10th. Naturally I called IDNet and asked about getting FTTC but that raised as many questions as it answered:

1. My closest cabinet (About 50 yards away) is this one and that's exactly how it looks today. I thought that FTTC required a new cabinet?

2. Unless the answer to the above is that FTTC is *definately* not available to me I'm going to order it anyway, I understand that BT only install to the master socket - this is an issue for me as the master socket is in the hallway with only a single power nearby (The one that is used for the hoover) and no access to any of the CAT5 that I had installed when we moved in. I have heard that BT will install an extension up to 30ft away and connect the modem there instead but that they (Understandably) will only pin along skirting and around doorframes rather than going through walls. Trouble is the master socket is right by the front door and although the nearest CAT5 is only 10ft away it's the other side of a solid door. I have a couple of options - either drill through the wall in advance of them coming and ask them to utilise that to locate an extension or ask them to move the master socket (Again, I read somewhere that they will do this). Are there any other options for me?

3. I've been with IDNet over 3 years now and am moving my main telephone line to them as well as upgrading to FTTC (At present my ADSL is on my secondary telephone line but that is going now as it is no longer required). I would like to continue my existing account but it looks like I have to cancel it and then create a new one as the telephone line is different. Is that the case?

4. IDNet recommend (And supply) a Netgear router. I'm guessing that there is nothing special about this and it's exactly the same one I could buy a little cheaper elsewhere?

5. Does FTTC still come with a static IP and does the router NAT etc. work in exactly the same way? I expect they do but might as well ask for the sake of completeness!

Rik · Feb 11, 2011, 11:31:53

Welcome back, Inky, some fibre will help with that problem.

1) No simple answer there, if FTTC is available to you don't worry.

2) Haven't got fibre, but this will be an issue for me too. My own view is that BT should be able to move the master to where I am currently connected simply by removing the existing socket, crimping the cables, and then putting the master up here. It's one for negotiation, I suspect. Ultimately, BT should be able to put it where you want it, but there may be a cost.

3) I've never needed to cancel an account as things have changed, the existing one has just adapted to the changes.

4) Yes.

5) Yes and yes, afaik.

Steve · Feb 11, 2011, 11:49:26

Either regard the router it must have wan port to allow a pppoe connection via the vdsl modem. We have seen that some routers with 100mbps ports have struggled with the very much increased throughput of fibre.

alexwright · Feb 11, 2011, 11:52:10

Hello!

As an FTTC user, maybe this will be of help:

1) FTTC operates out of different cabinets. These are located near to the old ones, but can be the other side of the road. Where I live, I've seen them up to 25 metres away.

2) I'd always do this sort of thing myself. The easier time you give the engineer, the more likely they are to do things for you. You can easily buy long drills for drilling through thick walls, and they don't cost too much either. I'd push your own CAT5 cable instead of using phone cable. It'll be better quality. The engineer can then just make the connections for you. If you mount a box ready for them as well, there will unlikely be any grumbles.

3) You'll have to ask them, though I suspect you will be able to keep the account.

4) Note: You will need space for two boxes. BT place a VDSL modem near the master socket. As close as possible is best. The Netgear router (or other brand) then converts PPPoE into standard IP for your computer to talk to. Its perfectly possible (if you have only one computer) to install PPPoE software on that instead, negating the need for the Netgear box.
Personally, I run a Linux based server that takes care of the PPPoE, firewalling, NAT and routing for my home network.

5) If you are keeping the same account, you will keep the same static IP address. I also recently learned that you can request a single IPv6 address, though this is little use to those of use that run networks. I use Sixxs to tunnel a /48 for my network. A little overkill, maybe ;-)

Rik · Feb 11, 2011, 11:57:35

Thanks, Alex.

Inkblot · Mar 21, 2011, 15:24:23

Well I can confirm that it is available - the BT guy just arrived (Late of course) and fitted a new box on an extension - so no fitting to the master socket only...or maybe he changed the master socket to the extension, not sure but either way I now have FTTC and a speed of about 30mb down (Was 10mb) and 7mb up (Was 0.7mb) so I am one very happy bunny indeed!

It turns out that the street cab that is just 50yds away is not FTTC enabled (It provides my 2nd phone line). My 1st phone line which is much older is actually supplied from a cab that is around 1/2 mile away but has been FTTC enabled

Rik · Mar 21, 2011, 15:53:01

Isn't BT wonderful.

Enjoy the speed, Inky.

pctech · Mar 22, 2011, 08:28:19

Quote from: Inkblot on Mar 21, 2011, 15:24:23
Well I can confirm that it is available - the BT guy just arrived (Late of course) and fitted a new box on an extension - so no fitting to the master socket only...or maybe he changed the master socket to the extension, not sure but either way I now have FTTC and a speed of about 30mb down (Was 10mb) and 7mb up (Was 0.7mb) so I am one very happy bunny indeed!

It turns out that the street cab that is just 50yds away is not FTTC enabled (It provides my 2nd phone line). My 1st phone line which is much older is actually supplied from a cab that is around 1/2 mile away but has been FTTC enabled

Just you wait till the evil DLM kicks in after 30 days and knocks you down to 350k, to which BT reply "well, it is within our constantly moving specification"