Self Installation of BT's Infinity 1 ? / How IDNet's FTTC is installed ?

[rmaciag]

At the moment I have only started exploring FTTC options ...

On BT's website there information that Infinity 1 could be a self-install :

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/broadband/getting-ready-for-bt-infinity

There are two ways BT Infinity can be installed in your home. Depending on the type of line you have and what BT Infinity package you order we'll either send an engineer to your home or in some cases you'll be able to set up everything yourself without needing an engineer. We'll let you know when you place your order whether you need an engineer to install your BT Infinity fibre optic broadband.

and for Infinity 1 :

Your order

When you place your order we'll request the earliest activation date available, if that date changes we'll let you know by text or email.
Your new Home Hub

We'll send you a new BT Home Hub 5 router in the post. This will normally arrive two days before your activation date and will fit through most letterboxes so you don't need to wait around for it.
On your activation day

There's no need for you to be at home. We'll send an engineer to your street cabinet to activate your new BT Infinity service. If you're at home and you've already got a broadband connection – you will lose service for up to 30 minutes while the engineer finishes their work in the street.
Installing BT Infinity in your home

After this, you can follow the instructions provided to install your new BT Home Hub 5 (and broadband filters if you need them).
Your superfast broadband

Once your new Hub is plugged in and your Infinity service has been activated, the Hub light will stay blue and your new, superfast broadband is ready to go!

How is it done in case of IDNet ?

I guess BT's

BT Home Hub 5 router

must have the VDSL modem built in if no engineer visit is necessary ...

Regards

[Steve]

BT Home Hub 5 I believe only works with BT and Plusnet. There has been some suggestion of self install however I'm uncertain which ISPs are involved and indeed whether they've started yet.

I think with IDNet at present the method of install is an engineer visit to install the VDSL modem, you can then either replace with a VDSL router combination or attach a router with WAN input.

[rmaciag]

Steve, thanks for your reply.

...
I think with IDNet at present the method of install is an engineer visit to install the VDSL modem, ...

Oh no ...

Never again ...
When we were migrating from Orange to IDNet, several different BT engineers came several times to our house on a single day !
It was a nightmare !
Only the last one knew what he was doing so after checking few things he drove to our exchange and within 10mins or so the issue was solved.

After reading some more about the FTTC I realised I do not really need more speed - we don not watch films online, we do not play games online ...
All we need is a bit larger download allowance.
I think I will stick to ADSL2+.
I do not want anybody messing around in our house, playing with internal wiring which is nicely hidden under plaster boards, putting some dodgy extension cables around the house, modems ... brrrrrr ... no way ... for a sake of some increased speed that we do not really need ...

[Simon]

There are plans to refresh the packages shortly, so you may then get your increased download allowance. 

[Clive]

That would make a big difference Simon.  Things have moved on during the past few years.  I'm not looking for unlimited but the current packages could offer more.

[rmaciag]

... for a sake of some increased speed that we do not really need ...

Well, I see one application that I am considering and that would require more bandwith.
We use more and more mobile devices so for the sake of security I am considering setting up VPN at home to direct all internet traffic from our mobile phones via that VPN server ...
It is only an idea and I am exploring various options available for that on both server and client sides ...
I do have WHS11 at home so, I guess, I could turn it into VPN server, possibly. Or another PC ...
To handle that traffic i would require both the bigger allowance and more speed especially on sending data out ...

But this would be a project for the next year, I guess.

[Terryphi]

What I want to see is IDNet offering self-install of FTTC in its package changes.

[Gary]

What I want to see is IDNet offering self-install of FTTC in its package changes.

Self install on 76/20 products may not be a good idea, star wiring etc can seriously muck up an install and a BT install (I got an engineer so a good install not kellys thankfully) meant wiring was checked which was all new anyway as I have a friend who is a BT engineer who re wired things. but in some houses bad extensions can ruin a good line. On say a lower 40/10 product then it may not be so important, but having wiring replaced and everything checked out properly is worth it if you are capable of running faster speeds I think.

[Steve]

Anyone know how much you'd save as , you still need an engineer for a new install to visit the exchange and the cabinet.

[Gary]

Anyone know how much you'd save as , you still need an engineer for a new install to visit the exchange and the cabinet.

This link shows some prices, Steve. http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/11/bt-openreach-set-uk-launch-date-self-install-fttc-superfast-broadband.html

[Terryphi]

Self install on 76/20 products may not be a good idea, star wiring etc can seriously muck up an install and a BT install (I got an engineer so a good install not kellys thankfully) meant wiring was checked which was all new anyway as I have a friend who is a BT engineer who re wired things. but in some houses bad extensions can ruin a good line. On say a lower 40/10 product then it may not be so important, but having wiring replaced and everything checked out properly is worth it if you are capable of running faster speeds I think.

My internal wiring is first class in a  modern house. I run my modem/router from an extension because the BT entry point is in my integral garage. There is absolutely no difference in performance between the test socket and extension. I certainly do not want some recently recruited Openreach "engineer" messing with my wiring!

[pctech]

More excuses for Openreach to levy a charge?

[Gary]

My internal wiring is first class in a  modern house. I run my modem/router from an extension because the BT entry point is in my integral garage. There is absolutely no difference in performance between the test socket and extension. I certainly do not want some recently recruited Openreach "engineer" messing with my wiring!

Well good for you, so the would not they touch your wiring then would they   But in say an old house that's star wired or could have old RF2 junction boxes that badly effect FTTC signals it could make a very big difference so having the wiring updated and the RF2's removed would be exactly what you needed. Also don't confuse contractors for BT engineers, there is a big difference...

[Tacitus]

But in say an old house that's star wired or could have old RF2 junction boxes that badly effect FTTC signals it could make a very big difference......

Oddly enough when my sister was having phone problems, the BT guy said that star wiring was now the standard rather than sequential as in the past.

[nowster]

Star wiring in this context, I think, refers to any historic extensions wired in front of the master socket.