Fibre broadband (FTTC) with engineer installation

Jonesya

Does anyone know if any of the main fibre broadband (FTTC) providers still offer an engineer install option, where an engineer will visit as part of the installation and set-up?

One of the previous owners of my house somehow ended up with two BT master sockets, both hard-wired to incoming line. It works ok for ADSL but I expect it will need fixing for fibre/VDSL and as it's up-stream of the master socket will need Openreach to fix it.

Anyone had any luck getting Openreach to fix an issue like this?

nick74

I don't know of any which still offer an engineer install option. Are they definitely both master sockets? The early BT phone sockets looked externally identical whether they were true master sockets or BT-installed extensions. My parents' old house had a setup like this (installed in the mid 80s) where the incoming line split off at a junction box in the porch with one wire going downstairs and the other upstairs. Both went to identical looking BT sockets but if you removed the front of them only the downstairs socket was actually a master. There's no reason why VDSL wouldn't work in this situation AFAIK.

AndyPK

Don’t think you will need an engineer

Jonesya

Yes the wiring from the two separate sockets goes straight back to the BT junction box, where it looks like it's joined together.

It's definitely not daisy-chained, with the second socket connected to the master, otherwise I'd disconnect the extension from the master socket.

Trouble is that most of the guidance on FTTC/VDSL suggests that sort of spurred, or star wired connection is likely to give problems and poor connections, but as it's BT's side of the wiring it isn't something you can fix yourself.

nick74

That in itself doesn't necessarily mean that they are both master sockets though. If you unscrew the fronts and look behind do they both have a large capacitor inside?

When I bought my current house it had the old style master socket without the removable faceplate and a mess of extension wiring to the bedrooms. In the end I bought an official Openreach new style master socket from ebay and replaced the master socket myself, and removed the old extension wiring.
Of course officially you aren't supposed to do this, and you do so at entirely your own risk, but as long as you use an official Openreach socket and make a tidy job of the wiring they are highly unlikely to ever know or care.

If you don't want to risk that then I would just get FTTC and see whether you get a decent speed. If so happy days, and if not you can always then pay your supplier to get Openreach in to sort the wiring for you.

iniltous

If the external cable to your home terminates on something like a BT 18 or a BT 66, and you have two ‘internal’ cables run from here , one to each ‘master’ socket, then although technically this wiring is on OR’s side of the demarcation, it’s unclear if you called OR out to remedy this, if it would be chargeable or not.
If this describes your situation, then removing the one cable to the socket that isn’t needed , would doubtless make your wiring more ADSL friendly , and when converted to FTTC , you benefit from the optimised ‘line’

Chino

Jonesya wrote: »

Anyone had any luck getting Openreach to fix an issue like this?

You are yet to find out whether you even have an "issue ".

Croft12

Chino wrote: »

You are yet to find out whether you even have an "issue ".

The trouble is that, given what the OP says, it looks likely they may have at least a sub-optimal setup. If that proves to be an issue the call out fee to fix it is far more than the cost of an engineer install used to be. (£129.99 -v- 99 iirc)


Of course you do get a min. perf. guarantee when you sign up which they are suppose to fix or let you leave.

The best thing might be to speak with BT or whomever you think you might use to ask.

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/08/openreach-launch-special-offer-for-fttc-managed-engineer-installs.html

AndyPK

But one cost you are wanting to pay. The other may or may not happen.

Its only 20 quid anyway.

Even if it’s slow when the engineer installs, they will say you have to wait 10 days for it to “stabilise” and you will get that from call center too

I suggest you get familiar with phone wiring. It’s not difficult.
Work out what you have.
Work out where you want master socket.
And change if necessary.

Best you do it now, as you can compare current setup and know if you have made it worse.

jb66

Having two masters means at some point your house has had two active lines at the same time, i dont see that being an issue for FTTC

unforeseen

jb66 wrote: »

Having two masters means at some point your house has had two active lines at the same time, i dont see that being an issue for FTTC

Or somebody who didn't know the difference between a master and slave socket added an extension.