Fibre connected to wrong cabinet?!

OK I need you guys help here.

My VDSL modems were only able to sync at ADSL2+ speed, not VDSL2 (which is my service with Zen) once my line had been activated. An OpenReach engineer was sent out.

I just had the OpenReach engineer round. After checking my line and everything he said that the problem was that the fiber had been connected to the wrong cabinet? His English wasn't too good so I couldn't really get a clear explanation out of him, but he said I needed to call my ISP about it.

EDIT: Just to add a bit more info on this, he said that my line should be connected to cabinet box 29, but was connected to 42. I've had a walk around the neighbourhood and there are lots of little green cabinets with numbers like "XX29I-26" on them (letters changed) and a central darker green, more modern looking cabinet with "29" on it. It definitely seems to be the closest big green cabinet.

I just want to get a clear understanding of the topology of FTTC in the UK and what's actually gone wrong here. My master socket connects to my cabinet (it's over the street). Would the problem be that the cabinet itself has no fibre running to it (BT forgot to connect it?), or that there is fibre but that my ISP (Zen) hasn't been allocated any fibre lines in the cabinet? And whose fault would it be; BT, OpenReach, or maybe Zen for not requesting allocation in the correct cabinet?

And why is my modem even able to sync with ADSL2+? As I'm not connected to Zen's FTTC, with which modem is mine actually communicating? Does the modem's signal pass through to the exchange's DSLAM and communicate with one of the modems there, and would that modem be for a particular ISP or are they generic?

Also, out of interest, once I am (finally) on FTTC, will the signal from my cabinet communicate with ISP equipment in the exchange, or will it pass through the exchange and authenticate with my ISP's network at a more centralized location?

Edited by jez9999 (Tue 13-Jun-17 14:34:53)

Full line stats from the modem please.

Importantly, what did you do about your wiring?

Have you asked Zen if your line has been switched to FTTC? Or is it a two-stage installation, first the phone and ADSL2+, then an upgrade.

Luckily this engineer replaced the master socket with an NTE5C and VDSL faceplate. The star wiring has been disconnected.

I believe this was a one-stage VDSL activation. It was Zen who raised the fault for OpenReach to come out, as they said it was "very odd" that the modem was only syncing with ADSL2+.

Full line stats?

If somehow a VDSL2 cabinet went live and was taking orders and had not fibre connected to it, then you'd get nothing as part of the connecting you to the VDSL2 DSLAM involves filtering out any ADSL/ADSL2+ signals from the exchange. In short safe to say ignore that engineers explanation - why? Because not seeing a DSLAM over the fibre for configuration and monitoring is quickly noticed.

Without seeing the line stats its all pointing towards the line still being on ADSL2+ rather than VDSL2.

Don't recall line length, but at longer VDSL2 distances (e.g. you may not be connected to the cabinet you can see) VDSL2 can look a little like ADSL2+

How do I get them? I do have an unlocked HG612...

Are you using the HG612 at the moment, or a combo modem/router from Zen? If a combo we need to know what that is.

I'm "using" the HG612 insofar as that is what is connected to the socket. I can plug into LAN2 to get at its web interface. Obviously I'm not using it to connect to the internet (I'm tethering on my mobile) because I have no working landline internet connection right now.

Edited by jez9999 (Tue 13-Jun-17 12:49:43)

If you have no connection at all why are you not speaking to Zen directly?

I did, which is why an engineer was sent out. They said it shouldn't be syncing with ADSL2+ at all if the VDSL had been activated correctly.