Fibre Extension Kit

Just trying out the Plusnet fibre order process (fibre cabinet switched on today, 10 months from cabinet installation to enablement!).

When the option for "Fibre Extension Kit" comes up, it says:

The Data Extension Kit provides a wired connection between your master socket and your router

That seems to completely ignore the existence of the modem and where it is sited. What should it read?

I'd say that's supposed to be "between your master socket and the modem"?
And of course, another cable will need to connect modem and router.

Yeah. The previous line is also confusing:

With fibre broadband your router needs to plug directly into your telephone master socket, not a telephone extension socket

The router doesn't plug directly into the master socket!

This is made worse by the fact that the faceplate has a RJ45 connector - so you would be able to plug the router in the master socket - it won't work, and may damage things, but the connectors will fit

So, attempting a re-word:

With fibre broadband your router modem needs to plug directly into your telephone master socket, not a telephone extension socket.

The Data Extension Kit provides a wired connection between your master socket modem and your router.

Our engineer will fit the cable during your fibre installation, allowing your hardware router to be located up to 30 metres away from your master socket modem.

Is that any better?

If you tick it the engineer will bring it for you...

Yeah. Plusnet's description of what you actually get is confusing though.

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

So, attempting a re-word:

The Data Extension Kit provides a wired connection between your master socket modem and your router.

Are you sure?
In my case the extension cable is from the master socket to the extension socket. The modem goes into the data extension socket..

master socket >>> data extension wire >>> socket >>> modem >>> router..

Oh ok.. I didnt read it thanks to info from this forum...

Total garbage.

The data extension kit, now officially called the Home Wiring Solution, provides a link from the master socket to a new socket for the modem to plug into. Engineers will often happily re-site the master using it, and some will backwire through it to provide a phone service at the previous master point.

I'm not sure what this stuff about the sockets is that keeps getting posted. (I always forget which is RJ45 and which RJ11, and aren't those socket specs anyway not plugs?)

My Openreach VDSL2 interstitial filter has a normal phone socket - the pre-existing NTE5A faceplate, and the smaller modem cable socket above it. Clearly visible in this pic of it on this page.

I understand the Data Extension Kit is to avoid having the modem next to the master socket. So it plugs into the master socket and allows to have the VDSL socket and modem elsewhere (without using existing wiring which may not be of sufficient quality).
So your choices are (assuming you don't want everything at the master socket):

master socket --> data extension kit --> VDSL socket in another room --> modem --> ethernet cable --> router

or

master socket --> modem (near master socket) -> ethernet cable --> router

Your router can always be in a different place as long as you can run a long enough ethernet cable (which can be much longer than the 30 metres Data Extension Kit).

So essentially the Data Extension Kit is an extension socket, albeit isolated from any other existing wiring?

The way I reworded it is how I'd probably prefer it. i.e. site the modem as close as possible to the master wth no extension (or very little). Adding 30 metres of extension wiring seems like a very bad idea.

In reply to a post by abhijack:

Are you sure?

No, my reword is how I imagined it to work.

But Plusnet's description does appear to be total garbage as RobertoS suggests.

Edited by Oliver341 (Fri 18-Jan-13 14:49:22)

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

(I always forget which is RJ45 and which RJ11, and aren't those socket specs anyway not plugs?)

They are socket and wiring specs. So The socket in the VDSL faceplate is technically not RJ45 even though it uses the same socket as "standard" RJ45 - and neither is the one in your Ethernet switch / router / etc because ethernet wiring is different from RJ45 wiring. To make matters more confusing, RJxx is commonly used to refer to both socket and plug, again incorrectly,
Anyway, in the common usage RJ45 is the 8 position plug/socket used for ethernet (and also in the VDSL faceplate, confusingly) and RJ11 the 6 position plug/socket used for ADSL connections (normally with just the two middle wires connected, making it a real RJ11, but if 4 wires are connected it is technically a RJ12).
</pedant>

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

So essentially the Data Extension Kit is an extension socket, albeit isolated from any other existing wiring?

Yes.

The way I reworded it is how I'd probably prefer it. i.e. site the modem as close as possible to the master wth no extension (or very little). Adding 30 metres of extension wiring seems like a very bad idea.

That would be better as it avoids any extra noise introduced by your home equipment. But you do that without the Data Extension Kit (Home Wiring Solution / whatever it's called this week) and running your own cable from modem to router.

It used as RobertoS states here.

Not sure what to make of this reply... it is just a link to the post I was quoting?

I think a reword is needed. There appear to be four entities: master socket, data extension socket, modem and router. I think your order page with the Fibre extension kit option needs to mention all of them. "Keeping it simple" is in fact adding confusion.

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

I think a reword is needed.

It certainly looks that way. As it is I don't hesitate to call it misleading.

In reply to a post by Uilebheist:

master socket --> modem (near master socket) -> ethernet cable --> router

Your router can always be in a different place as long as you can run a long enough ethernet cable (which can be much longer than the 30 metres Data Extension Kit).

this seems to be the most sensible option..
we can always try router at different locations with a long ethernet cable...
i think i will ask for this tomorrow.

Reword number two. Bold is added stuff. Router may not need a mention.

With fibre broadband your router modem needs to plug directly into your telephone master socket or a data extension socket, not a telephone extension socket.

The Data Extension Kit provides a wired connection between your master socket and your router a data extension socket, should you require one.

Our engineer will fit the cable and socket during your fibre installation, allowing your hardware to be located up to 30 metres away from your master socket.

Edited by Oliver341 (Fri 18-Jan-13 15:12:39)

That looks better to me.
The OpenReach engineer may not even look at your router, never mind arranging connection to it, so only the modem needs to be mentioned in this context.

I assume that this option will not be available for an FTTP installation which is what I will eventually have. There I expect the modem to need to be close to where the fibre enters the property and if the router needs to be situated elsewhere then a cat5e cable would be required between the modem and the router, which would also be an option for FTTC installations.

Hi there,

Agreed, that doesn't read correctly at all. I'll get a problem raised to our web team to get that sorted.

Thanks for the heads up.

ETA: Thanks for the reword suggestions too, I'll pass these on via the problem.

Edited by deleted (Fri 18-Jan-13 17:29:12)

You're welcome.

Edited by Oliver341 (Fri 18-Jan-13 17:31:38)