BT Fibre 1 router question

Hi,
I've just signed up for BT fibre 1 and was wondering what the connection on the fibre box to the router was so that I could make sure I had the correct cable available when it was fitted,
Can anyone help?

Edited by deleted (Sat 10-Oct-20 23:31:20)

FTTC or FTTP?

If talking FTTP and fibre box is an ONT then its an Ethernet cable and one is supplied with the router from BT. If this is not long enough then a CAT5E or better cable of the right length will suffice

Thanks for the replies,

It is FTTP, as far as I know there will be a box on the outside wall and a powered box on the inside wall. the only place it can go near a mains socket is about 10 feet away from the PCs and the current router. I have a cable from the box fitted by BT for Plusnet to the Plusnet router and then to the PCs.

Gerald

In reply to a post by WackyZacky:

I have a cable from the box fitted by BT for Plusnet to the Plusnet router and then to the PCs.

Is this new, or is that box an FTTC modem?

My bet is the box is referring to the phone master socket

D'oh!

Very probably .

(My reason for asking was if he was already on FTTC the box would have been one of the modems, and completely redundant with FTTC. AIUI BT Fibre 1 can be either of FTTC and P?)

Fifty years ago I worked for GPO telephones, it is not the master socket. The master socket has a short lead to a powered box then a longer lead to the Plusnet router. In a letter I was sent it stated that a small box would be fitted outside then a hole drilled into the wall for a lead to a powered box but it did not mention what kind of box it was. I rang BT Customer Services but the lady I spoke to did not seem to have any idea as to what was involved.

That sounds like you are getting FTTP. For the broadband the first piece of your equipment will be a new BT SmartHub assuming you are willing to use one rather than what you have.

If the specific BT Product you clicked on, assuming you ordered online, referred to Digital Voice, then the whole copper side becomes redundant, with AIUI your number being retained. If it referred to (IIRC) Standard Voice you will retain the existing landline phone service. Your order confirmation email I expect will tell you.

The powered box she referred to will be mounted on a wall near to an existing power socket, to some extent at a place of your choice. It's an ONT (Optical Network Terminator) as Andrew said, converting the optical signal to ethernet as a normal modem converts an analogue one.

Edited by RobertoS (Thu 15-Oct-20 01:03:22)

I was told when ordering that a cable would be fitted by BT from the Fibre box thing to the Smart Hub 2.

The BT guy looked at me like I ask him for a date with his wife.
Told me to buy a 3 metre network cable on Amazon.

He said due to the virus he wasn’t allowed to install one.
I even asked if he could leave a cable and I would do it myself.
Only to be told they don’t carry any network cables longer than 1 metre.
This was with 2 BT vans and 3 guys in the house...... yeah right.

Anyway ordered the cable that he told me to only to find out it was 4 metres that was needed.

Long story short. The lazy git installed the fibre and left the Hub on the floor.

It's the ISP's responsibility (or yours) to supply an Ethernet cable linking the ONT to the router.
Almost all of them supply a 1m cable with the assumption they will be placed together.

Unless you wanted the OpenReach engineer to pop to Currys to buy you an Ethernet cable there's not much he could do here.
OpenReach's responsibility ends at the ONT.

See this post in the thread. A reply to the OP via me.

The meaning being that the cable you get is the ethernet cable that comes in the BT Hub box.

As for you needing a 4-metre cable, surely you knew when you ordered the 3-metre one you had been told by the engineer where the ONT was going. Where you wanted to put the router the engineer would have no idea about.

It wasn’t a big problem really.
I don’t know the rules but I know I was told the installer would wire it to the hub that was on a table on the same wall about 4 metres away.

I also read on the BT site that they allow you 20 or 30 feet from the fibre box. Can’t find it now but it fits with what BT said on the phone.

The reference to 30m mentioned in the BT forums is regarding the distance from the box on the outside of your house to the white OpenReach ONT.

You should get a say (within reason) where the white ONT goes, unless it's already there when you move in. That way you can place it within 1m of the BT Hub.

It sounds like you were wrongly advised. The installer wouldn't have had a cable to give you as it isn't part of the install.

Yeah I understand it is a 1m cable that comes in the Hubs box.
The installer could clearly see where the hub was to go as it was sitting on the table.
Along with the VOIP phone they sent.

The wall was cleared as asked for when ordering and it was the same wall the fibre box was on. I ordered the cable on amazon will talking to the guy. It just meant I had to send the other one back and wait another day. Bear in mind the house is an adapted house and I don’t really think the hub should have been left on the floor.


He was also meant to show you the connection working on one device and show you the speed. He left that fast he didn’t even tack the thin inner fibre wire to the wall so it’s hanging loose.

Over worked or lazy. Who knows.

He also left with the system showing that the line had a fault resulting in the connection being dropped and slow speed. It was BT that called and pointed the fault out to me. I still don’t know what was wrong with the line. It does looked to be ok since.

I just find it hard to believe there was no longer cables in the 2 vans.

You need to remember the Hub was where it always was. Due to the order being for fibre the wiring in place was of no use now.

I still have a older master socket sitting next to the fibre box. Not sure if that needs left or not.

No idea John he could see where the Hub was and I wasn’t asked about the entry cable. He came in via a hole next to where the master socket was sitting.

As for giving the wrong info. I wouldn’t be surprised.
BT told me that The full fibre broadband/voice was still new.
You don’t get asked if you want voice, they decided when you are ordering it.
So I’m told.
And that this caused a few problems with orders and faults. As everything had to go though a “special” team. And then you need to wait on a call back.

Like I say it’s finally up and running at full speed and the connection is stable.

Everyone gets a voice service with BT. They don't sell broadband without it.
They just pick at random who gets the new Digital Voice service (VOIP) and who keeps using the old copper line for calls.

I'm using the copper line still with my fibre.

I just find it hard to believe there was no longer cables in the 2 vans.

They, as a rule, do not carry cat 5 cable, made or unmade.

I still have a older master socket sitting next to the fibre box. Not sure if that needs left or not.

Yes it does.