Andrew emailed me earlier. Based on that I went to DSLchecker, and fed in my phone number,

High Low High Low
VDSL Range A (Clean) 80 79 20 19 78 Available Available --
VDSL Range B (Impacted) 80 79 20 19 78 Available Available --

What a result!

Employee are due to get back to me tomorrow with an update, I'll see if they will agree to progress an order now.

Many thanks to everyone that's helped get this progressed, especially Andrew.

Brilliant. Presumably also showing as cab 21 on the line above the table?

The number of such problems database errors Andrew has had corrected must run into several hundreds over the years . Well worth his OBE just for that!

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Brilliant. Presumably also showing as cab 21 on the line above the table?

Yes. Both address and line searches now show as Cab 21, and the line shows all the VDSL stats, so I reckon that should allow an order now.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

The number of such problems database errors Andrew has had corrected must run into several hundreds over the years . Well worth his OBE just for that!

Absolutely!

I'll see how things go with placing an order.

In reply to a post by shtu:

I'll see how things go with placing an order.

Better than that ,

Hi,

Hope you are doing well.

We are glad to inform you that fibre is now available at your property. I have placed an order to upgrade your broadband. Order reference is *******. Order completion date is for 19/02/2020. You will receive a smart hub with this package. An engineer appointment has been scheduled for 19/02/2020 between 13:00-18:00. Engineer will be visiting your property to complete the connection work.

Fantastic

That's good. However, I'd be quite surprised if you have an engineer visit for FTTC.

I don't know how that part works, but at the moment I must be on Cabinet 11 for ADSL - with the sync speeds I have there's no way I am on a DSLAM 300m away, so I'd guess 21 is a box of VDSL DSLAM and nothing else. If that change involves snips and repatching, dunno. If an OR bod shows up I'll try and find out what I can.

However, on to the more serious question - preferred biccies for Openreach, just in case?

EDIT: I typo'ed below by stating "The 11...".
I of course meant the new 21.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The 21 is either a PCP or more likely an AIO (All-in-One). You are clearly on it. See the pictures on this rather dated page. The two "128"s are AIOs.

Whether it is one of those or there is a separate FTTC cabinet near to it with the DSLAM, the DSLAM in it has no effect whatsoever on your ADSLx, which still comes from the one in the exchange via the PCP connections. It is only on FTTC that the local DSLAM comes into the circuit. See this similarly old page.

The engineer will make the switch in the PCP or AOI, depending which it is.

Edited by RobertoS (Wed 12-Feb-20 16:54:25)

When on ADSL your line runs right through the PCP cabinet to the exchange.

When you upgrade to FTTC the engineer connects your line to the fibre cabinet via tie pairs running between the PCP and fibre cabinet.

No visit to the property is usually required.

You should already be on cabinet 21. You will have (or should have) been connected to 21 at the same time everyone else was.
It's usually just that the database isn't correctly updated.

It's possible you were overlooked and are now being connected to cabinet 21.
It still shouldn't need an OpenReach visit at the property.

Indeed, in all the excitement about VDSL cabinets I'd completely forgotten that the ADSL kit is exchange-based, until you and Roberto reminded me.

The only thing that could still trigger a visit is that they think I don't have an NTE5, though I'd be surprised.

Router despatched, counting down to Wednesday. I know I'm overexcited, but it's been almost 15 years of nagging to get to this stage.





The one-and-only downside to this upgrade is that I lose the ability to just hook a car battery to the router on the rare occasion we have an extended power cut.

Used to be almost a weekly occurrence out here, now maybe 1-2 times a year, though it was great on the odd occasion we've been snowed in and without mains power for several days, but been able to continue working from home.

Small generator to run the boiler and some other bits, small inverter for delicate mains stuff, car battery for the router = business as usual.

I feel a cheap data SIM in the offing - though of course, the only network I get out here is Vodafone!