Choosing a Modem, Wiring & Location

We are finally within sight (I think) of fibre becoming available to us although I cannot find any sort of date. Our exchange is live but our cabinet (Acle4) not yet connected although they did disconnect the village telephones for nearly 2 weeks when they moled through the main phone cable putting in the power connection to the fibre box. It is now powered and has cooling fans humming quitely. The ducts have been cleared (little holes in the road dug & filled) although I am not certain if the fibre cable is yet in place.

So:

If he can be persuaded to move it at all will the engineer be prepared/allowed to fit the master socket to the overhead wire which comes across the road from the pole or is an external junction box required? The exiting lead from the pole is long enough, without a joint, to get into the house and reach the proposed new master socket location which is right next to where the lead will enter the house. The present location of the master socket required a black square connector box on the outside wall that connects the incoming cable to a lead that goes to the master socket.

Are there any safety considerations about where they will fit a master socket/modem? I am thinking of in wardrobes/ fitted cupboards etc.

As BT are, I understand, no longer supplying a separate modem and the master socket location is/ will be unsuitable for my wireless router I want a separate modem. I prefer this solution to a data extension lead as I am concerned about interference. I need to have routed the cable before the installation as I don't think that the engineer will want to crawl around my attic. I have looked on ebay and there are two different Openreach modems. Does it matter which I have. I have no idea what brand of equipment is in the street cabinet.

Chris

16:48 amended for clarity

Edited by chris52 (Sat 18-Jan-14 16:48:40)

In reply to a post by chris52:

I have looked on ebay and there are two different Openreach modems. Does it matter which I have. I have no idea what brand of equipment is in the street cabinet.

Get the Huawei as its hackable and you can see the connection information.

It apparently no longer matters with the latest firmwares but the old way to check was to look at RobertoS cabinet page here: http://www.robertos.me.uk/html/street_cabinets_etc.html

That should help you determine if its a Huawei or ECI street cabinet. But I would still get the Huawei if buying yourself from eBay.

If you have a BT Infinity installation and they still send an engineer (as my parents have next week) you can ask and see if they have modems on the van. You might be lucky

You mention BT re the modem, which implies you are going to get Infinity from BT Retail.

At the moment only BT Retail and Sky seem to be doing installations without the modem. Until that changes, if you go for any other ISP you will get an engineer install with a modem, and that should include the removal of the external master if that's what you have, and the installation of an internal NTE5 with filtered faceplate.

I don't know if any ISP will still be defaulting to engineer installs by the time you can order! It won't be long before it's just a question of a dangly filter or filtered faceplate (possibly as per the Openreach one) just like ADSLx is.

As Openreach offer four installation options to the ISPs, you should be able to negotiate an engineer visit, with modem, anyway.

I am the proud near neighbour of "a cabinet near a pub"!!!!!!

http://www.robertos.me.uk/html/bt_furniture_1.html

Post deleted by chris52

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

................... and that should include the removal of the external master if that's what you have.........................

I don't think that it is a master socket but rather just a connector. It has a black cover, is about 75mm square (guess) and appears open at the bottom where the cable loops in. The master socket is in the house and has the removeable faceplate that lets you get at the true master socket. It is not one of the fancy ones with the filter built in.

Similar to this?
If so, it's just a simple box to enclose crimped connections.

In reply to a post by chris52:

will the engineer be prepared/allowed to fit the master socket to the overhead wire which comes across the road from the pole or is an external junction box required? The existing lead from the pole is long enough, without a joint, to get into the house

The drop wire from the pole is not connected directly to an internal master socket, but goes via an external junction box, usually fitted under the eaves. Which sounds exactly like you already have. So, all the eng needs to do is fit a VDSL filter/faceplate to existing master or. maybe, move it to your desired location if it is different but that seems nearer, from what you say, to the point of entry than the existing master.

In reply to a post by panda:

Similar to this?
If so, it's just a simple box to enclose crimped connections.

Yes - the black one.