Hyperoptic install, in pictures

Found this blog post over at another site showing what to expect if you're lucky enough to have Hyperoptic available.

Two comments:

1 Gbps service that only tests at 94Mbps

and

A very cowboy install using Choc Blocs for Cat5e and phone connections.

In reply to a post by MHC:

1 Gbps service that only tests at 94Mbps

AFAIK the person selected their 100Mb offering.

Maybe, but the text on the page says:

It�s done! Strata SE1. FTTH. Up to 1Gb internet. Finally here.

From original forum -

Ah I only pay for 100mb/100mb, the 1gb/1gb option was a bit too pricey when I'd never come close to making use of it (yet!)

I can't believe how cheap and nasty it all looks. They've ran fibre to the apartment and then used a £30 1000LX media convertor to convert it to copper, almost defeating the point of originally using fibre. A cheaper and smarter way would be to just run cat6a to the apartment via the same route they've used for fibre, future proof for 10Gb/s if that's what they're after...

The "choc blocs" method is nasty as MHC has said. I also don't under why they've ran a patch cable from the media convertor, terminated it into an RJ45 wall module, then plugged another patch cable in and ran that to the router, pretty poor attempt at a demarcation point, adding more clutter to the whole setup.

I was expecting more from the much hyped Hyperoptic.

Post deleted by kkynaston

Connector block for cat5 connection, that is extremely poor.
So much so I'd complain and get them to come back and redo it.

In reply to a post by kkynaston:

Post deleted by kkynaston

Bah! I was waiting for the photo.

Yes, the pairs should be twisted together right up to the connection point.

Connector block (screw down connections) and solid cat 5 cable are definitely not friends, stranded only marginally better.
Give that connector block a wiggle and watch the cores snap off.
I'm surprised he even bothered with the brown and blue pairs as sure for 100 base-tx all four pairs aren't required and laziness is definitely the order of the day here.
God help you if you got cat6a presented to you instead, cat6a termination actually requires a brain for any hope in hell of getting 10GigE support.
I hope hyperoptic are paying this guy peanuts....If they upgraded their fee to cashews I might just have to do it properly to satisfy my ocd.

Those blocks are 10 or 15 A - normally used for 2.5mm CSA cable. The depression in the receptacle under the screw will be larger than two cores of Cat5e/Cat6/CW1308.

Screw terminals can be used, but should be te type where the solid core is wrapped around the screw under a washer which puts the pressure on.

One of the blocks is for a voice circuit and the moment a screw comes slightly loose the user will know!

I would give the installer 1/10 - only because he fitted the covers.

edit to add:

There is what looks to be inadequate protection around the incoming 230v supply. There are no warning signs on the outside of the box or on the inside.

The main box fixings are in the "electrical safe zones" - locations where cables can be installed and other fixings should be avoided.

I'll change the rating to 0/10

Edited by MHC (Sat 31-May-14 01:37:13)

This is very poor, not future proof, not the correct procedures and would void guarantees of equipment such as the TP Link converter due to it being installed in a sealed unit and dangerous as MHC said the exposed 230v mains no warnings...

In reply to a post by MHC:

A very cowboy install using Choc Blocs for Cat5e and phone connections.

The other pages on that blog are even "better".....if that is the word!
see:

http://damientombs.me.uk/misc/how2strata/?p=103

I know, already seen those.

they can come and use connector blocks on mine if they are going to get 95Mbit out of a 100Mbit service.

Everyone moaning and criticising but it appears to have had no impact whatsoever on the connection ROFL.

Hmm that is a little messy...

B4RN's installs are better as they use a splicing tray and all-in-one fibre terminal.

I thought that Hyperoptic was FTTB and then Gbit Ethernet into the flats, so I'm surprised to see an install like this.

In reply to a post by Alnath:

they can come and use connector blocks on mine if they are going to get 95Mbit out of a 100Mbit service.
Everyone moaning and criticising but it appears to have had no impact whatsoever on the connection ROFL.

Given that its a 1Gb capable fibre connection direct to the flat they are actually getting 95mbps out of a 1gig connection.......So its hardly stressing the infrastructure.
I'd be impressed if they managed to get 995Mbps out of it though!
.and as others have said I likewise thought that Hyperoptic were only Fibre to the basement.

Maybe fine today ... but in a month or three ...

In reply to a post by zom22:

.and as others have said I likewise thought that Hyperoptic were only Fibre to the basement.

The source thread states that the flats had fibre installed into each flat when they were originally built.

Link

In reply to a post by zom22:

.and as others have said I likewise thought that Hyperoptic were only Fibre to the basement.

They have no choice but to use fibre if the run between basement switch and apartment is over 100m.

In reply to a post by Ignitionnet:

In reply to a post by zom22:

.and as others have said I likewise thought that Hyperoptic were only Fibre to the basement.

They have no choice but to use fibre if the run between basement switch and apartment is over 100m.

Could just put a sub-cab in a riser like they do in most apartment buildings.

If you read the FAQ on their website the router they supply tops out at 829 Mbps, for anything higher the PC has to be connected directly to the ethernet port and be capable of handling the speed.

Depending on the situation they will use PON, active fibre as here, or copper.

I am surprised they are using active fibre here actually.

I have their one gig service and I've never seen it go higher than about 600mbit/sec. To be honest though at that speed everything is fast enough.

I have managed to get close to 1gig every now and then.

From looking closely, I don't think the mess in the ONT box (especially the electrical safety) is of HyperOptic's doing. There's clearly a load of coax in there too. The dodgy 240V connector isn't actually supplying owt. And as there's a wrap with the label "Fisual" around the TP cable that's joined at a choccy block, I think that's carrying A/V, not data.

It looks like HyperOptic added another box above the ONT box for their media converter. Wise people.

Looks like the builders are the ones to blame.

I tend to agree, I suspect the builders had to fit a box and power supply.The only thing in that box to do with Hyperoptic is the yellow fibre cable.

The choc blocks look like some sort of phone extension, one side goes to the master socket, the other two cables go in to the wall.

Edited by R0NSKI (Tue 03-Jun-14 18:47:07)

Wow! Shocking install.

I'd have them back to make good and safe.

Bad practise, poor quality and I'll make sure they never get within 1km of any buildings I manage & have any involvement with...

Like I said, look closely at the pictures, deduce what was there before and what HyperOptic installed, and the re-consider who's responsible for this disaster. HyperOptic's addition is the box on top, which is 100% safe.

In reply to a post by mpellatt:

Like I said, look closely at the pictures, deduce what was there before and what HyperOptic installed, and the re-consider who's responsible for this disaster. HyperOptic's addition is the box on top, which is 100% safe.

Agreed, The block is being used for the voice services, there us a hole in the back of the box, if you trace the cables from the routers they don�t go in to the blocks.

Looks like a new build where the builders have pre run CAT5 and Coax.

Fibre should be fed via a wall mounted fibre splice tray but i don�t think the installer is responsible for all that mess!

On closer inspection you would appear correct however I still take issue with the install.

The lower box looks like it was installed by the builders. It looks like the builders can't cut a cable tie to save there lives...

The upper box;

I can't see the splice joints so will presume there are unprotected. (though I hope they have there heat shrink wrap at least...)

Unprotected fibre to the connectors on the media converter. When I say 'unprotected' I mean the jacket has been removed, or the wrong pig-tales have been spliced.

Excess fibre just in the bottom of the box

Where does the yellow fibre come from? The hole in the back of the lower box, or somewhere else?

The media converter is stuck to the back box by Velcro strips by the looks of it. Give it 6 months and it will probably fall into the bottom of the box.

If that was the install at my house they wouldn't have left site with it in that state - If I went out and presented someone a 1Gig line like that I'd be out of a job before I'd booked my weekly time sheet.

I will end this by saying - *IF* that box is restricted to Hyper and there are *NO* user serviceable parts inside which would require an EU to access the box once closed then the install can be what ever it wants to be - it doesn't however look very good on the company, or the individual installer...

Hi all

Just wanted to add that the installation shown in the original post is not our usual installation methodology, we were asked by the building to make use of existing infrastructure.

Although this demonstrates our flexibility and responsiveness, I am happy to share images of our standard installations.

You're welcome to email me directly [email protected]

Best wishes

Sunita
Head of Marketing

Feel free to show me an install in person on my wall, Sunita

In reply to a post by Ignitionnet:

Feel free to show me an install in person on my wall, Sunita

Happy to send a Hyperoptic engineer over to you however depends on where your wall is geographically located!

Sunita
Head of Marketing*

*excludes in person installations

In reply to a post by Hyperoptic:

... I am happy to share images of our standard installations.

Are you going to post some to the thread?

In reply to a post by Spud2003:

Are you going to post some to the thread?

I hope to! Watch this space....

Sunita

So how about you post some photos of a typical install here for everyone...

You have just sent flyers to one of my buildings and I've only been able to tell people to look at your rather empty website, or this forum thread...

For the sake of good customer service you may wish to correct the myth that all your install are carried out in the same way.

Any other happy customers on here care to share there pic's of the install ?

I have just asked the rep from here via private message to provide a public link to, or forum posts showing there 'typical' install...

Oh OK ... cool, let me know if you get anything please

PM Them last night - no reply. They have not bothered to come back to this forum and address the point other people have made. I'm almost ready to say I've seen enough and they stand no chance... If there is still no reply tomorrow I'll send them an email to there marketing address.

To be honest they look like a flash in the pan, bit like some of the other cowboys I've had the displeasure of dealing with in the past few year..

Hi,

With each install Hyperoptic complete, we treat each development on an individual basis, working closely with building management to cater to their separate needs and requirements and utilising existing infrastructure wherever possible. This allows us to ensure there is minimum disruption to residents and the local environment. For that reason there is not a �typical� install as each install is tailored to the development.

Thanks,
Dami

Ok - so based on the fact this quality of the install in the thread appeared to be so poor have you any details of a 'better' install?

There is no way you will get any support or interest from this building till people have seen the quality of your work.

Sounds very evasive to me

If we arranged to see a couple of flats and get Hyperoptic to open up some ONT boxes for photos would you be happy?

The use of a media converter is not that unusual for FTTB type builds and I know plenty of expensive broadcast operations using these things 24/7 with no issues.

Reading deeper into the blog that this long thread started it looks like the Ethernet mess may actually have been left by the original builders for when people wanted to connect up sockets already in the flat and TV/FM wiring in the box too.

The choc blocks if you look at http://damientombs.me.uk/misc/how2strata/?p=103 are suggested to be the result of original flat builders.

Yep that would be great - there was a rep from Hyper who I did PM but no reply and no reply here either.

I accepted the lower box in the original post was installed by the builders - I'm more interested in the point I raised about the Hyper install, the unprotected fibre and the general state of things.

It not the use of media converters - I have hundreds of them out in service without issue as well, but I don't tend to mount mine with velcro tape and leave the fibre flapping about in the box. I'm sure you understand my issues over the general quality of what's been shown and it would be nice to know actually things are to a higher standard in general and they take there operation seriously.

If you could pop some photos up with this or maybe a fresh thread that would be nice as I know there are a couple of other people on here who are interested to see the results for them selves.

Hello IamQ!

Apologies for the delay, I've been on leave for a couple of weeks however I'll contact Andrew now and see if we can arrange site access for the TBB team.

I have some images for installations that I will post a link to this week.

Sunita

Interesting that the promise of pictures was made and two years later, still not pictures

Too much congestion to upload pics mate.

In reply to a post by cnnryng:

Interesting that the promise of pictures was made and two years later, still not pictures

Indeed.

I stumbled on this thread because I was trying to find images of Hyperoptic installations. I am a bit anal when it comes to having cables visible on walls etc, I've never once, anywhere, seen a cable TV or dish installation which I would consider acceptable for my house.

In reply to a post by IamQ:

To be honest they look like a flash in the pan

Seemingly not.

But not in my part of West London yet, and even when they are it doesn't look as if they'll be doing FTTP on an individual house basis.

(off topic) ... but you�re not the Hans Delbruck are you ?

it doesn't look as if they'll be doing FTTP on an individual house basis.

Three years ago Hyperoptic were more than happy to supply our development of 39 low rise flats and 36 mews style houses. There would have been two FTTP "hubs" with distribution to the various flats and houses via gigabit ethernet. For a number of reasons we chose not to proceed.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

(off topic) ... but you�re not the Hans Delbruck are you ?

I've a hunch I might be.

In reply to a post by MCM:

(with my emphasis)
Three years ago Hyperoptic were more than happy to supply our development of 39 low rise flats and 36 mews style houses. There would have been two FTTP "hubs" with distribution to the various flats and houses via gigabit ethernet. For a number of reasons we chose not to proceed.

Apologies - when I said "an individual house" I meant "an individual house already existing in an urban area"

My fathers work was do-do.

Each house was individual but part of a terrace. All pre-existing having been built in 1989 and the discussion with Hyperoptic were in 2014/15.

Generally a satellite dish installation is not a thing of beauty, not sure what would be expected in this case to make it acceptable.

Hyperoptic was flexible enough when cabling ours. They did not do any concealed installations, which I think is understandable but when we requested it, they left plenty of cable on a coil hidden in a conduit so that our builder could use that. Now the cable is completely hidden behind architraves and skirting boards. Hyperoptic did not do this but they were as helpful as they possibly could.

In reply to a post by MCM:

Each house was individual but part of a terrace. All pre-existing having been built in 1989 and the discussion with Hyperoptic were in 2014/15.

OK - I misconstrued what you said, I thought you were involved in the development of that housing.

OOI, I assume you must have got a number of residents on board, or else Hyperoptic would not have bothered to enter into discussions. Putting to one side the fact that it didn't progress (did they ever say why?), what sort of property numbers were needed for them to be initially interested?

In reply to a post by hvis42:

Generally a satellite dish installation is not a thing of beauty, not sure what would be expected in this case to make it acceptable.

1. Mount it as high as possible - not every house has a chimney, but if it does...
2. Take the cable(s) from it into the house right where it is mounted - a small drip loop is all that needs to be on show. Once inside the house it can all be concealed in the same way that your electrical cables are concealed.

Hyperoptic was flexible enough when cabling ours. They did not do any concealed installations, which I think is understandable

Would you be as understanding if an electrician said that he wasn't going to conceal any cables he installed for you?

but when we requested it, they left plenty of cable on a coil hidden in a conduit so that our builder could use that. Now the cable is completely hidden behind architraves and skirting boards. Hyperoptic did not do this but they were as helpful as they possibly could.

I would fully expect to pay more, or be responsible, for cabling inside my house. My main concern about FTTP is the exterior mess that seems to be acceptable.

Retro fitting a satellite dish with for example an entry point in the roof and chased cabling down to the ground floor is not a cheap or easy job to do.

So while this is the standards you hold, many people will not be able to afford the labour costs involved. The same happens when people ask for extension sockets e.g. price will vary according to whether surface mount trunking or chased cabling is wanted.

In a new build the situation is different as trunking can be positioned ahead of time for the services that are expected.

The trick in most houses is that the interior walls are stud partitions. Consequently with the right drill bit (aka a very long one) and a bit of floor lifting you can get from the loft to the ground floor inside without damaging the decor in the majority of homes. If you have a suspended timber floor then moving around the ground floor is nice and easy too. If it is slab on grade then things do get a bit more complicated.

A lot of modern houses are dot and dab plasterboard on exterior walls. Again with the right tool (aka a very long drill bit) it is possible to get a new cable down the back of the plasterboard without damaging the decoration.

With the right tool most jobs are easy. That said in my house all the walls (including the internal upstairs walls) are either brick or breeze block and everything had to be channelled into the walls. Still happened because visible cabling is yuk, though the labour was all free as it was DIY and a full refurbishment to bring the house up to date.

And for installers it is a lot easier to run a cable down an external wall and clip it on than it is to do all that internally. All the extra labour would have to be paid for and many providers probably wouldn't even give that as an option.

In reply to a post by jabuzzard:

The trick in most houses is that the interior walls are stud partitions.

Work of the devil, like trussed roofs.

Consequently with the right drill bit (aka a very long one) and a bit of floor lifting you can get from the loft to the ground floor inside without damaging the decor in the majority of homes.

Good luck pulling cables through the holes in the noggins which your long drill bit made

If you have a suspended timber floor then moving around the ground floor is nice and easy too.

Depends how big the space is, and what it's like - it may be neither nice nor easy to move about down there.

That said in my house all the walls (including the internal upstairs walls) are either brick or breeze block

Quite right too.

visible cabling is yuk

Putting to one side the fact that it didn't progress (did they ever say why?)

We chose not to proceed. There were a number of reasons for this. Cost (at that time Hyperoptic wanted a contribution, this has most likely changed), the external nature or the wiring, the lack of choice of ISP. We had an alternative and cheaper offer from Openreach to install an AIO cab for our exchange lines. This was the preferred option for the majority of the property owners, cheaper, no external cabling, choice of ISP.

what sort of property numbers were needed for them to be initially interested

As I think I have already stated, 75, 39 flats and 36 houses. For all intents and purposes all properties were "on board".

Cannot be bothered quoting all those points however;

Stud parition walls can be great and IMO are better than "boomin" concrete block sitting on top of the floorboards nicely bowing the joists over time that many houses built in the 60-80's have. Granted most builders do a pee poor job in construting them. However, when they are constructed correctly with either timber nogged correctly or metal, and then filled with Rockwool or equivalent and having sound board or just a heavier plasterboard they perform super, and much better than concrete in all areas apart from bolting something to the wall. Add resilient bars and jobs even better.

Noggins: You get through the noggin by removing a wall socket and the pattress box and drilling at an angle, easy, just make sure you keep some distance between power cable and audio / data. Access rods and / or magent can be used to fish the wire down

Suspended wooden floor: You don't get in to the crawl space yourself (well you could do if it's big enough), however again you pull a couple of boards up (or make some access holes if it's particle board) and then using fish wire or access rods you can work way through. You can get caught out by dwarf walls, but a couple of smashes with the rod will usually disloge a brick. If not pull up the floor near the dwarf wall.

I find fishing wires through floor (or wall if you have enough opening space) can be easier to do with the top part of plastic pipe conduit.

Thermalite block is more of a annoyance than plasterboard I find for fixing stuff to. Pain in the arris.

Lifting floors isn't so easy depending on the type of flooring that has been put down. This is why I fished a bunch of cat5e cables under our kitchen BEFORE having the Karndeen laid. We have tiles/karndeen/laminates in all but one ground floor room now and I would seriously not want to be lifting any of that as it would cost many £100s to put right after (if not £1000s).

Obviously if it is just carpet then it is much simpler and I concur.

My comments were related to the sub floor only, yes, if you don't have access to it then you are stuck.

One option could be to use the air bricks and the gaps down the side of the sub floor (behind skirting once removed) if the floor cannot be taken up. Might be tricky but it's how plumbers get new copper pipes under the floor (using air bricks) as obviously you cannot bend copper for a long run.

Edited by gary333 (Wed 06-Nov-19 10:08:40)

I would fully expect to pay more, or be responsible, for cabling inside my house. My main concern about FTTP is the exterior mess that seems to be acceptable.

I guess going into this line of business would change things significantly for Hyperoptic and the others. People generally are very particular about aesthetic things in their homes. As soon as they went into this business, they would need an army of builders, painters, carpenters etc. slowing installations down with endless powwows with homeowners about the choice of paint and materials etc. and handling complaints of substandard redec work. It would only take the most pedantic 1% of customers to bring their business to a complete standstill.

Which means this part customers probably should keep doing themselves - but as I wrote, if you take this route instead of their bulk standard installation, they try to be as flexible as they can. They even offered to schedule the installation to such a time when our builder was there had we wanted this so that their engineer is there doing the cabling.

Not sure what you mean about external cabling. Our Hyperoptic installation does not have a single external cable. Fibre comes to the building in underground conduits. We have two buildings with flats in each of them. They dug a conduit under the courtyard to conceal cables between buildings. All cabling to the flats go in risers. I guess if no risers are available, they are left with no other option but to do it externally. If there is a conduit or a riser, they were happy to use it and we did not have to pay them anything for that or the courtyard digging either.

Curiously, in our building, BT lines seem to be external. There is some kind of a gadget or thing on one of the external walls and all BT lines come from that.

I don't think FTTP means external cabling if there is a reasonable alternative available. If residents do not demand it or the building is managed by non-residents/council who do not care, it might be a different thing. In our case I managed the installation and I never had to argue with them about anything. They offered external cabling first, I said no and suggested using existing conduits and some digging between buildings and they were fine with that. They just sent engineers to survey the risers and the courtyard and then another team to do the digging.