Gigaclear

Does anyone have experience of Gigaclear installations.

I have been asked to help a friend with his equipment - power, LAN, &c but Gigaclear are not too helpful up front.

Do they have an outside Customer Service Point and an Internal ONT? If so, do they limit the separation?

Apparently, they will not routinely do any work, including feeding cables through a hole, more than 3m above the ground - unless you pay a large premium. Is that true?

They will run up to 100m from the street box - which in this case will need to be underground. How do they do that? Dig? Mole?

Any restrictions on where it can go - if teh 3m rule is correct then the garage is teh next best option.


Comments please.

Having seen their installations in Braintree. They tend to dig a tench in the middle of a foot path and then feed everyone off that in a street.

Can't comment on the 3m above ground premium.

Their Twitter team tend to be really good at helping.

They installs tend to be very "Virgin Media" in type with a fibre termination box externally which then feeds an internal socket.

Edited by Bryer (Tue 29-Nov-22 12:59:39)

Thanks, unfortunately this is not a "standard" installation!

It is a single house in the middle of no where! They cut their trench down the middle of the road and put an access point on the verge ready for the house to be connected. From there to the house in 60m of lawn or hard packed drive - no walls, no path ...

They will probably ask your friend to dig the 60m across their lawn but will supply the duct

This might be helpful: Gigaclear_Wholesale_Gigaclear_Installation_2018_v1_b791d4d7f0.pdf

In particular, it says "Technicians are not permitted to work above a height of 5m".

Thats what I have been after ...

Reading briefly, they will dig a trench - which is fine although it may be 60m of gravel and soil with NO obstructions such as walls. The 3m I had been told about is actually 5m - that will make it reasonable too. It should give two options - a bedroom where teh current hub is located or a garage..

3m would me - no first floo, but 5m makes it possible.

I had a Gigaclear installation seven years ago. There is a pot (Like one for water) on the boundary where I asked it to be put. In the pot there is a little junction box.

My installation was a DIY effort, unlike all my neighbours. Gigaclear supplied an installation kit which included a 50m cable with plugs on each end, and some bits for making it easy for a cable to come up an outside wall and into the house via a hole. I dug a trench about 10" deep and ran the fibre cable in a blue water pipe which was easy to buy. The cable goes in a copper water pipe up the side of my 2 storey house then through the soffit to my attic where the other end plugs into the Gigaclear router.

I used the copper pipe because the upper half of my house is covered in tiles and there was no easy way to attach the fibre cable to it.

The main rules for installing the cable are not to bend it to much and not to take the caps of the end so that the ends get dirty.

A couple of years ago I had the router put into bridge mode so that I could use my own Pfsense then Opnsense router.

If Gigaclear or their contractor won't do what your friend wants and DIY is not an option then maybe someone else can be found. You could ask Gigaclear if they will provide a suitable cable and maybe an installation kit like they used to supply

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

I had a Gigaclear installation seven years ago. There is a pot (Like one for water) on the boundary where I asked it to be put.

Cool. FYI, these are generally known as "toby boxes".

In reply to a post by candlerb:

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

I had a Gigaclear installation seven years ago. There is a pot (Like one for water) on the boundary where I asked it to be put.

Cool. FYI, these are generally known as "toby boxes".

That is what I always called them - slightly confused when the friend I will be helping referred to "thre Pot" ... then when I read the Gigaclear document IP75 linked to, they refer to the "connecton pot".

I found them to be pretty accommodating. For my installation they lifted and relaid about 5m of block paving, no trouble at all.

In reply to a post by MHC:

Thats what I have been after ...

Reading briefly, they will dig a trench - which is fine although it may be 60m of gravel and soil with NO obstructions such as walls. The 3m I had been told about is actually 5m - that will make it reasonable too. It should give two options - a bedroom where teh current hub is located or a garage..

3m would me - no first floo, but 5m makes it possible.

Be interested to know if they'll dig and duct the 60m from pot to house or if they simply spade-in a blown fibre tube direct in ground and leave it at that.

If you have a 60m long garden with no existing duct that a communications service could be installed into then just in the interests of being future proof it's probably time to hire a mini digger for a weekend.

At least I have a bit more of an idea about what they will/will not do. Either way would do, although at one point it will need to be well down - part of drive to be scraped and graded.

In reply to a post by MHC:

At least I have a bit more of an idea about what they will/will not do. Either way would do, although at one point it will need to be well down - part of drive to be scraped and graded.

Unless your friend decides to take it upon themselves like @jpm suggests (good future proofing, but comes with upfront expense /hassle which may not be forthcoming)...

Then you'll only find out I dare say when their subby turns up on the actual day - and what mood / frame of mind the engineers are in 😎

Have just found out that there is a "pre-install inspection" now scheduled where it will be agreed. I believe friends pushed for it after a discussion with them,

The best way. All parties (hopefully) clear ahead of time. 👍

Hi

Just had Gigaclear install their 900/900 service. On the appointed day the install team turned up asked me where the service was to be installed to. I wanted a second floor at the rear of the property. which is approx 75 m from the roadside box. They chanelled for the cable, drilled the wall installed the drop cable connected up and tested all at no additional cost.

The service is great and apart from one 24 hr period which the company emailed me advising of a reduction in line speed had no problems. Had voip phone installed at same time in all paying £56 month for 18 months with no price increases.

Their customer service leaves something to be inproved on.

If you can get their service go for it
.

In reply to a post by MHC:

Have just found out that there is a "pre-install inspection" now scheduled where it will be agreed. I believe friends pushed for it after a discussion with them,

How did that meeting/inspection go by the by @MHC?

It is scheduled for Thursday this week - I may be there, just depends on a long AM meeting and then drive back.

Got there today - late and found out what had happened.

Two Gigaclear staff turned up - to install, not survey.

Apparently they used a spade to cut a 100/150 mm deep slot in te ground and ran the fibre in a 10mm duct through that - unikely to be damaged but if it happens it is their isssue. Ran it just over 3 up a wall and into the house, exactly where required. Two of them there for 4 hours.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Be interested to know if they'll dig and duct the 60m from pot to house or if they simply spade-in a blown fibre tube direct in ground and leave it at that.

In reply to a post by MHC:

Got there today - late and found out what had happened.

Two Gigaclear staff turned up - to install, not survey.

Apparently they used a spade to cut a 100/150 mm deep slot in te ground and ran the fibre in a 10mm duct through that - unikely to be damaged but if it happens it is their isssue. Ran it just over 3 up a wall and into the house, exactly where required. Two of them there for 4 hours.

I guess the "pre-install inspection" was the two engineers having a smoke and a cuppa before they got the spades out.

Good that it was sorted to satisfaction.

You are lucky. I had installation on the 14th December. Still waiting for activation. Despite multiple support chats and telephone calls I still have no connection. Finally had ONE email. They will now look to resolve in January.
Only saving grace is that the original contract offer was 6 months free 900/900.