Moving to BT Infinity

Hi all, looking at signing up as it's now been activated at my exchange, got a few questions.
1. What equipment (routers) is used, may have to go in the hallway so need to know if they can be fixed to the wall fairly easily.
2. I know there is traffic management on p2p but what about usenet?
3. Looking at taking the BT Vision option and wandering if they do a 'multiroom' offer like Sky do?
4.Any idea how long it takes from sign-up to installation?

Thanks for any help

Edited by deleted (Mon 16-Jan-12 20:48:53)

1. Openreach VDSL modem (assuming its FTTC you are getting), and a BT HomeHub3. The Openreach modem needs power and can be wall mounted. The HH3 is connected to this via an Ethernet cable, so can be up to 100m between the two devices.
2. http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10495... NewGroups are not managed according to the KFI
3. Currently not supported, might appear in future to exploit the extra bandwidth of Infinity
4. Assuming the local cabinet is fully commissioned, then usual couple of weeks

Very concise and helpful Andrew, thanks.
I know they provide the cable from the socket to the modem, but are they likely to provide me with a longer ethernet cable if I want the HH in the next room, or will I have to provide my own?

If you order the 'home wiring solution' they will supply and fit it for you.

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

If you order the 'home wiring solution' they will supply and fit it for you.

Any length of cable?

Up to 30m I think.

Uh uh!

Isn't the Home wiring solution just the data extension cable, to allow siting of the modem remotely from the master socket?

Not all cabinets attached to an exchange necessarily get connected, particularly in the early days.

Have you looked to see what the BT Wholesale checker says about your phone number?

No, not just that, HWS allows for a master socket shift (within reason) or NTE/extension swap.

Yes . But I was primarily concerned about the poster being told that with the HWS the engineer will supply and fit a long ethernet cable from the modem to the router. I don't think that is the case, or is it?

Edited by RobertoS (Tue 17-Jan-12 19:22:29)

1. You get the white openreach modem which can be wall mounted and will need to be close-ish to the master socket. You'll get a HomeHub3 as the router. It can also be wall mounted I believe. As it'll connect to the modem via ethernet, it can be placed anywhere in your home provided you can get the cable to it.

2. No management on Usenet. I've never experienced management on P2P either

3. No

4. Less than 2 weeks usually.

Edited by orly (Tue 17-Jan-12 19:49:07)

Well not got off to the best start.
Tried to place my order online tonight and got an error halfway through. Spoke to FOUR different people at BT who all gave me conflicting information. Was eventually told that, as my line rental is with Sky (not LLU) I would have to place an order for a new line, and then order the Infinity and Vision when this was complete, didnt seem right but the order went through ok.
Hope i've not made a big mistake!!

Edited by deleted (Tue 17-Jan-12 20:01:38)

You get the white openreach modem which can be wall mounted and will need to be close-ish to the master socket.

err, up to 30m away, via a data extension kit.

You'll get a HomeHub3 as the router. It can also be wall mounted I believe.

No I'm afraid it can't.

Not quite an ethernet cable, the cable used for data extension kits (internal or external grade) is just a 2 pair, but with high Cat5 twist on the pairs. The is used between the modem and the filter.

Is it worth me getting my own cables then?

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Not quite an ethernet cable, the cable used for data extension kits (internal or external grade) is just a 2 pair, but with high Cat5 twist on the pairs. The is used between the modem and the filter.

Exactly! The engineer will not install an ethernet cable between the modem and router, which is what was said to the OP.

I accept the cable itself could be used for ethernet, but not with the connectors that are expected on it for an HWS.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

You get the white openreach modem which can be wall mounted and will need to be close-ish to the master socket.

err, up to 30m away, via a data extension kit.

You'll get a HomeHub3 as the router. It can also be wall mounted I believe.

No I'm afraid it can't.

Fair enough. We have a HH2 and it can't either. Thought I'd heard someone saying it could be but I guess not.

Why is the limit 30m btw?

I did wonder, but figured people who've seen an infinity install might know better.

30m cat5e patch cable only appears to be £10 to £15 these days

Why is the limit 30m btw?

Cos that's the length supplied in the standard kit. I believe there was a post long ago now saying they could be joined if necessary.

In reply to a post by steadyeddie:

Is it worth me getting my own cables then?

Anybody? It's going to be about 7 metres from socket to modem and about 5 metres from modem to HH so is it worth buying decent quality cable or just stick to what BT provide?

Socket to modem, engineer should be able to sort that.

Modem to HH, get your own cable, CAT5E ethernet patch is what you want. The HH3 probably will just arrive with a standard 2m ethernet cable.

As Andrew says, or you could get the engineer to install the socket for the modem near where you want the router, and then the standard ethernet cable with the router will be fine to connect to the modem. The modem and router each need a power socket of course.

Edited by RobertoS (Wed 18-Jan-12 00:45:39)

ophhs i ment to put it in the other bt infinity post !

sorry !

Edited by deleted (Wed 18-Jan-12 10:33:11)

In reply to a post by Johnct:

before andrew deleted his post he said "youcan get one for £10 to £15 these days"

?
This one?

you can get one for about £4.50 from a well known bidding website

Decent quality 7m cables: Here

10m cables: Here

At sensible prices and colours to match the decor! And I can recommend Kikatek as a small company with good prices and the right attitude.

Edited by MHC (Wed 18-Jan-12 12:12:40)

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Not quite an ethernet cable, the cable used for data extension kits (internal or external grade) is just a 2 pair, but with high Cat5 twist on the pairs. The is used between the modem and the filter.

Ethernet can run over 2 pairs - the cables I have seen are Cat5e 2 pair solid conductor infrastructure type. Is it still supplied with an RJ11/12 connector at one end and a socket to connect at the other?

Will something cheap like THIS do for the modem to HH or would it be better to pay a bit more for better quality.

Edited by deleted (Wed 18-Jan-12 13:19:42)

It should be OK but not a company I have come across. Their price for a 50M cable at £6 is VERY low ...

Maybe pay a little more and go for a Cables to Go lead. Free postage but may take a day or tow more to arrive.

And buy a few extra as you never know when you may need one.

Just one other thing, i've got to wait until the 1st Feb for my line to be transferred back before I can order the BB and Vision, i'm assuming it will then be another 2 weeks before these are in place?
I cant understand why it takes so long for the line to be transferred and why it needs to be done at all, after all it's still a BT line, I just pay line rental to Sky

I think it's to allow time for the losing CP, who gets notified when the new provider orders the transfer, to contact you and get a response confirming you desire the move. Several phone rental movers have reported such communications from the losing CP.

It's an anti-slam thing, as if you reply that you don't want to move, they can block the transfer.

Was told that over 30m can create problems, I do now if you artificially attenuate a line, for instance add 40db load on the line, the kit I use fits between the DSL out port of the filter and the tester, then any use of the PSTN side of the filter will cause errors and loss of sync. So I suppose some boffin has found this to be the limit at which it can start to degrade things.

Though as Bob says, the original data extension kits were in pre made 5, 10 and 30m lengths, it now just comes on a reel, and we fit the RJ11's ourselves.

Ethernet can run over 2 pairs

I'm sure it can, but Openreach only use 1 of the pairs.

Is it still supplied with an RJ11/12 connector at one end and a socket to connect at the other?

No, you get a bag of RJ11's and a crimping tool. The cable now terminates in faceplate filter, and you fit the plug to go straight in to the VDSL modem.

I use the cable with RJ11s at both ends for the short filter to modem link - have done for a while and when on ADSL found it gave a better sync over and above the flat cable supplied resulting in an extra 500kbps.