Croydon Flat - New Broadband Connection Hell

I moved into a flat on Monday and need to get broadband up an running.

None of the compare broadband sites recognise my Post Code except for uSwitch which says that I can get Virgin Fibre or only BT ADSL. Go to the Virgin Media website and it also doesnt even recognise my post code.

So to summarise the above, apparently my only option is BT ADSL and the website states "Average speed 10Mb".

So this is very disappointing news - I am literally in the center of major town on the outskirts of the capital city [censored].....

What makes it even more confusing is that there is a fibre cable coming into the property and that goes into a Global Invacom box with 4 coax cables coming out of it. I have contacted various parties (mamagement company, landlord's management company etc.) and no one can tell me what it is for.

Also, all the WiFi APs i can detected are almost universally Sky with a couple of TalkTalk's also.

Any advice anyone can offer?

Thanks in advance.

Only BT ADSL? Not Sky or TalkTalk ADSL? Would expect both LLU providers on most Croydon area exchanges.

How new is the flat? The ultimate answer depends a lot on what the actual postcode is, and whether the result from uswitch was genuine, that Virgin themselves say no suggests it may be a default we don't understand the postcode response.

Anyone else in the block with a phone line and broadband? You mention seeing Wi-FI keys but that might be other buildings

Have you called BT directly?

If you are seeing strong sky/talktalk signals, give them a call also.

It is likely the address is taking time to reflect on the system if a new build.

I assume there is more than one flat in the block so have you tried talking to any of your neighbours as to what broadband they get?

Can you post a picture of that Global Invacom box and the cable.

Sounds like a coax feeding TV / satellite sockets around your flat to me, not a fibre,

mcompton69

You need to post your postcode so people can check what is happening. You need to use the BT checkerto see what you can get, the results will give other info also that helps people give you better info.

use the postcode only then pick the address and post the results without the address detail but with the exchange and cab details.

Hi,

Global Invacom uses fibre for the IRS system and which is used for communal reception of the dish/aerial.

Thanks to everyone who has replied, some really useful info. I will try to answer all the points you've raised...

Firstly, this is not a building but a fairly recent refurb (office to residential c2016 i think?)

Not phoned anyone yet, am i more likely to get more accurate info through BT than other providers? Will i be able to switch to a better service without penalty if a better service is actually available?

Only uSwitch show anything, postcode not recognised as i mentioned before, but i also find it odd that not all the other ADSL providers are listed - I assume they are available if BT ADSL is. But i think i am only interested in BT/Sky and possibly Plusnet who I think are the cheapest from my searches so far.

The WiFI AP's i can see are probably in building due to distances to other buildings across a car park, which do not appear to be residentaial and strong signals. Probably neighbours using Sky so they get TV also as rooms are cabled with dual Sat points in multiple rooms (which i'm assuming is the use of the fibre box). But i cant afford and dont want sat TV, DVB-T is perfect for me. I'm only interested in fastest broadband.

@kitcat - Thanks for the DSLChecker link. Here are my results based on Post Code/Address: https://ibb.co/X7RK2GK

Is there a way i can check/test line or establish my phone number? I dont have a 'normal' wired phone, i could take one down to croydon, but thats more stuff to carry on train/tube. I'll not be driving down again until January. Is there a number i can ring from a line that has not billing/outgoing calls setup to determine the line number? This might help me get more accurate results in searching for a provider.

Thanks again, you lot are extremely knowledgeable!

mcompton

With the info provided we can see the Cabinet on Google maps and I cannot find any FTTC pair with it. ( or with Cab 58 which is just around the corner from 52)

As the building was an office block before it is highly unlikely that OR would have provided FTTC as it would have been served by leased lines and ISDN30.

Half the building is a different post code CR0 1NZ which indicates these are new postcodes and may be missing from some suppliers data.

Others on here may have more detailed info ( if witchunt posts believe his info)

The only way to improve the BB supply is to contact OR/Hyperoptic/Virgin/ANother and have a conversation about the change in use of the property and the fact that there are now 150+ flats with sub USO speeds that people may like to serve.with better speeds.. This conversation may need to include the management company of the building as improved speeds may be to their long term benefit as well.

£250 investment per flat may see higher rents being possible or the risk of lower ones with sub 10Mb speeds on the higher floors. Certainly they may be interested in a partnership with OR to improve there long term rent profile.

If you call you are likely to get a better response yes. In my experience BT are better at getting these strange / odd / not standard lines activated, but that's simply my limited experience.

As others have posted with these converts there is a chance no fibre is available. Give BT a ring and post back what info they give you... they might be able to at least let you know if fibre is available and give you the options. Ps calling does not mean you have to go with them

Edited by ukhardy07 (Sat 01-Dec-18 13:50:33)