Getting Vodafone to move the ONT

Hi All,

Any experience in this, all the research I've done so far seems to point to a reluctance from VF to do this (I've tried to contact them tonight, but can't get past "TOBI" so I've also sent them a message via Facebook)

I moved in here 3 years ago, its a refurb project (original kitchen from the 1980's) and the ONT is located in a kitchen cupboard, and the incoming fibre is nailed to the unit. The kitchen units need to go, therefore the ONT has to be moved. Interestingly, I appear to have no external box (not on the walls anywhere) and the routing appears to use the previous ducting installed by Virgin media, pops up right at the front of the house, then runs round the side. Its a dual cable (copper and fibre) with the copper part cut short.

I don't mind paying, but wondering if anyone has any tips on how to get the wheels in motion with Vodafone? I could buy a fibre optic extender, but that will still be compromised as I would need to run it under the kitchen units and through the wall.

Thanks All

In reply to a post by peahead:

the incoming fibre is nailed to the unit.

Reminds me of the tale from the days of GPO telephones, where a newly installed line was tacked neatly on the skirting and around the front of the piano.

I take it that the service is active. Is it Vodafone over Openreach or is it another Network Services Provider? Ultimately, if you can't get past TOBI, you may need to change ISP, because part of the purpose of systems like TOBI is to reduce costs by kicking difficult questions like yours into the long grass. [won't bore you with my experience of Voxi, a Vodafone brand]. You may need to try again at a time when they have real operators available.

Yes, service is fully active via openreach.

The fibre optic cable is actually tacked to the top of the skirting as well…

Agree on the TOBi thing, it is absolutely intended to put anyone off with a more difficult issue, whichever way I phrased the question it kept offering me the moving house services!

I’ll try again today although the Facebook team came back today and told me to ring them so I’ll try that this afternoon, wish me luck!

I haven't had to use VF support since they introduced the new system but after answering all the standard questions I have found typing in "I need to chat to a person" does get you through to a real agent. It then depends whether the agent you get knows what they are talking about.

When our FTTP was installed the phone wasn't working. The phone LED wasn't on so I assumed that VOIP hadn't been enabled. I got to chat to somebody who despite telling her the phone LED wasn't on, insisted that a BT - RJ11 adaptor would solve it and I couldn't use an RJ11-RJ11 cable. Waited for delivery and still didn't work. Contacted them again and got an agent that looked at the router setup, said it needed a firmware mod, which he did; after which the phone worked with my RJ11-RJ11 cable.

Not sure how that would work with this 'Just Ask Once' system where you are supposed to deal with the same agent every time you contact them about an issue.

Everything about your ont install sounds awful.

I would try calling and go via odd routes, like "i want to leave"or "tech support".

Well, I was expecting the worst, but the level of service was fantastic.

Called them, explained the situation, he then connected to my mobile phone and took photos/screenshots whilst I showed him the current installation.

Explained it then has to go to back office for approval and they would call me back within 24 hours. He seemed fairly confident based on what he had seen! Sure enough, call back within 24 hours (Same chap), its been approved, Openreach have xyz slots, which one do you want, booked in for next Tuesday.

He did say, I only get "1" ONT move, after that, they won't do it (Not sure if he meant 1 Free one, as I don't appear to have been charged)

So, I can't moan, as someone has highlighted, my inherited installation is terrible, in conjunction with a kitchen refurb I don't think they had any choice, it is literally inside of a kitchen cupboard, the fibre coming through the side of the exterior door, tacked to the top of the skirting!


Thanks all for the responses.