ChefDude

For you guys out there with BT Infinity, when did the line go live on the VDSL? on activation date or before?

The engineer's coming round, but i assume that's just to put on a new face plate with embedded microfilter. not really necessary, or am i missing something?

kernel

It goes live when the engineer visits. Mine called me 15 mins before he arrived to tell me he was at the cab and my ADSL would do down. Then he came, swapped the faceplate on my master socket and plugged the BT modem on the line and it worked.

Shaun

As above... The engineer needs to activate your connection at the cab.

The faceplate is installed at your master socket and youre ready to go. Regardless of whether you want the faceplate or not, he has to fit it to your master socket. What you do afterwards is up to you though.

ChefDude

thanks chaps.

I shall have to go hunt out the bt modem, just in case i have problems with the draytek.

ChefDude

last check - is the new bt infinity faceplate still RJ11 - adsl sock style?

kernel

I had the original 512K ADSL when it first came out, before wires only installs and micro filters. The FTTC engineer simply swapped the faceplate for the FTTC one and used the original cables, phone and ADSL extension cable. So I guess they're all the same as before.

Shaun

The faceplate is the Openreach one, to basically remove the ring wire and it has a filter built in.

I removed it when he went and refitted my original back.... I have my modem upstairs.

boxst

Shaun ...

On that, I can't find my master socket ... but I think it is behind a shelf somewhere. I certainly do not want a modem there.

So after he has gone, I can fit his socket anywhere?

Shaun

Just refit your original faceplate to the socket he fits the new faceplate to and connect the modem to whatever socket you want to (with an appropriate filter). Basically do what you do now.

Depending on your internal wiring, this may or may not effect your performance. I live in a relative new build (15yrs old) so it does not cause me any issues using a different socket.

kernel

I thought with FTTC that the engineer would install an extension cable from the master socket. There is a length limit and they only run the cables around the skirting. I'm surprised the filters for FTTC and ADSL are the same. If they were I wonder why the engineer changed mine out?

ChefDude

my infinity VDSL was already online when the engineer called. he was a bit surprised to say the least.

turns out my wifi is slower than my line lol.

boxst

So why the big fuss? It doesn't seem as though it needs to be an engineer install? Just self-install like ADSL?

My house has great internal wiring, I get 19mb from my current ADSL not plugged into the master socket.

Shaun

He can install an extension cable, but I don't want an extension cable running up the stairs to my main PC in the office! The choice is yours though.

Don't mention Wi-Fi though as a solution.... it sucks with the type of speed the 40/2 service was capable of, let alone the new 80/20 service. CAT5 all the way baby!

A filter is a filter on a copper line. There is no reason why they wouldn't be the same.

Shaun

I wouldn't say it's a big fuss, more that BT are trying to offer a better service to the majority (the likes of you and I who will strive to get the best out of their set-ups are the minority imo). The install includes a remote socket if required and mounting of the hub to the wall (all done by the engineer). If you couple this with the faceplate install, they're trying to give an overall package.

kernel

I always believed a filter was a way of restricting frequencies. Is the range of frequencies different from ADSL to VDSL? Without checking I expect so. If the filter was restricting the signal to those only used by the service there is a reason why they are different. If on the other hand no signal suppression is used and the signal simply split for voice and xDSL then they can just as easily be the same. Maybe I was giving BT too much credit to engineer a 'proper' solution

Doesn't the engineer physically attach your line to the VDSL modem in the cab? Unless this and the process of installing the new modem aren't coordinated I bet there will be many a peeved customer who's ADSL has been turned off before the modem arrives. I suspect doing the cab and handing over the modem is a half way house but as the guy is there checking it all works seems good customer relations to me.

boxst

Yes, the engineer has to play around in the cabinet to connect your line to the other cabinet (sort of) so I guess they then want to finish the install.

I just don't really want the fuss of them coming to the house, doing work that I could do myself and will have to redo.

I agree with the comments about good customer service and making sure it works for the majority of people who have no clue about such things.

boxst

Arg! Run the checker today and put back until June 2012. It was 31st March up to yesterday.

ChrisB

When my FTTC was installed, the engineer rung to say he was ready to do the cabinet end and the line would go dead for a few minutes whilst he did the work. Then it was round to my house. The master socket had been in the lounge but he ran some new external cabling to make an upstairs extension, then made the lounge into extension.