Eir rural FTTH thread II

Burger7A

Dominique Loud Waistband wrote: »

The installer is not meant to go into an attic. He may be happy for you to go into the attic and pull the cable to where it is required.

The ducting, if you want to install it, would have to go from the hole in the external wall in your home to wherever the cable is needed.

Thanks for that Dominique Loud Waistband.

medoc

Finally some potential action around here. There are red arrows pointing downwards spray painted today on some poles. These are where the existing copper cable goes underground past some houses. Rather worryingly my house is along a run of poles the other side of an existing short underground run (under esb lines) and there is no red arrows at that gap. Should I be worried?

cnocbui

medoc wrote: »

Finally some potential action around here. There are red arrows pointing downwards spray painted today on some poles. These are where the existing copper cable goes underground past some houses. Rather worryingly my house is along a run of poles the other side of an existing short underground run (under esb lines) and there is no red arrows at that gap. Should I be worried?

If your house is designated on the rollout map, I would think you will be included.

medoc

cnocbui wrote: »

If your house is designated on the rollout map, I would think you will be included.

Yes, showing as first half of 2019 (it was 2nd half of 2018 till recently). But until it’s installed and I’ve speed tested it I’ll still be nervous lol.

Roen

Roen wrote: »

No DP on the pole. No install. Ah well, the waiting game starts anew.

So got a call, was told that my new installation date is penned in for the 22nd of March. But to quote the person on the phone "we're normally way quicker than that."

babi-hrse

Seamu$ wrote: »

Fibre became available at our house this month, ordered from Eir, KN worker has just done the survey & advised it will have to be via overhead cable to the house as the poles are on the opposite side of the road. The old copper lines to the house are underground and I was really hoping they could utilise those ducts rather than go overhead.

KN guy thinks we could now be waiting a long time as planning permission may be needed to bring cable underground across the road. He will send a report but didn't see any options to bring cable overhead across the road & then tap in to existing ducts. One potential help is that in the area, 10 houses are on our side of the road and only 1 on the other, per attached pic.

Any advise from experience, could this issue involve a huge delay, or is it something that might get resolved promptly? Will it depend how many of the other 9 houses sign up?!

Thanks

You could opt for a private pole on your side to bring overhead cable to your property then run your duct to that.
Private duct going across public property I can't see that getting done in a hurry they have to go through the council for that one and there's no gaurentee the issue is past your property unless you know for certain it's a straight duct and measured out the reel.

Cushtie

Well after such a long wait things are happening now at last. The fibre cable was run a few weeks ago on the poles and the Eir rep called to the house the other night telling me all was good to go. I put in the order there and then and have an install date of next Thursday morning.

Spent the morning running a pull rope through the duct (2 to be sure to be sure!!). Had to get a cobra to pull the rope and it was touch and go for a while as there seemed to be a blockage but I got it through eventually.
Also drilled a hole from the outside distribution box on the house into the hallway so should be fingers crossed an easy enough install for the KN Installer.

I went for the 300mb package. I'm currently on 3mb.....

The wife says she hasn't seen me this happy in years. Hoping all goes well now for the install.

babi-hrse

Cushtie wrote: »

Well after such a long wait things are happening now at last. The fibre cable was run a few weeks ago on the poles and the Eir rep called to the house the other night telling me all was good to go. I put in the order there and then and have an install date of next Thursday morning.

Spent the morning running a pull rope through the duct (2 to be sure to be sure!!). Had to get a cobra to pull the rope and it was touch and go for a while as there seemed to be a blockage but I got it through eventually.
Also drilled a hole from the outside distribution box on the house into the hallway so should be fingers crossed an easy enough install for the KN Installer.

I went for the 300mb package. I'm currently on 3mb.....

The wife says she hasn't seen me this happy in years. Hoping all goes well now for the install.

Is there a power socket next to that location?

Cushtie

babi-hrse wrote: »

Is there a power socket next to that location?

Yep. The current DSL Modem is plugged in there.

DubInTheWest

I finally got my access point set up on Saturday. It wasn't as straight forward as I'd hoped with running the cable from one end of the house to the other via the attic due to the attic being very low but got there in the end and all is perfect.

I'm using an archer c9 router as the access point and previously during testing I hit around 360mbs via 5ghz. Now that everything is done and dusted, with the eir router down one end of the house and the access point down the other, now with a speed test I'm hitting 505mbs over wireless 5ghz which is really great. It's very disappointing that eir would give out the f2000 with such low 5ghz speeds, the max I hit with that over 5ghz is 220mbs.

One minor thing I noticed is, if I have say a phone connected to the access point, if I go down the other side of the house, it's like it has to disconnect from the access point and takes a few seconds to connect to the eir router. It's minor because most devices are stationed either end of the house but I do notice it with my phone. I have both ssids the same, channels different, dhcp off and they are on the same subnet so I don't think I can do anything to prevent the disconnect.

All in all everything is running pretty smooth.

babi-hrse

DubInTheWest wrote: »

I finally got my access point set up on Saturday. It wasn't as straight forward as I'd hoped with running the cable from one end of the house to the other via the attic due to the attic being very low but got there in the end and all is perfect.

I'm using an archer c9 router as the access point and previously during testing I hit around 360mbs via 5ghz. Now that everything is done and dusted, with the eir router down one end of the house and the access point down the other, now with a speed test I'm hitting 505mbs over wireless 5ghz which is really great. It's very disappointing that eir would give out the f2000 with such low 5ghz speeds, the max I hit with that over 5ghz is 220mbs.

One minor thing I noticed is, if I have say a phone connected to the access point, if I go down the other side of the house, it's like it has to disconnect from the access point and takes a few seconds to connect to the eir router. It's minor because most devices are stationed either end of the house but I do notice it with my phone. I have both ssids the same, channels different, dhcp off and they are on the same subnet so I don't think I can do anything to prevent the disconnect.

All in all everything is running pretty smooth.

I think that's why you need a meshed network.
You will get disconnects when moving from one to the other. I was talking to a chap who works for ianrod eireann who told me the trains have this issue too as it moves along the track constantly authenticating sessions before going out of range and picking up another

tuxy

I'd say this is an issue with cheaper devices, I don't have a mesh network but have two Unifi APs and my devices move between them so fast I don't notice. Maybe i would notice if I was in the middle of Skype call but I've not tried that yet.

DubInTheWest

To be honest I don't think I'm even going out of range, I'd say I have a blanket of very strong signal all through the house now. I haven't tried it with 2.4ghz so I'm not sure if this only happens with the 5ghz or both ghz frequencies. As I said it's very very minor and 9/10 I wouldn't notice it. But if I was typing on here and then moved down the other side of the house and refreshed it would take maybe 15 seconds to connect to the other router/access point.

I'm going to consider getting rid of the f2000 totally. 200mbs as opposed to over 500mbs with the tp link I think is crazy. My phone is still coming through the copper wire.

tuxy

Is there any logic behind the decision on who to leave on copper for the phone and who is switched to VOIP. I know if you ask they will leave it as is but for people who don't it seems totally random if they will switch them to VOIP.

fritzelly

OE want everyone on VOIP - they already have a request in to abolish the requirement of a copper line, eir will put you on VOIP for all new orders, any upgrade will also get moved to VOIP much to the chagrin of people with wired/personal alarms

Johnboy1951

tuxy wrote: »

Is there any logic behind the decision on who to leave on copper for the phone and who is switched to VOIP. I know if you ask they will leave it as is but for people who don't it seems totally random if they will switch them to VOIP.

I was not asked if I wanted to change from my copper line for tel.
KN installer said VOIP was not on his install list so copper remained as it was.
Better this was I think.
I have my own VOIP going out on the fibre and landline calls coming in on the copper.

DubInTheWest

tuxy wrote: »

Is there any logic behind the decision on who to leave on copper for the phone and who is switched to VOIP. I know if you ask they will leave it as is but for people who don't it seems totally random if they will switch them to VOIP.

Being honest, I hadn't a clue about how the install was going to be done or if I was on VOIP or not. All I know is, when I ordered the FTTH, I asked to keep my current package of unlimited local and national calls and mobiles. It was at a later date I found out I was keeping the copper wire. The installer told me the sales rep should have asked me if I wanted to go VOIP or keep the copper wire, they didn't ask they just decided I was keeping the copper wire. I just left it at that. I didn't mind once I could get FTTH.

tuxy

I see, so it seems they want to move everyone to VOIP but some sales reps might be selecting the box to keep PTSN even if that is not requested.
As usual, no consistency from Eir.

cnocbui

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I was not asked if I wanted to change from my copper line for tel.
KN installer said VOIP was not on his install list so copper remained as it was.
Better this was I think.
I have my own VOIP going out on the fibre and landline calls coming in on the copper.

Keeping the copper - doesn't that mean paying a ton of money in line rental over the long term?

fritzelly

You still pay line rental if you don't have a package

Johnboy1951

cnocbui wrote: »

Keeping the copper - doesn't that mean paying a ton of money in line rental over the long term?

I pay the fibre charge monthly, which includes a telephone ..... there was no offer available at the time without a phone.
Is there now? Can you get a fibre connection without a phone line available (regardless whether you use it or not)?

I thought not.

oscarBravo

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Can you get a fibre connection without a phone line available (regardless whether you use it or not)?

Of course you can.

Whether or not your ISP will tell you that is another story.

fritzelly

In eir usually the discounts are for a package (not available on stand alone products generally) for the first year so unlikely to cost you more, after the first year its a different story

tsue921i8wljb3

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I pay the fibre charge monthly, which includes a telephone ..... there was no offer available at the time without a phone.
Is there now? Can you get a fibre connection without a phone line available (regardless whether you use it or not)?

I thought not.

I'm on 300Mb standalone broadband as eir call it @ €67.98.

150Mb is €58.99
1Gb is €82.98

Installation and activation not included.

Johnboy1951

Dominique Loud Waistband wrote: »

I'm on 300Mb standalone broadband as eir call it @ €67.98.

150Mb is €58.99
1Gb is €82.98

Installation and activation not included.

I am on the 150Mb package, and that price is probably what I am paying. There are usually a couple of calls included so I am unsure exactly.

So what does that say to you?

Is 'standalone' just a way of saying without TV ?

tsue921i8wljb3

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I am on the 150Mb package, and that price is probably what I am paying. There are usually a couple of calls included so I am unsure exactly.

So what does that say to you?

Is 'standalone' just a way of saying without TV ?

No. It's without phone and TV. Are you still in the first contract? As fritzelly said the bundles are heavily discounted for the first year. I was originally on 300Mb plus all Irish and UK calls. It was €69 for the first year but was going to €89 after 12 months so I switched to standalone.

fritzelly

Basic phone is 17 for the off peak, all new customers get 20 off automatically, usually another 10 for switching etc, if you are on the 300 you get another 9 off (these are all per month)
So the first year can be heavily discounted as a package, after 12 months different story. Phone can save 17 a month if you are not using it.

cnocbui

fritzelly wrote: »

You still pay line rental if you don't have a package

If so, it's not itemised on my bill. €45.99 a month for 150 Mps for 12 months then increasing by €20 a month. I have VOIP phone with free calls to IE landlines off peak and charged for any other usage.

fritzelly

cnocbui wrote: »

If so, it's not itemised on my bill.

Because its a package price - eir bills are complicated enough without actually detailing the individual pricing of everything, then the discounts you get on them
Standard phone line charge with off peak is IIRC 39.99 a month, so imagine building that into a billing system where it really only costs 17 but you have broadband and so on and so on. Cannot remember the line only rental charge, something like 28 euro

cnocbui

Let's try this again. If you opt to keep an existing copper phone line when you get fibre, will you end up paying line rental for each line, or just one?

Or to put it another way, is copper + glass more expensive, or the same, as having glass + VOIP phone?