FTTH - Duct Installation Issue

Sierra Oscar

Just looking for some advice in relation to an issue my parents are having with their broadband connection at their house.

They're currently on a Vodafone 500Mbps broadband package. However they never get speeds in excess of 10Mbps. The house was built in the early 80's and has a copper line from the house to the road, a distance of approximately 80m. The speeds have remained static despite years of local infrastructure improvements, it seems they have reached a max download speed.

Around 15 years ago their phone line was mistakingly dug up by a contractor half way between the house and the road. I suspect a relatively quick fix was made at the time which may now be causing issues with their broadband speed. The major issue is that the duct for the cable is broken at this point which may make pulling a cable through it difficult or impossible.

I've since discovered that FTTH is available in their area. I want to upgrade their connection, but I'm fairly certain that Eir will tell me that the underground cable duct is obstructed due to the damage caused by the contractor years ago.

Essentially I suspect I will have to install an entire new line from the house to the roadside, which I'm willing to do. I'm just looking for advice as to how I should go about doing this if I need to go down that route.

Is this something any small building contractor would be able to do? Or should I be looking to contact a telecoms specialist in particular? I've no idea who I should start contacting to inquire about getting quotes and so on.

Just as way of background, there is a manhole right outside where the connection enters the house and there is another manhole just inside their property as the line connects to the road. Essentially I may need to get a new duct / line installed between these two points.

Also, should I get a fibre line installed from the house to the roadside duct? Or should I just get a new duct laid and Eir will bring the fibre connection to the house?

LaAlgerie

Hi,



I'm going through something similar at the moment.



I'm not 100% certain where the problem is in your case. When you sign up with any provider, the engineer who comes out (KN group most likely), they will inspect any possible obstructions before installation goes ahead.



If the obstruction is on your property, typically you're told to hire, fix and pay. If it's on the public street, the provider has to hire, fix and pay.



In my case, the engineer said the issue was on public property. He pointed to a new water meter nearby and said the engineers working on that likely messed up my line. Voda agreed then nothing happened. Then Voda said they believe it's on my property. Lots of wasted weeks of disagreement, they were blatently going against the findings of the engineer. I took a complaint all the way to Comreg, then they sent out a second engineer, who agreed with the first, and works are due shortly. My mate who works in telecoms tells me they likely didn't want to pay and were trying to get me out of the contract.

ED E

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Just as way of background, there is a manhole right outside where the connection enters the house and there is another manhole just inside their property as the line connects to the road. Essentially I may need to get a new duct / line installed between these two points.

Also, should I get a fibre line installed from the house to the roadside duct? Or should I just get a new duct laid and Eir will bring the fibre connection to the house?

Dont install any fibre yourself, its gotta be theirs from the exchange to the ONT. Duct + string.


If you're quite sure its obstructed then going ahead and reducting makes sense.




You can get handheld trenching chainsaws to cut a slot if its lawn, drop in a duct and refill. Not a big job. Finding one to rent might be tricky though.

Tilikum17

I had this done about 2 weeks ago. We rang Vodafone to come out to install ftth. When yer man turned up, he said he couldn’t install it as there’s never been internet in the house.

I got the number for a lad with a small digger to dig a trench from the pole (outside our property) to the house. Basically through the garden. To dig the trench cost €380. You’ll need to buy esb red ducking, two hockey sticks & some rope for the vodaphone/sky lad so he can pull his cable through. Cost - genuinely can’t remember. If you’re in Galway message me & I’ll give you yer mans number. As long as you don’t need to go through tarmac it won’t be that expensive.

You can also just let them install a pole on your lad which is free. The installer isn’t allowed on the roof though. They’ll run the cable from the pole outside your property, to the pole inside your property to the side of the house.


It’s a lot better to bury the cable.

I moved from town virgin media 500 to the sticks, vodaphone fibre to the home 150 and the WiFi is better. My biggest worry about moving was the internet lol.

Edit to say - I have about 40meters of the ducking of you want it. I bought too much.

limnam

Look into a bit more before you start digging up your garden

You maybe able to use a mole.

It goes under ground and installs the ducting without digging up anything.

Sierra Oscar

Thanks lads, advice is much appreciated.

ED E wrote: »

Dont install any fibre yourself, its gotta be theirs from the exchange to the ONT. Duct + string.

If you're quite sure its obstructed then going ahead and reducting makes sense.

You can get handheld trenching chainsaws to cut a slot if its lawn, drop in a duct and refill. Not a big job. Finding one to rent might be tricky though.

Perfect, I was thinking that would be the case. Essentially I've to have everything ready to go for them to pull their fiber through.

I know roughly where the duct was damaged in the past give or take a few metres so I'll look into seeing if I can get that section dug up and repaired.

Tilikum17 wrote: »

I got the number for a lad with a small digger to dig a trench from the pole (outside our property) to the house. Basically through the garden. To dig the trench cost €380. You’ll need to buy esb red ducking, two hockey sticks & some rope for the vodaphone/sky lad so he can pull his cable through. Cost - genuinely can’t remember. If you’re in Galway message me & I’ll give you yer mans number. As long as you don’t need to go through tarmac it won’t be that expensive.

You can also just let them install a pole on your lad which is free. The installer isn’t allowed on the roof though. They’ll run the cable from the pole outside your property, to the pole inside your property to the side of the house.


It’s a lot better to bury the cable.

I moved from town virgin media 500 to the sticks, vodaphone fibre to the home 150 and the WiFi is better. My biggest worry about moving was the internet lol.

Edit to say - I have about 40meters of the ducking of you want it. I bought too much.

Cheers, sounds fairly straight forward if I do have to go about digging a trench and putting down some ducting. Luckily there is lawn right up to the side of the house where the phone line enters so no tarmac should need to be dug up all going well.

limnam wrote: »

Look into a bit more before you start digging up your garden

You maybe able to use a mole.

It goes under ground and installs the ducting without digging up anything.

Yeah my first port of call is to get the technician out and see if it is in fact obstructed, if so I'll take it from there. I'd like to avoid digging a 80m trench if at all possible.

Tilikum17

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Thanks lads, advice is much appreciated.



Perfect, I was thinking that would be the case. Essentially I've to have everything ready to go for them to pull their fiber through.

I know roughly where the duct was damaged in the past give or take a few metres so I'll look into seeing if I can get that section dug up and repaired.



Cheers, sounds fairly straight forward if I do have to go about digging a trench and putting down some ducting. Luckily there is lawn right up to the side of the house where the phone line enters so no tarmac should need to be dug up all going well.



Yeah my first port of call is to get the technician out and see if it is in fact obstructed, if so I'll take it from there. I'd like to avoid digging a 80m trench if at all possible.

In our case the “technician” wanted us to dig up tarmac. He would of cost us a fortune if it wasn’t for the lad with the digger that said we should go a different way.
Don’t rely on a “technician”

dam099

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

They're currently on a Vodafone 500Mbps broadband package. However they never get speeds in excess of 10Mbps. The house was built in the early 80's and has a copper line from the house to the road, a distance of approximately 80m. The speeds have remained static despite years of local infrastructure improvements, it seems they have reached a max download speed.

Are you sure they are on 500Mbps broadband package? You seem to be describing some sort of DSL connection which would be up to 24Mbps (ADSL) or 100Mpbs (VDSL or Fibre to the Cabinet). 500Mbs would be a fibre profile (and only recently available) or Virgin cable.

YellowBucket

As per above, there's no 500mbit/s copper service available. It would have to be either FTTH or cable to get those speeds.

VDSL is normally sold as a whatever maxes out the capability of the line, up to 100Mbit/s. Service would often be in reality about 50-70mbit/s and can be a lot less, especially if the cabinet's far away or if it's not cabinet based and is actually VDSL from the exchange. In which case you might be looking at more like 30-50Mbit/s max

There is a super-vectored VDSL product which can give speeds of up to about 250-300mbit/s on short lines, but it seems to have not yet rolled out. I know OpenEir were certainly testing it a few months ago

William_Flynn

Eir have published requirements for ducting, which is hydrodare 32mm internal diameter (larger for bigger runs). For full details on ducting look at https://www.eir.ie/support/just-joined/fibre-to-the-home-underground-ducting/

listermint

Did this on mine a few weeks back to pre-empt future NBP fibre install.

Rented Digger. Dug trench from house to pole outside gate. Put in 50mm Ducting. Approx 40M if i recall. Then filled it back in.


Done, days work.

Doghouses

Theres a company in gorey, all ex telecoms reserve all installation issues ducting, blocked ducts, tree trimming ect. HOME BROADBAND SOLUTIONS on facebook

Eric559911

Hi Everyone,

FTTH is on my road and the nearest pole with fibre is approx 30m (1/2 poles away).
Is there a way or anywhere to lay cable to ftth box?
Eir technician said I should be able to use it being so close but then customer care didn't say say they provide the service. The cable needs to be going to house for them to connect me.

Stuck for fast Internet with working from home trying to find help on solution

The Cush

Eric559911 wrote: »

FTTH is on my road and the nearest pole with fibre is approx 30m (1/2 poles away).
Is there a way or anywhere to lay cable to ftth box?
Eir technician said I should be able to use it being so close but then customer care didn't say say they provide the service. The cable needs to be going to house for them to connect me.

The fibre cable will be run from the pole via overhead or duct by the providers technician once there is availability at your location, then place an order and that order is accepted.

Do you currently have a landline phone connection from the pole to the house?
Who owns the fibre cable on the pole, eir or NBI?

Enter your eircode here - https://www.airwire.ie/index.php/avail, https://www.eir.ie/broadband/checkyourline/

Eric559911

I don't have land line from that line. The point is the lane directly opposite my house. It runs down the lane ans stops.

I'm trying to see my options. I'm hoping to get my eir or to privately extend it as it does not look like to be a big job.

Struggling with slow Internet at the moment and this fibre option literally stone through away

listermint

Eric559911 wrote: »

I don't have land line from that line. The point is the lane directly opposite my house. It runs down the lane ans stops.

I'm trying to see my options. I'm hoping to get my eir or to privately extend it as it does not look like to be a big job.

Struggling with slow Internet at the moment and this fibre option literally stone through away

Do you own the land or lane.

The Cush

Eric559911 wrote: »

I'm trying to see my options. I'm hoping to get my eir or to privately extend it as it does not look like to be a big job.

No one will privately extend the fibre line, it will only be extended if your house is on one of the rollout lists, open-eir's or NBI/NBP

CrowdedBear

Hi there,

We have a small excavation business that specialises in burying ducting for residential dwellings.

We are looking for homeowners that want a tidy, reliable duct to carry the fibre installations. Having started on my own home, knowing the difficulty in finding the right people and skills to organise such a project. I know the pain people are put through when the dreaded KN engineer tells you to source your own.

I've attached photos below of some previous work we have done for very grateful customers.

Feel free to direct-message me and I will share my phone number 😁

Thanks,

James Quigley

newhouse87

just on this, has anybody used a mole plough. Meeting Vodafone engineer next week. He is going to tell me ill need to duct into the house from a new pole they will put up in corner of my garden. This mole plough seems the tidiest job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOcqkq-qSx4

muckwarrior

Also having a FTTH ducting issue at the moment.

Living in a Dublin suburb where fiber is available, so ordered off Vodafone. A Circet technician showed up to connect it, but discovered that there was no ducting to our house from the pit/manhole. He told me that a "civil" team would need to come to either install ducting to our house or a "slung line". He didn't seem to think it would be a big deal and we should hear from someone within a week or so.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and we hadn't heard anything so called Vodafone. They informed us that the order had been cancelled because they'd been told that it wasn't possible to get a cable to our house. We tried telling them that wasn't what the technician told us, but it was very much a "computer says no" situation.

How do we proceed from here? Vodafone are of no help, so who is best to contact?

newhouse87

Im thinking of just getting it overhead to the side of the house now, waiting for de-merge to more suitable dp pole first.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119952290#Comment_119952290

Ask Vodafone or get another operator to place a new order?

lawred2

How exactly were they sold a package for 500mb over a copper wire?

orlaithd12

Hi, desperately need advice please...

We had an attempted Fibre installation today from Vodaphone, only to be told that there are two blockages in the ducting, underneath the public road running outside our property, the ducting from the wall in to the house seems to be clear.

We were told our only other options are a line across from the pole to our gable end, or a new pole in the garden and new underground ducting laid, resulting in garden and tarmac drive being dug up.

Ard there any ways we can try to unblock the ducting under the road, its a small rural road?

Many thanks... 😊

phog

Repair of blockages on public roads require permission from the Local Authority and they can add conditions when granting permission.

The proposed overhead route might be your best option.

deafroadrunner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120127007#Comment_120127007

overhead will be your only option.

network wont pay the cost involved in digging up the road even if its a rural road when theres a option for overhead.

65535

It has been my experience to deal directly with the Circet installer first to get the fibre/co-ax/copper installed

€50

have2flushtwice

mole.png

If you have ducting issues where you can't dig up the road etc, ducts can be installed with the mole, or it's gardens etc then it's dig it and duct it.