BT Infinity & FTTx Discussion

Caporegime
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I'm not surprised that getting a deal can take a bit of effort to be honest - hopefully other more mainstream providers start offering the gigabit services (even FTTP would be a start) and then there will actually be a bit of competition on the Openreach network.

Agreed, I would feel comfortable paying £54.99 anyway for a 900/100 connection if I could get it!
 
Caporegime
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Totally. Feels a bit wrong to complain about 60Mbps but I definitely hit the limitations of the connection quite a lot. Not quite to the extent that I'd want to put in a second line though.
 
Soldato
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Ive been with plusnet continuously since the days when fixed price dialup was a big deal. Never had any reason to consider leaving them, however I'm currently living out in the sticks with a single figure MB download (It's FTTC but the cabinet is in the next village so it effectively performs like ADSL). FTTP has recently gone live, is now showing as available and I'm keen to switch to it however Plusnet have repeatedly said that they have no plans to offer an FTTP product so I guess it's time to move on.

What is the current state of play with ISPs for residential openreach FTTP? I know that for a long time BT have been almost the only viable option but there seem to be a growing number of other choices, mostly names I dont recognise and some fairly variable pricing. Is there anyone out there that's considered a good alternative?

What is the FTTP installation process like these days when converting from FTTC? Will the fibre come into the house in the same place as my current copper line, if not will I have any input into where/how it is terminated or do they just do whatever works for them? It's all poles and overhead cables out here so the current line attaches to the house on the first floor and runs down the front of the house before entering into the living room. I'm wondering whether coming straight into the room upstairs might be better for me.

Also what can I expect in terms of hardware? I've currently got a fairly recent Draytek (2862) router, will the FTTP installation just give me a box on the wall that my draytek plugs into as currently or will there need to be some other hardware between the wall and my router?
 
Caporegime
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Your choices are BT and Zen, and BT are cheaper as well as doing cashback deals.

The fibre can come in wherever you want (sort of) - if you're ducted underground then it comes up out that duct but doesn't have to enter your house in the same place. If it's overhead then you can have it come onto your house wherever works for the pole.

The ONT outputs ethernet (this needs to plug into mains power), you will be supplied a new router but can use anything that can establish a PPPoE connection.
 
Soldato
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Shropshire
The good news is that your postcode is in our plans to install our Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology in this area. This is a complex technology for us to install, but it delivers ultrafast speeds.

If all goes to plan and we don't come across any unexpected surprises, we hope to complete the work and start taking orders by September 2020

Submitted a request to OR at the start of the week to get an ETA, or actually any sort of confirmation that FTTP would one day make it to me and got the reply above this morning.

Not going to hold my breath but it's the first sign in three years (it's a newbuild development) that decent broadband may one day arrive.
 
Associate
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28 Jan 2020
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I'm not surprised that getting a deal can take a bit of effort to be honest - hopefully other more mainstream providers start offering the gigabit services (even FTTP would be a start) and then there will actually be a bit of competition on the Openreach network.

TalkTalk are launching there Openreach FTTP products next month, that has been officially confirmed. Although if an alien invasion happens etc it might scupper it just like Covid has with Sky's Openreach FTTP launch, of which there hasn't been a word about which given it was going to be launching end of March is odd.
 
Soldato
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I factory reset my EdgeRouter 4 this morning. Got it setup with the basics to give me internet access. Plugged my laptop into the EdgeRouter and still only getting just over 600Mbps. Going to give BT a call to see what they say. Think I've exhausted every option on my own network.

Have you tried nperf.com to see what that gets ? I’m in Scotland and the most I can get out of Speedtest.net is 600-700Mbps, I can max it out on nperf.com to any of the European servers and from the sites I normally download from so put it down to the route from Scotland to the Speedtest.net servers down south having a bottleneck somewhere.
 
Soldato
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TalkTalk are launching there Openreach FTTP products next month, that has been officially confirmed. Although if an alien invasion happens etc it might scupper it just like Covid has with Sky's Openreach FTTP launch, of which there hasn't been a word about which given it was going to be launching end of March is odd.

Previous history with TalkTalk means I won't touch them personally. Better to stay with BT or Plusnet I reckon.
 
Soldato
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Scotland
Have you tried nperf.com to see what that gets ? I’m in Scotland and the most I can get out of Speedtest.net is 600-700Mbps, I can max it out on nperf.com to any of the European servers and from the sites I normally download from so put it down to the route from Scotland to the Speedtest.net servers down south having a bottleneck somewhere.

Hadn't even heard of that site to be honest. Just tried it...

CWdI0yu.png

Seems okay to be me. So like you say, may be a UK routing issue with BT?
 
Soldato
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Yeah was thinking that actually, they won't want to go through the hassle of changing my package and contract about too much :D
Yeah that's what I did. I was pending a downgrade for ages. Their plan was to put me back to my previous plan and then come up with a custom one for me. I canceled the downgrade after someone called me about it, and we worked out a credit of £120 while I still pay £55 a month. Which basically brings me down to £50 a month.
 
Soldato
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@sparkymark75 all good with your connection now?

On a sidenoe, since being mentioned here a few days ago, i've run nperf a few times a day and it seems to be the most consistently reliable speedtest of them all, Fast.com is massively inaccurate.

VfOM1Wr.png
 
Soldato
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Scotland
@sparkymark75 all good with your connection now?

On a sidenoe, since being mentioned here a few days ago, i've run nperf a few times a day and it seems to be the most consistently reliable speedtest of them all, Fast.com is massively inaccurate.

VfOM1Wr.png

Yeah all good mate. Was just the unreliable speed tests. That nperf site is consistently good for me. Cheers for help.
 
Associate
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9 Feb 2009
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Up North
Just had BT FTTP fitted - only gone for the 150 Mb/s package at the moment - should be plenty for our household.

Just tried the nperf site - getting 149.3 d/l, 32.29 u/l and 11.54ms ping - so all spot on.

Credit to BT as well - install was put back twice due to Covid (total delay about three months) - but they have credited my account by £125 (didn't even ask for this just got a message to say they had done it automatically - old service was still working (Vodafone - but did get cut off briefly about 6 weeks ago - panic stations ahoy with working from home!)).

Happy days!
 

And

And

Associate
Joined
7 Dec 2002
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1,079
The missus has just 'upgraded' ours to that (from FTTC 80/20 = ~75/19 with 15ms ping on nperf). I think it's July 1 or 2 they come to install.

It's come a long way since I was on Freeserve ISDN and playing Quake III.

Just had BT FTTP fitted - only gone for the 150 Mb/s package at the moment - should be plenty for our household.

Just tried the nperf site - getting 149.3 d/l, 32.29 u/l and 11.54ms ping - so all spot on.

Happy days!
 
Associate
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Up North
The missus has just 'upgraded' ours to that (from FTTC 80/20 = ~75/19 with 15ms ping on nperf). I think it's July 1 or 2 they come to install.

It's come a long way since I was on Freeserve ISDN and playing Quake III.

That's what I was on - definately feels a bit snappier especially when loading pages full of images or GIFs!
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Jun 2011
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3,598
Have you tried nperf.com to see what that gets ? I’m in Scotland and the most I can get out of Speedtest.net is 600-700Mbps, I can max it out on nperf.com to any of the European servers and from the sites I normally download from so put it down to the route from Scotland to the Speedtest.net servers down south having a bottleneck somewhere.


hi mate im in edinburgh - if it's any help it's most likely the high usage given covid, about 2 weeks ago i was barely getting above 500 now the suns out i get 1gbps even on fast.com

3262532812076818-I80ZdKFM.png
 
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