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View Full Version : I'm Having NTL Broadband installed Tuesday - a few Questions !

Muppetz
22-10-2006, 15:36
Hi All,

I've had Pipex BB (1MB) for the last few years and just switched to Sky (up to 8mb but I only get 1.5MB) Sky is pretty terrible, with massive slow down at peak times and I want more that 1.5MB DL !

So on Tuesday I'm having NTL install a 10MB connection (they only enabled our street last week and the sales guys came round).

I'm only having BB, no TV or phone, so I'm wondering how the installation will go ?

There is a tube near the front door, so I'm guessing thats where the cable will appear, but where will they run it to ?

Will they run it to behind the TV, and then upstairs to the room where I want it so that they can add a set top box later if we want one ? or do they go straight to the room upstairs ?

Also, what does the box they will install look like ? ( I already bought a netgear router to hook up to it )

How flexible are the installers in terms of how they route the cables ? (I'm a cat5/telecoms engineer, so I know how I want it run - around the side of the house, up behind the drainpipe into the loft and then down inside the cavity wall to a socket position)

Lots of questions I know, I hope you guys can help !


(BTW whats the speed like ? am I likely to get near the 10MB ?)
Paul K
22-10-2006, 18:34
Most likely will run it straight up the outside wall, drill through to room where box is to be installed and then feed cable through. Installers do not like going into lofts etc because of issues with safety and insurance. You may be able to get them to drill into the loft if you are there and are prepared to do the work into the loft to drop the cable into the room yourself. They will rarely drop into a cavity wall as they will look for the most straight forward installation.
mmm
22-10-2006, 19:03
Isn't cables inside Cavity walls a no-no now? IEE regs and cavity wall insulation etc.

I also believe the external cable has to go straight through the wall to an internal box with isolator. The external cable is 'jelly filled' not suitable for internal use (smoke emission in fire?
exC&W
22-10-2006, 19:59
They should put a box on the outside wall low down then route cable to inside from there.
RS100
22-10-2006, 20:48
What i did is run the cable up in to the loft and in the loft i have trunking in the walls to every room so what i did was run some high qulity rg11 down to the omnibox outide and put PPC snap & seal f-conectors on the end ready for the installer,

Which made the installers very happy:) as i said he had a hard day,

Lucky for me i am a broadcast engineer i work on television & radio masts and satellite earth stations etc and have a garage full of drums of cable etc,



Hi All,

I've had Pipex BB (1MB) for the last few years and just switched to Sky (up to 8mb but I only get 1.5MB) Sky is pretty terrible, with massive slow down at peak times and I want more that 1.5MB DL !

So on Tuesday I'm having NTL install a 10MB connection (they only enabled our street last week and the sales guys came round).

I'm only having BB, no TV or phone, so I'm wondering how the installation will go ?

There is a tube near the front door, so I'm guessing thats where the cable will appear, but where will they run it to ?

Will they run it to behind the TV, and then upstairs to the room where I want it so that they can add a set top box later if we want one ? or do they go straight to the room upstairs ?

Also, what does the box they will install look like ? ( I already bought a netgear router to hook up to it )

How flexible are the installers in terms of how they route the cables ? (I'm a cat5/telecoms engineer, so I know how I want it run - around the side of the house, up behind the drainpipe into the loft and then down inside the cavity wall to a socket position)

Lots of questions I know, I hope you guys can help !


(BTW whats the speed like ? am I likely to get near the 10MB ?)
pooper
23-10-2006, 12:52
Hi All,

I've had Pipex BB (1MB) for the last few years and just switched to Sky (up to 8mb but I only get 1.5MB) Sky is pretty terrible, with massive slow down at peak times and I want more that 1.5MB DL !

So on Tuesday I'm having NTL install a 10MB connection (they only enabled our street last week and the sales guys came round).

I'm only having BB, no TV or phone, so I'm wondering how the installation will go ?

There is a tube near the front door, so I'm guessing thats where the cable will appear, but where will they run it to ?

Will they run it to behind the TV, and then upstairs to the room where I want it so that they can add a set top box later if we want one ? or do they go straight to the room upstairs ?

Also, what does the box they will install look like ? ( I already bought a netgear router to hook up to it )

How flexible are the installers in terms of how they route the cables ? (I'm a cat5/telecoms engineer, so I know how I want it run - around the side of the house, up behind the drainpipe into the loft and then down inside the cavity wall to a socket position)

Lots of questions I know, I hope you guys can help !


(BTW whats the speed like ? am I likely to get near the 10MB ?)

Let us know how it goes tomorrow (i'm getting 10Mb installed the following Tuesday) :tu:
Muppetz
23-10-2006, 13:06
^^ well ...

I have some external grade cat 5 cable here, so Im going to ask the installers to help me run that up the outside, through the loft, and down into the right room. I've already put a draw up inside the wall, and it should save the installer a lot of time so hopefully he will give me a hand :)

That should mean that the cable modem will go right where the cable enters the house, and then there will be a cat 5 cable up to my netgear router in the study upstairs.

At least thats the plan, I guess we'll see tomorrow !

Thanks for the advice so far !
RS100
23-10-2006, 18:34
you or the installer would have to put rg-6 or better rg-11 (like i did) not cat5 from the gray omni box on the wall outside to where the isolator block will go on the wall inside

also as for as i know ntl installer are not allowed to go in the loft they are only allowed to install around the outside wall and then inside and tack to the skirtings


^^ well ...

I have some external grade cat 5 cable here, so Im going to ask the installers to help me run that up the outside, through the loft, and down into the right room. I've already put a draw up inside the wall, and it should save the installer a lot of time so hopefully he will give me a hand :)

That should mean that the cable modem will go right where the cable enters the house, and then there will be a cat 5 cable up to my netgear router in the study upstairs.

At least thats the plan, I guess we'll see tomorrow !

Thanks for the advice so far !
Muppetz
24-10-2006, 17:20
you or the installer would have to put rg-6 or better rg-11 (like i did) not cat5 from the gray omni box on the wall outside to where the isolator block will go on the wall inside

also as for as i know ntl installer are not allowed to go in the loft they are only allowed to install around the outside wall and then inside and tack to the skirtings

Im getting them to put the "isloator block" downstairs inside right on the otherside of the wall to where the "omni box" will go outside. (if that makes sense) then my cat 5 cable will feed from the cable modem (presumably installed next to the isolator block) upstairs to my netgear router. :)

Anyway, they came this morning and the duct from the next pit to the cabinet is blocked (new housing estate, been here 6 years, im the first to use the duct and order NTL) so they need to unblock it and then come back :/
Fenlock
25-10-2006, 12:03
I'm only having BB, no TV or phone, so I'm wondering how the installation will go ?

As a new NTL customer, is this possible? i thought you had to have a phone line to be able to order the broadband. Have they done away with this now?
Muppetz
25-10-2006, 12:13
As a new NTL customer, is this possible? i thought you had to have a phone line to be able to order the broadband. Have they done away with this now?

Yep, they offered all sorts of packages - one of them was broadband only. Remember this is cable broadband, not ADSL so a bt line is not a technical requirement.
Fenlock
25-10-2006, 14:20
Yep, they offered all sorts of packages - one of them was broadband only. Remember this is cable broadband, not ADSL so a bt line is not a technical requirement.

Yea, i didnt mean a BT line. When i signed up for broadband originally (years ago, when 512 was new and 2 people manned the phones in wales on support) you had to have an NTL phoneline as part of the deal.