Master socket on wall

[Sgt_Bilko]

My father is currently with Sky and has an ADSL connection, but is due to start with a 38mbps line through Vodafone early next month. We completed the sign up process smoothly online and he is literally opposite the exchange box, so his connection should be excellent.

My only query regards the master socket on the wall, which has been used for his old ADSL line and must be many years old now. I first had fibre installed about 5 years ago and OpenReach installed a new faceplate, despite the house only being 5 years old. Last year I was having some trouble and when OpenReach came around it was exchanged for a new plate, which they said would reduce noise and improve performance. 

Nothing was said during the sign up process about an OpenReach visit and the line tests suggested he would achieve maximum speeds, so I wondered if this is not an issue or something that should be looked at. It took a long time to convince him he should give up Sky and go for Freesat with Netflix and Vodafone, so I want to be sure the broadband switch goes smoothly for him. 

[Reenigne]

@Sgt_Bilko You can get Openreach to do it but there would be a cost involved , the faceplate is part of the CPE or customer premise equipment , anything behind that is Openreach territory , if the Cabinet is visible from the property I think you will be fine with the current socket as there is not as much copper in play , I would connect it up and see once it's gone live

Download the Vodafone broadband app and go to info and support to see your "sync speed" , keep in mind speeds over WiFi are susceptible to radio interference so your ISP is only responsible for Sync speed which is the connection speed between your router and the RDSLAM(Cabinet)

[Sgt_Bilko]

OK I'm sure we'll sort it out. In my case I first had fibre installed by BT a few years back and it was a nearly new house, yet BT still said Open Reach would have to fit a new faceplate for fibre. There was never any question of having to pay for it and I was just a bit surprised when Vodafone didn't say anything about having to do the same for my father's house. 

[okecokey]

Hi Sgt_Bilko life has moved on, can't find a copy of it but there's a report from around 2013 when ADSL microfilters were tested with higher broadband speeds which enabled BT to move to 'Self Install' so without visiting the Customer Premises and of course that then dropped the cost of installation which the powers that be reckon we've benefitted from, the NTE5C with VDSL front plate is a higher spec device & will almost certainly give you some improvement in performance but (in theory) is an Openreach change (and cost unless you are able to argue that's the only thing that will improve your line quality to enable you to get the 'guaranteed speed'). Hope it all goes smoothly with Dad's install btw I know what you mean by struggling with Technology, I've worked on it for 50+ years and I only keep up by reading buckets of info .

[Sgt_Bilko]

OK thanks okecokey I didn't know that. When I had fibre installed it came as part of a package with YouView that BT were doing at the time and perhaps they just chose to do it all at the same time when somebody came with the YouView box. Now I think about it, this was probably about 2012/13 or maybe earlier. Time flies. 

Prior to having fibre installed, we always had to have phones connected via micro filters, but I was told that would no longer be necessary after switching to fibre, because they had changed the faceplate.

I only went live with Vodafone myself a few weeks ago and the router arrived with some micro filters, but I gather Vodafone was still offering ADSL until fairly recently. I don't know if my father would still need to use the micro filters on any connected devices around the house at different extension points, like his current router. 

Generally speaking I get on pretty well with technology having a background in photography, while also doing web design and various computer work, but nowadays the pace of change is relentless and I limit myself to only learning what I really need to know to avoid overload. 

[Sgt_Bilko]

It's activation day for my father and he's had neither phone nor internet for hours now. Normally the down time between switching is a matter of minutes, so I'm hoping Open Reach haven't just disconnected him and wandered off. 

[DaneB]

Oh dear @Sgt_Bilko - Has you fathers broadband now been installed? If not, please have him call us on 08080 034 515.

[Sgt_Bilko]

The phone line has returned but no internet so far. I'm not at his house right now, but half an hour ago he told me the green internet light on the router was fluctuating in brightness and he was unable to reach any web page.

I explained how to enter the router control panel and we verified that the data rate is correct at about 39000kbps, though the line noise was rather higher than I would like and probably owed to his old faceplate. It seems like the router is going through the setup phase, but it's all taking a very long time. 

I have to pick up my wife from work at 4.30pm but if it isn't live by then, I planned to drive over and perhaps call support from his house. The phone line seemed less clear than usual as well. 

[Sgt_Bilko]

Still no internet. I called Vodafone on his behalf and they say this is all a normal part of the migration process, though it's far slower than anything I've ever experienced personally with Sky, BT or indeed when I joined Vodafone myself. Their only advice was to call back tomorrow if it still wasn't live and then they would kick start the process manually. 

[DaneB]

I'm sorry to hear this has been a slow process for your father @Sgt_Bilko, has there been an improvement today?

[Sgt_Bilko]

It still wasn't working this morning, so I drove over there and found the same fluctuating green light after 24 hours, so I decided to shut down the router for about 30 seconds and then restart it. After that I restarted the computer. A few minutes later a pop up appeared on the screen that gave us the opportunity to apply content settings and finally get him online. 

It seems to be working OK, though it was really quite slow when I ran a speed test and barely hit 19mbps on a 38mbps connection. He is literally 20 meters from the nearest Open Reach box, so I expected a lot better, however his noise levels on the line are quite high and double what I have. 

I had to run for an appointment, so I couldn't hang around, but I'll go back tomorrow and check everything carefully. We'll need to contact support anyway, because he wants to enable called ID.