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[Bhav]

Hi all,

Had Sky Fibre installed on Monday. Initially sync'd at 39.8Mb, and all worked well.

I removed all the filters from the phones as BT engineer said it wouldn't be required anymore (and from what I've read everywhere).

But one phone stopped ringing when receiving calls, and the other just dropped out in the middle of a call. Plugged filters back in an all working fine again.

Discovered by the evening that sync on the modem had fallen to 30Mb. Rebooted and now it's stable at 38.6Mb for 5 days.

My question is...should I be calling Sky and telling them about this filter issue? It seems a bit weird and I'm concerned it's impacting my sync (granted it's not by much, but might have more impact if speeds are increased in the future?). Since it's only been 1 week from install, I feel like I'd be better off dealing with it now when it's still their responsibility than leaving it months/years when it becomes my problem.

What do you think?

[burakkucat]

Hi Bhav,

Prior to you FTTC service being installed, what did you use for an Internet connection? Will you please tell us about your wiring, the sockets (type of master socket, number of extension sockets), the type and number of telephones that you had connected to the line before the transfer to FTTC.

Next, please describe what the Openreach engineer did at the time of the FTTC install. Did she/he need to change the master socket? Or was it a straightforward fitting of a SSFP (a service specific face-plate) to a pre-existing NTE5/A?

My suspicion is that one phone does not "ring" (er . . . sound) when there is an incoming call because the "ring" wire has been disconnected at the extension sockets, sometime in the past, as part of a measure to maximise ADSL performance. If that indeed is the case, just using a filter with that one particular telephone will be an easy solution.

With a SSFP fitted at the NTE5/A, all of the extension sockets are completely isolated from VDSL2 signals and so the telephones connected should not cause any noticeable effect to the broadband service.

As to the issue with the other telephone, you say "[it] just dropped out in the middle of a call". I am not sure exactly what you mean.    Please elaborate.

Without knowing your response to my above queries, I am fairly certain that what you have described is not worth reporting to Sky. It seems to be a minor issue with your telephone extension wiring and not a broadband defect.

[Bhav]

I think your questions made me think a little harder and I may have figured out what's going on.

I have a BT iPlate installed on my master socket (which the BTO engineer used instead of replacing when he came to install fibre). From what I understand, this removes/cuts out the bell wire. This explains the one phone not ringing...I think the other rings because it's a mains powered cordless unit.

And yes you're probably right, I doubt there's actually any interference. There shouldn't be anyway, since the engineer ran a brand new data cable from the master socket to a different room and the openreach modem is plugged into that...so the broadband now completely bypasses the phone extensions.

Thanks for helping!

[burakkucat]

I am very surprised to know that the installing engineer left the i-plate in situ. Are you absolutely sure? 

To correctly install an NGA GEA fibre service, the engineer should have replaced the i-plate with a similar looking SSFP. By either by plugging the data extension cable into the upper socket or by hard-wiring the data extension cable to the IDCs within the SSFP could the VDSL2 signal be provided at the alternate location.

Actually, an i-plate does not isolate the "bell wire", it inserts a choke in series with it, so minimising any inbalance that wire could introduce. So I still suspect that the "bell wire" had been isolated at the NTE5/A (and / or each extension socket) and the appropriate "ringing" voltage was coupled to the telephone's "bell" wire (number 3) by the micro-filter so used at that socket.

If you are happy with the current situation, I would advice removing all the micro-filters, except for the one required to locally couple the "ringing" voltage for the one telephone that requires it.

If the telephone that "just dropped out in the middle of a call" was the cordless phone, that could just have been a momentary quirk of using such a device.

If you have a digital camera and would like clarification of exactly how your active CPE has been connected, please just take a clear photograph of the NTE5/A, incorporating sight of the data extension cable and we should be able to deduce it, on sight of the picture. 

[Bhav]

As he left he specifically told me that what i had was good enough and gave me a sealed version of what he would have replaced it with! (i.e. a faceplate that says openreach on it, has all the screws etc in the sealed bag). Perhaps he took the iplate when I wasn't looking, though I don't really get why he'd give me another plate if he put a new one on...

Because of the stupid location of the master socket (ceiling of the garage with no power sockets nearby), he ran a data cable from the master socket, out the front of the house, along, and drilled back in to the living room (stapling all the way etc - did a really good job!). From what I remember he wired it all into the master socket before replacing the faceplate.

I would take a picture...but I'm a little hesitant to touch/unscrew the master socket now that everything is working...lol. Maybe I'll drum up the courage later this week.

[burakkucat]

I would take a picture...but I'm a little hesitant to touch/unscrew the master socket now that everything is working...lol. Maybe I'll drum up the courage later this week.

No,    please don't do that. You have misunderstood me -- or I was not clear enough.

There is no need to undo anything. Just one or more photographs of the exterior of the NTE5/A, including the data extension cable will be all that is necessary. For good measure, one of the sealed bag that the installing engineer left with you, please.

[covlad1987]

I would take a picture...but I'm a little hesitant to touch/unscrew the master socket now that everything is working...lol. Maybe I'll drum up the courage later this week.

No,    please don't do that. You have misunderstood me -- or I was not clear enough.

There is no need to undo anything. Just one or more photographs of the exterior of the NTE5/A, including the data extension cable will be all that is necessary. For good measure, one of the sealed bag that the installing engineer left with you, please.

the bt engineer left me a small sealed bag with 2 screws and a small cable tie ?