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[c6em]

These speeds will make you apoplectic...
I’m currently somewhere with a FTTP connection from the ‘altnet’ Gigaclear which is on their Home100 service so indeed 100Mbps upload and 100Mbps download is what you get: all the time. Higher speed packages are available up to 1Gbps and their base package is 50Mbps up/down symmetrical.
Ping times to google.com are 5ms. As Gigaclear ‘terminates’ in Slough, pinging the Xilo speedtest.net server nearby in Maidenhead gives the answer of 0ms, though it cannot cope with 100Mbps+ grade upload tests.
As with all full FTTP companies’ retail services you have to use their ONT/router unit which here is a Genexis Hybrid Titanium-24 with 4 off 1Gbps ports plus wireless ‘n’ in the 2.4GHz band.
The router is totally locked down.  You do get access to a basic web GUI which allows you to set up port forwarding/DMZ, UPnP, Mac addressing security, DHCP/Static allocation, parental controls plus the usual wireless settings page and a list of connected clients.
Bridge mode is not available nor is there access to any other firewall settings. Being FTTP there are no stats’ of any form…..… it just works.
Gigaclear’s FTTP topology (like the B4RN project)  ‘point to point’ fibre distribution with each house having a dedicated ‘single mode’ fibre from the active village cabinet:  it is not a PON type system (BT’s FTTP is GPON)
Gigaclear is the ISP and it is a simple service offering ultra-fast internet connectivity and that is it.  If you want a VOIP service go off and get yourself a provider – if you want email then sort that out yourself with a provider. No battery backup provided  – if want one for failsafe security sort out a UPS yourself.

[burakkucat]

Very impressive. 

However (there is always a "however"    ) I am not impressed with GC's supply of a combined ONT & router. I would have expected to be able to take gigabit Ethernet from an RJ45 socket on the ONT to a device of my own choice. (In a way that Beattie Bellman's FTTC is NGA GEA -- the second of those two triplets expanding to "Generic Ethernet Access" -- the service appears as Ethernet on an RJ45 socket of the CPE.)

Rhetorical question: How do GC expect me to connect (say) a Watchfront FireBrick to provide my firewall which is then, in turn, connected to (say) a Cisco managed router, etc, etc?

In short, the provided Genexis Hybrid Titanium-24 is pure folly when the end user is a typical Kitizen. An ONT providing the basic optical - Ethernet bridge is all that would be required! 

[c6em]

The "router unit" is a modular one
So there is a back plane/wall mount which is the fibre termination fixing.
The middle plane being the ONT (plus an optional extra plane for those countries where a CATV service over the fibre may also be taken)
Finally the top section is the customers router/gateway.

As I understand it.....
The arrangement you are asking for is simply not available the the residential user....though it IS to the business line purchaser, however there an additional monthly fee on top for the use of the business's own equipment if they want just a RJ45 output from the ONT.
See this page under the business pricing options drop down box
http://www.gigaclear.com/what-we-offer/for-business/business-broadband-packages/

[burakkucat]

Many thanks for the further notes. I did take a quick look at the Genexis web site and noticed that the relevant devices appeared to be in a modular, layered, construction.

All rather academic as The Cattery is not in a GC supplied area. (But it has allowed me to have a grump!    )

[waltergmw]

Gentlefolk,

Just to add that the B4RN solution is similar except every service runs at a nominal 1 Gbps achieving around 940 to 980 Mbps upstream and downstream using the OOKLA Manchester server provided a Gbit ethernet port on a fast enough computer is available. They are able to offer a 10 Gbps service should a heavy business user require it. Here is a piece they wrote in 2012 with illustrations of the domestic termination CPE unit and distribution chambers. The incoming fibre is fused to a "pigtail" with the terminating plug.

http://b4rn.org.uk/fibre-blowing-and-duct-sponsors

B4RN's area has grown from the original 8 Parishes to about 34 venturing into south Cumbria and North Yorkshire. Every property within an area is offered an individual P2P fibre connection using local volunteers to bury the duct. Once a tube route is completed back to a distribution cabinet, the installation teams then blow and fuse the fibres in joints and in each property. Some properties have chosen to pay the £150 installation fee but not taken the service immediately, sometimes waiting for their current contract expiry date. There were two properties where their existing services failed and where extended repair times were quoted. This provided an escape mechanism and B4RN connected them both about 1 day later.

Kind regards,
Walter

[underzone]

Just imagine getting this at home!

[Black Sheep]

There's no doubting they are impressive speeds ............... but I really can't see what major benefit one would gain in a home environment, especially for the added cost one would have to fork out ??
OK, so someone could download the '24' box-set in seconds rather than minutes, I still do not see the attraction of these kind of speeds in a residential premises. 

[GigabitEthernet]

But arguably we don't need 100Mbps either, it's more of a case of, if you can get it you may as well have the best IMO.

I'd say most homes would be fine with a 30Mb connection for a good five years.

[Black Sheep]

Exactly. I have approx. 60+ meg DS speeds .............. it's way enough for my household. I think the average view of the experts (of which there are many and varied), is that 50Meg DS will be ample for the bog-standard family dwelling, for the next 5yrs to come.

'The best there is' comes at a price .................... the question is, is it justifiable ??

[licquorice]

Yep, my line is capable of about 50 meg but Infinity 1 is plenty fast enough for me and I suspect a lot of other folks. There is a lot of hype about speeds.

[waltergmw]

Gentlefolk,

If you live in B4RN land you might as well have a 1Gbps service as it only costs £30.00 per month. Their problem beforehand was that there was nothing other that expensive satellite. Now they have the luxury of B4RN, but only where they've helped their local community bury the ducts. They still only have the B4RN choice for virtually all the outliers.

More generally the families I'm aware of that get the most grief are those with several teenage children all wanting to watch different catchup TV, skype etc. and have tablets and smart phones as well. The other disgruntled group are those on notoriously unreliable aluminium alloy pairs; however I suppose there must be some aluminium which isn't as bad. I agree if all you have is a couple who only require e-mail and perhaps one video download then 1 Gbps services are quite unnecessary.

Kind regards,
Walter

[Ronski]

I can see uses for a 1Gbps at home, but you need to think out of the box. I have a server, and I'd love to be able to back files up to my brothers server as quick as I can shift stuff around on my home network. He could also do the same back to mine, we'd then have off site backups just as if they were local.

[waltergmw]

Gentlefolk,

Ronski has illustrated one aspect of his own mini-cloud computing requirement.
A difficulty we will all have to consider is how we integrate future, as yet unknown, facilities and services.
I do hope that some planners somewhere are addressing this issue as, without any doubt, a fully universal 1 Gb facility will not happen overnight even if the finance is provided.

Kind regards,
Walter