How will my PC connect to my new fibre service?

[#1]

Hi,

I will soon have to face being connected to full fibre. My pc is currently situated in my 'office', (my back bedroom), via a telephone extension lead plugged into the phone socket in the front bedroom. I presume the installation engineer will want to install a connection downstairs, so then how will I connect, (assuming I prefer not to use WiFi). I cant move my pc downstairs! Can I connect the fibre 'box'' to the phone socket?

[#2]

@lowfam  do  you not currently have a router ? And where is that located ?

Surely your pc is connected to that , not the phone socket directly ?

[#3]

@lowfam 

There is a certain leeway as to where the fibre cable comes into the house - it depends on what's possible and the mood of the engineer. The starting point would be where the Master Socket for the phone is. Are you served by an overhead or underground connection?

A CSP is attached to an outside wall and then the fibre optic cable is brought to an Optical Network Terminater (ONT). The router connections via an Ethernet cable which gives you options for where it goes - you're not limited by cable length.

There are various methods of distribution a signal around the house. Ethernet cable is the best - it can be worth spending a bit of money to run cable.

Brian

[#4]

@MisterW 

I assume that the OP has his hub hanging on the end of a phone extension.

@lowfam 

If you don't want to use wireless and the installer won't put your new ONT is your office then your only options is to install a CAT 5E Ethernet cable between the ONT and the router if it's located in your office or your router and office if it's next to the ONT. The Router can be installed in either location.You cannot use the phone extension wiring, it needs replacing with Ethernet cable.

Other options: .https://community.plus.net/t5/Tech-Help-Software-Hardware-etc/Distributing-Data-around-Larger-Proper...

[#5]

Thanks all for your answers. As I suspected its going to be awkward, I would rather use an ethernet cable than WiFi, but running that up the stairs and across the landing into the office is not a practical solution.

Will using WiFi make a significant negative effect on signal speed?

[#6]

Will using WiFi make a significant negative effect on signal speed?

Providing your wireless adaptor is 5ghz capable , then using the Hub 2 as supplied for Full fibre, you should be able to achiive up to 300Mb/s providing there arent too many walls between the router and device. Using 2.4ghz only will give up to 150Mb/s with a fair wind. So unless you are going for the Full fibre 300 or faster, you probably won't notice the wifi limitation

[#7]

@lowfam 

Is it PN FTTP you're going for?

What's the WiFi like in your house at the moment? If it's reasonable then you should get a useable service for your PC. The PN Hub2 is considered to be better than the Hub1 for WiFi.

So long as you don't live in a terraced house another option is to get someboby round to fit an external ethernet cable. Ethernet wall socket near your router, cable taken out and round the house and back in to a wall socket. Might cost a few bob but would give you a solid signal upstairs as a starting point. A good selling point if you ever look to move.

Brian

[#8]

Consider flat ethernet cabling. I’ve got it running up the stairs on top of the skirting board, then  under the carpet to the back room ‘office’.

[#9]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Actually the WiFi in our small semi isnt bad, my wifes laptop works downstairs OK, (our router is upstairs), I guess I just always believed that a cable must produce a better outcome than WiFi.

[#10]

@lowfam 

With FTTP you should get near your chosen speed which should help with WiFi. If you're happy with speeds downstairs then hopefully it'll be OK with the reverse of what you have now. I assume your PC is WiFi capable.

With WiFi there is always a bit of overhead which gives reduced performance even before you get into the realm of anything which can block the signal (each house is different). This is why ISP's will not guarentee WiFi speeds - only the connection speed at the router.

Ethernet is better for "heavy lifting" and gaming (reduced lag) leaving WiFi for phones or casual browsing.

Brian

[#11]

@lowfam 

Forgot to say this previously.

If you think WiFi might be usable the best bet is to wait until FTTP is installed and then see how things are.

Brian

[#12]

Thank you all once again for your answers. i guess I will start off trying WiFi, for simplicity, (although I will have to get a dongle for the pc), then later I can run a cable up the stairs if need be, I didn't know flat ethernet cables existed, that's definitely the was to go I think.

[#13]

@lowfam 

Maybe a long shot. Presumably you will not need your phone extension wiring when FTTP is installed? Can you see the route that this takes and use this existing telephone wire to pull through some CAT 5e Ethernet cable in its place? Proper phone cable is pretty much the same diameter as the bog standard Ethernet stuff. You just need moderate DIY skills to fit an Ethernet socket on each end.

[#14]

@lowfam 

Having FTTP is a one off chance to reconsider where the connection enters your house.

It comes down to how much "outside" the house has and how accessible from "outside" a preferred location might be.

If you ask for something fairly easy you could probably get it done.

The chosen install location needs power nearby and getting a "nice" result may involve some work from you.

Also you can have the box that converts from fibre to a copper Internet connection (ONT) in one place and the router elsewhere connected by an Ethernet cable. Both would need power.