Ultra Fast Broadband wiring question

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Mastiff07

16 posts

Geek

#191928 21-Feb-2016 10:15

Hi All

I’m in the process of setting up star wiring in my home. At the moment I’m trying to get a better understanding of the requirements for wiring for an Ultra-Fast Broadband connection. Reading through the Wiring Homes For Fibre guide, put out by Chorus, it states that three cat5e (or cat6) cables should run from the star point to the External Termination Point. This seems excessive from my lay-persons perspective. Are three cables really required?

Thanks

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465 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496494 21-Feb-2016 10:39

No. You don't require any back to the ETP.

You want it all wired back to where the ONT and modem will live. OR you want one cat cable going from the ONT/Modem back to a patch panel somewhere then distributed around the house.

Jase2985

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#1496505 21-Feb-2016 11:05

it is recommended to has at least one, which could be used as a draw wire in the future if there was an issue with the current cable.

Mastiff07

16 posts

Geek

#1496525 21-Feb-2016 12:51

Thanks PoHq and Jase2985. I might not have used the right terms in my original post. What I’m trying to understand is how many cat5/cat6 cables are required from the ETP to the ONT which I thought would be located next to the patch panel at the centre of the star wiring. I know I need at least one but can’t see how anyone would need three.

PoHq

465 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496526 21-Feb-2016 13:00

Installer will run a hybrid copper fibre cable from ETP to ONT. 1 Cable.

ONT will plug into modem. Modem into patch panel and away to points in the house.

Zero cabling is required from you back to the ETP.

Putting one in as a draw wire in case the hybrid cable goes faulty is a bit over the top in my opinion but each to their own and all that.

If the fibre cable goes faulty Chorus will fix it and probably use the old one as a draw wire. If you were concerned you could put a draw pull tape in there as oppose to a cat cable.

Hope that helps.

Jase2985

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#1496578 21-Feb-2016 15:34

PoHq:

Zero cabling is required from you back to the ETP.

what happens if you want to intergrate with the house telephone wiring? generally this all eminates from the ETP, so unless you are rewiring all your phone wiring from your star location you still need a way of getting the phone wiring from the ONT/RGW back into the house wiring.

PoHq

465 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496580 21-Feb-2016 15:41

If wiring all goes back to the ETP before fibre install then it remains in place. One pair of the copper hybrid the installers put in can be used to back feed dial tone to the ETP. Other than that an existing jack can be used to get dial tone back To the ETP from the ONT/modem.

In this case the OP has a patch panel. Everything should go to there before being distributed around the house.

There is many different ways of doing it. It just depends what the customer already has and what they want.

I was only replying to the OP's patch panel situation.

PoHq

465 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496581 21-Feb-2016 15:43

I am of course presuming the OP's phone and data go to the panel and not just the data.

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Mastiff07

16 posts

Geek

#1496582 21-Feb-2016 15:54

Thanks PoHq

I get the picture now. My dilemma is that the ETP is on the other side of our lounge and I don't really want to put the ONT in the lounge if I can help it. The only thing is, where I would like the ONT to be is about 10 meters of cable away from the ETP and to get the cable to this point the cable would need three 90 degree bends. Reading through the Wiring Homes For Fibre guide it points out that the cable running to the ONT needs to have 300mm swept bends. I know that the Wiring Homes For Fibre guide isn't the bible wiring installations, but I don't know what sort of tolerances there are when running cable from the ETP to the ONT.

So some new questions:

1. What would be the minimum radius in a bend in the cable running from the ETP to the ONT?

3. Is there any advantage to having the ONT close to the ETP?

2. What are the installation costs like for running the cable from the ETP to the ONT? If they charge ridiculous prices I might need to think about how to put the ONT in the lounge.

Thanks

PoHq

465 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496585 21-Feb-2016 16:01

Zero advantage having the ONT closer to the ETP.

Cabling from ETP to ONT is part of the free install. No charge. 10metres would be considered a very short run.

The hybrid cable is fine to go round 90 degree corners.

Have you had a scope visit from Chorus? They should run through everything with you before hand.

Jase2985

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#1496599 21-Feb-2016 17:09

PoHq:

Cabling from ETP to ONT is part of the free install. No charge. 10metres would be considered a very short run.

while it is part of the free install i think you might find the LFC would consider that a long run and if its too long you might be charged for it

PoHq

465 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496602 21-Feb-2016 17:30

There is no way a 10 metre run of cable in any industry would be considered a long run.

But back to the OP, Rest assured your 10 metre run of cable will not be chargeable.

The scoper will answer any of your other questions during the pre installation visit.

jonb

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#1496604 21-Feb-2016 17:44

The material cost of a few metres extra of the hybrid cable is neglible, but if it is 15 metres of complex install , which causes the installer to only do one install that day instead of two, you can see the potential to be charged extra. The installer may also do the easiest install - e.g. along the wall with plastic capping rather than up a wall and along the roof space.

If it is longer than 10 metres between ETP ond ONT (is that the official length? I recall reading somewhere 9 metres was), you could make the job easier by pre-drilling some holes in the floor/wall for it after the initial scope, and then the installer may be more likely to do it as a standard install. Also apploes if you want it looking pretty rather than purely functional.

Any CAT6 internal cabling between the ONT and the RGW (fibre wifi router) you can expect to pay extra for, as the 'free' install is only the hybrid cable up to the ONT.

I never had an initial scope for the internal part of the install, I just agreed it with the installer on the day. In my case: hybrid cable from ETP on one side of garage to the other where ONT is located, and then CAT6 under the floor to a wall socket for the RGW in the living room.

Jase2985

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#1496606 21-Feb-2016 17:54

PoHq:

But back to the OP, Rest assured your 10 metre run of cable will not be chargeable.

you cant say that though

they are allocated x amount of time to do the install, generally the longer the run the longer it will take so there is a potential to go over than incur a charge.

hence why they like back to back installs

Mastiff07

16 posts

Geek

#1496620 21-Feb-2016 18:43

PoHq:

Have you had a scope visit from Chorus? They should run through everything with you before hand.

Where I live is scheduled to get UFB by August next year. I'm cutting holes in walls and running Cat6 and RG6 at the moment. I want to get the holes cut, cable installed and walls plastered over the next few weeks.

Based on what has been mentioned above, I think I'll run some draw wires from the ETP to where I want the ONT to be. I'll make it as easy as possible for the installer to get their cable to the ONT and hope that the person that does the scoping is in a good mood when they come.

PoHq

465 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1496621 21-Feb-2016 18:45

You'll be their new best friend if you install all your own draw cords.

Good luck!

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