Fibre still go when the powers out?

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Fibre still go when the powers out?

vortexnz

58 posts

Master Geek

#236077 16-May-2018 21:12

Like any self respecting geek I have ups’s protecting my gear at home, mainly from voltage fluctuations but the battery backup is helpful too sometimes. I’ve noticed that Voda HFC goes down in a power outage presumably the gear in the cabinets uses too much power to keep going locally.

We have just recently had chorus digging up the street installing fibre - does fibre internet keep going in a localised power outage ie a street or two, or is it the same as HFC in this regard? How is the network designed re power?

Thanks

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#2017216 16-May-2018 21:16

If you have a UPS on the ONT and Modem and the Chorus network doesn't go down in a single point, then sure.

vortexnz

58 posts

Master Geek

#2017218 16-May-2018 21:19

How resilient is the chorus network to power outages - like more so than HFC or is it just luck of the draw whether the cabinet still has power or not? - do they use UPS in cabinets for example or is it just lights out when the powers out?

timmmay

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#2017222 16-May-2018 21:30

I have fiber and a DC UPS for the fiber modem and my router. I've had several power cuts and had internet both times. I have a small solar panel and a couple of moderate sized batteries so in an extended power outage I can run USB lights, charge batteries, run the WiFi, etc. In a serious natural disaster I would expect the fiber may not work.

Vodafone cable doesn't work during an outage, or at least not during an extended outage. I believe there are repeaters / amplifiers in places that need power, I don't know if they have batteries or if they do how long they last.

Jase2985

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#2017223 16-May-2018 21:38

all the exchanges have battery and generator backups so should keep going as long as there is someone to keep it fuelled.

I dont believe there is much in the way of active equipment outside of the exchange, ie in cabinets, just what's in your house

mdav056

607 posts

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#2017224 16-May-2018 21:44

timmmay:

I have fiber and a DC UPS for the fiber modem and my router. I've had several power cuts and had internet both times. I have a small solar panel and a couple of moderate sized batteries so in an extended power outage I can run USB lights, charge batteries, run the WiFi, etc. In a serious natural disaster I would expect the fiber may not work.

Vodafone cable doesn't work during an outage, or at least not during an extended outage. I believe there are repeaters / amplifiers in places that need power, I don't know if they have batteries or if they do how long they last.

@Timmmay: I've got the same UPS, and it seems to work very well indeed--and the people who make it are very helpful (for instance, when I changed to fibre and needed a different cable).

But I don't have the solar panel and batteries that you have -- could you share your setup, I'd like to do this too.

gml

hio77

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Lizard Networks

#2017232 16-May-2018 22:03

vortexnz: How resilient is the chorus network to power outages - like more so than HFC or is it just luck of the draw whether the cabinet still has power or not? - do they use UPS in cabinets for example or is it just lights out when the powers out?

Fibre is all passive gear up till the exchange, being an exchange it's alot more likely to have generators and decent battery backups.

DSL you tend to have 12-24 hours uptime on battery till the cabinets run out, then your stuck till power is restored.

It's rare to have a gene put on a cabinet, more common one is put there for voice only. (the techy in me was enraged by this in the recent week long power outage from the storm....)

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lNomNoml

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#2017235 16-May-2018 22:21

I would just use a UPS should last long enough.

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timmmay

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#2017273 17-May-2018 05:36

mdav056:

@Timmmay: I've got the same UPS, and it seems to work very well indeed--and the people who make it are very helpful (for instance, when I changed to fibre and needed a different cable).

But I don't have the solar panel and batteries that you have -- could you share your setup, I'd like to do this too.

The website I purchased from (sustainablesolutions.co.nz) isn't in business any more. What I got though was:

Three 30AH "second" batteries from jeffnz . I have them wired in parallel so the solar system keeps them topped up. I occasionally connect a conditioning car battery charger to them to top them up and condition them.
A 40W monocrystaline solar panel
A landstar controller. From memory it's PWM, the cheaper version.
Some cable and connectors, which they put together for me

I considered mounting it outside, but I didn't want to mount it to the house. So I have it in my shed window, which gets some intense sun in summer, but more in winter when the sun is lower in the sky. The batteries seem to stay charged. If I really need capacity I can always lay the solar panel on the ground outside, I got a long enough cord to do that.

Tinkerisk

4227 posts

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#2017275 17-May-2018 05:57

For that case (power outage) I have a LTE modem connected to the 2nd failover WAN input of the EdgeRouter and the IT rack is UPS-backed.

- NET: FTTH, OPNsense, 10G backbone, GWN APs, ipPBX
- SRV: 12 RU HA server cluster, 0.1 PB storage on premise
- IoT: thread, zigbee, tasmota, BidCoS, LoRa, WX suite, IR
- 3D: two 3D printers, 3D scanner, CNC router, laser cutter

Goosey

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#2017281 17-May-2018 06:55

Some of us use...

this

Tinkerisk

4227 posts

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#2017283 17-May-2018 07:11

Goosey:

Some of us use...

this

What supplies the ONT? Does it have a DC supply input?

noroad

949 posts

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#2017284 17-May-2018 07:17

To directly answer the OP's question, GPON is the technology used for the fibre rollout and how it is being deployed is a lot more resilient to power outages than cabinet fed DSL or cable. The OLT is exchange based and the exchange has significant power protection. This can be up to 15km from the ONT so does not need to be fed from a street side cabinet. Of course while the GPON is much better for power it does potentially introduce a lot of long distance unprotected fibre between the end user and the network, but that is a separate issue as such.

Goosey

2829 posts

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#2017285 17-May-2018 07:20

Tinkerisk:

Goosey:

Some of us use...

this

What supplies the ONT? Does it have a DC supply input?

Theres a wiring diagram on the website, bascially...

Lead from Power Outlet ---- to ConstantV Unit(inc battery/attached to battery), then leads from the unit to the ONT and Router.

(this of course will work only if the fibre is still alive from the exchange to your house).

Tinkerisk

4227 posts

Uber Geek

#2017292 17-May-2018 07:46

Maybe I'm as blind as a bat. I can't figure out an ONT in this wiring diagram and that's a problem when it can only be supplied by AC.

timmmay

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#2017305 17-May-2018 08:28

The Constant Vigil device has two outputs, one to supply the ONT, one to supply the modem. Works well, I've had one for a year or two.

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