Rural Wireless Broadband

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Rural Wireless Broadband

1 | 2 | 3

johny99

495 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1663537 4-Nov-2016 08:01

Most people even my mother who is in her 60s can be talked through plugging a cord between the rj11 ata port and the phone jack, wouldn't dare talk her through disconnecting the wires at the etp tho...

mdav056

607 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#1663559 4-Nov-2016 08:55

sbiddle:

mdav056:

Spark won't do this house-wiring integration for wireless landline via 4G, only for fibre, which is a bit silly.

The householder owns the internal wiring, not Spark or Chorus. During a UFB install this process is done by Chorus or the LFC as part of the install process if requested.

Since nobody comes to install a fixed wireless solution they have no means of doing this, but anybody proficient in phone wiring could do this in ~10 mins providing the router is located near an existing phone jack.

Right

Wrong. Installer came and fixed broadband up (without me requesting this). Installer said that all I had to do to fat up the internal phone wiring was to connect the modem phone output to the nearest phone jack (which sounds like what you suggesting).

I have read on gz that doing this fries things given that the internal network is likely still connected to, and has voltage from, the Chorus copper phone network. True or not true? Clarity on this would be useful.

gml

firefuze

510 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1663566 4-Nov-2016 09:09

Spark did offer wiring integration previously for Wireless Broadband but was scrapped recently due to high cost to the customer and a poor customer experience. Cordless handsets/DECT setup as the solution.

When installing Fibre the LFC can do wiring integration at the same time as install, they are already coming to the property to do other work. For Wireless Broadband a Chorus tech would be coming out for only that reason - its expensive, not to mention scheduling for the visit, no shows, rebooking etc.

If you really want it done you could arrange a tech to do it (outside of Spark)

da5id

550 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1663921 4-Nov-2016 18:18

GregF:

da5id - I'm guessing you'd just be able to plug in you Airport just like you do today into one of the ports on the back. Here's a shot of the back of the B315, and a closeup of the ports.

I've thrashed this in testing for data use - I found the internal Wifi OK, but I've only really used it in the same room, or at most the room next door. Great throughput speeds - for a couple of weeks to test I VPN'd into work, and ran heaps of apps etc along side Skype for Business for conversing / video - and it's just great. For day to day use, we run a reasonable number of agents at home on these also, rather than fixed wire, as they're solid and consistent performers.

Ahh great. Thanks. I'm going to have to have a play with it when it comes to see how strong the signal is on its own.

da5id

550 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1663922 4-Nov-2016 18:21

firefuze: Spark did offer wiring integration previously for Wireless Broadband but was scrapped recently due to high cost to the customer and a poor customer experience. Cordless handsets/DECT setup as the solution.

When installing Fibre the LFC can do wiring integration at the same time as install, they are already coming to the property to do other work. For Wireless Broadband a Chorus tech would be coming out for only that reason - its expensive, not to mention scheduling for the visit, no shows, rebooking etc.

If you really want it done you could arrange a tech to do it (outside of Spark)

So disconnecting the copper where it comes in and plugging the wireless modem into a jack is worth trying? I guess it can't hurt.

da5id

550 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1671813 16-Nov-2016 11:01

The whole thing turned out to be a waste of time here.

My folks got the Spark green flyer in the mail ("A New Way To Get Better Broadband"), personally addressed to them, advertising the new 4G wireless service.

I went online to investigate and put our address into the online tool. It came up saying that the service was not available. So I rang up Spark and asked if it, in fact, was available. The guy went away for a few minutes and said that, yes, it was available but the online tool had just not been updated. We didn't do anything more about it at this point.

A couple of weeks later we got a call from a woman at Spark promoting the new service and asking if we wanted to join it. My folks said yes, and she said that the modem was due to arrive in 3 to 5 working days.

A fortnight later and we hadn't heard anything, so I rang up again and found that our order was on hold. After a couple of days of back-and-forth calls, they now say that the 4G is not strong enough at our address so that the service is not available.

So, we're still stuck with speeds of 1 MB per second on the copper connection.

I wish Spark wouldn't promote their services, to the point of having salespeople ring and offer them, when they aren't available.

mdav056

607 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#1671823 16-Nov-2016 11:10

Hmmm, the Man From Spark who knocked on my door (despite the Do Not Knock sticker) was carrying a modem, and was able to test, with the modem placed where I would want it, immediately. It did. I suspect that, if Spark contacts you, it would be a good idea to ask them to come and test that it will work satisfactorily.

gml

1 | 2 | 3