Minimising cost/disruption to transition away from HFC

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gbwelly

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#196405 30-May-2016 09:53

Hello all, I was wondering if I could seek some sage advice on how to transition from Vodafone HFC to VDSL.

My house was on ADSL about 13 years ago. At the time plug in filters weren't an option so I have an install with a master filter and a single jack with both data and voice sockets. There is another voice only socket which the phone is plugged into.

I am currently on Vodafone HFC including telephone.

Ultimately I will be getting rid of the land line and switching to naked VDSL with Big Pipe. I wish to get the VDSL installed and working before I ditch Vodafone. I have some questions which I hope those in the know can help with.

I presume I can get VDSL configured in parallel, though I will need to get the current filter replaced?

Any recommendations as to a @coffeebaron equivalent in Lower Hutt?

Is there any chance that requesting VDSL at my address will disrupt anything with the existing HFC connection/phone?

Cheers!

mdf

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#1562083 30-May-2016 10:04

Some helpful information regarding timing from @BigPipeNZ in my similar thread here. We've actually stuck with cable for now since it's significantly less disruption than shifting and (by some miracle) my Island Bay connection isn't as horribly congested as others on the KCC thread.

@ramboky just went through this and should be able to help though.

timmmay

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#1562087 30-May-2016 10:13

So you're on Vodafone cable and you're moving to DSL? Just get DSL installed then have the cable turned off after DSL is working - having two internet connections for a month is far better than having none, it'll cost you maybe $100. If you're on Vodafone DSL already then I think you have to do a cutover from one to the other. I think VDSL install includes a technician installing a master filter - contact BigPipe and ask them.

DarkShadow

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#1562092 30-May-2016 10:19

Most companies except Spark don't do a full install for VDSL anymore. So you'll have to either pay your ISP extra for that, or hire your own guy.

gbwelly

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#1562093 30-May-2016 10:22

timmmay:

So you're on Vodafone cable and you're moving to DSL? Just get DSL installed then have the cable turned off after DSL is working - having two internet connections for a month is far better than having none, it'll cost you maybe $100. If you're on Vodafone DSL already then I think you have to do a cutover from one to the other. I think VDSL install includes a technician installing a master filter - contact BigPipe and ask them.

1. Purchasing a non naked xDSL product will likely disrupt my existing telephone service, I want to know if requesting a naked VDSL service has potential for this to happen too.

2. Yes, I've already stated I want both services simultaneously.

3. I would like someone I can trust to do the install as the existing phone will need to remain connected to the Vodafone network, the other jack will need to be connected back to the chorus copper network.

4. I have HFC, not DSL currently.

ramboky

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#1562094 30-May-2016 10:22

@gbwelly I switched to VDSL (2Degrees) from Vodafone cable. Like you, I wanted to get it working and ensure the speed would be satisfactory before cutting cable, so I ended up running both in parallel for about a month, with no issues whatsoever. I'm believe the filters you had installed for ADSL should be fine for VDSL, but it would pay to check. If not, it's cheap and easy to install yourself.

Let me know if you have any specific questions, happy to help.

gbwelly

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#1562095 30-May-2016 10:24

ramboky:

@gbwelly I switched to VDSL (2Degrees) from Vodafone cable. Like you, I wanted to get it working and ensure the speed would be satisfactory before cutting cable, so I ended up running both in parallel for about a month, with no issues whatsoever. I'm believe the filters you had installed for ADSL should be fine for VDSL, but it would pay to check. If not, it's cheap and easy to install yourself.

Let me know if you have any specific questions, happy to help.

Thanks for that, so did you not have the landline conundrum? ie your phone jacks were still connected to the chorus network?

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ramboky

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#1562101 30-May-2016 10:31

@gbwelly Sorry, I didn't see your replies until after I wrote mine. I don't have a landline, but I can say for certain the jacks were still connected to chorus.

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to achieve with your landline, are you planning on cancelling it or keeping it?

gbwelly

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#1562111 30-May-2016 10:36

Landline will be going when Vodafone get ditched, currently my phone jacks are all wired up to the HFC network, so a visit from a technician is inevitable. Eg I can't just order VDSL, plug in my modem and go.

I want to sever all ties with Vodafone in one phone call (after I am comfortable in VDSL land)

I hope that explains it

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#1562136 30-May-2016 10:41

gbwelly:

Hello all, I was wondering if I could seek some sage advice on how to transition from Vodafone HFC to VDSL.

My house was on ADSL about 13 years ago. At the time plug in filters weren't an option so I have an install with a master filter and a single jack with both data and voice sockets. There is another voice only socket which the phone is plugged into.

I am currently on Vodafone HFC including telephone.

<snip>

I'm not surprised that you are leaving HFC cable - I have read your posts in the Krapi Cable Congestion thread.

I may well do the same thing for the same reasons.

Yes, you should upgrade your old ADSL master filter to a VDSl filter. Probably at your expense. ($150 - $200)

Yes, you should get VDSL up and running to your satisfaction (preferably without a contract) before you quit HFC.

If VDSL does not work well for you, you may be better off waiting several months for DOCSIS3.

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ramboky

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#1562137 30-May-2016 10:42

gbwelly:

Landline will be going when Vodafone get ditched, currently my phone jacks are all wired up to the HFC network, so a visit from a technician is inevitable. Eg I can't just order VDSL, plug in my modem and go.

I want to sever all ties with Vodafone in one phone call (after I am comfortable in VDSL land)

I hope that explains it

Perfectly :) I can't really advise on the landline scenario because I never had a Vodafone landline. All I can suggest is to make the decision now to lose the landline either way, then the rest becomes easy.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

gbwelly

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#1562995 31-May-2016 13:49

Well I've purchased a Draytek Vigor 130, with the intention of running it in bridged mode with my existing dd-wrt based router. I have paid extra for a full install. It will be a brand new phone jack so will bypass the existing HFC connected shenanigans. As it will be naked VDSL I assume there will not be any master filter involved either, I'm just going to ignore the existing ADSL master filter setup all together.

Is there anything I should request from the installer to do to improve the quality of the resulting connection?

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#1563065 31-May-2016 15:03

gbwelly:

Well I've purchased a Draytek Vigor 130, with the intention of running it in bridged mode with my existing dd-wrt based router. I have paid extra for a full install. It will be a brand new phone jack so will bypass the existing HFC connected shenanigans. As it will be naked VDSL I assume there will not be any master filter involved either, I'm just going to ignore the existing ADSL master filter setup all together.

Is there anything I should request from the installer to do to improve the quality of the resulting connection

+1 for the Vigor 130.

Re the VDSL master filter, I suggest that you read (or re-read) Is your premises phone wiring impacting your broadband performance? By Steve Biddle, posted: 2-Mar-2013

Personally i would install a new VDSL master filter anyway, as this adds very little to the cost of the install, and leaves you (or future owners of your house) with a POTS option.

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rp1790

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#1563079 31-May-2016 15:27

gbwelly:

Any recommendations as to a @coffeebaron equivalent in Lower Hutt?

Is there any chance that requesting VDSL at my address will disrupt anything with the existing HFC connection/phone?

I have used Josh at www.idealhomesolutions.co.nz twice before for master filter installs and been very happy.