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Stu1

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#319226 4-Apr-2025 08:38
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We have really embraced the internet , Alexa alarm clocks, smart lights , smart plugs, wifi security, and streaming. In three years have had three major outages , one was from a Reno, second was a driver crashing in to a transformer and this week roadworks digging hitting the Fibre cable. Our house is pretty much crippled , can’t work from home , alarm clocks don’t work , no tv the list goes on. This is day three without fibre . I know chorus are working on it . There must be a better solution in an actual event most households would really struggle. ADSl and VDSL were rock solid. My options are get a back up wifi connection mabey skinny or pay $500 for a starlink kit then $17 a month for a kinda version of internet insurance. Are we reliant too much on fibre?. Today I’m hunting for the old alarm clocks , Freeview box and a stereo that doesn’t need streaming to work . The ISPs have no control over the network and generally can’t help . I had to buy a SIM card this morning and then a day pack so I can at Least work at home waiting for a chorus tech that will tell me yup we are working on it . Is it time to go back to equipment that actually works when fibre crashes?


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nzkc
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  #3360432 4-Apr-2025 08:42
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Fiber isnt the problem here. Recent bad luck is - no more. If those events happened with copper - result would have been the same.




Lorenceo
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  #3360435 4-Apr-2025 08:47
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My fibre line is less prone to downtime than the mains power feed to my house.


MaxineN
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  #3360438 4-Apr-2025 08:54
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Lorenceo:

 

My fibre line is less prone to downtime than the mains power feed to my house.

 

 

 

 

I'm going to probably crap on my luck and say that I've never logged a fault for the fibre service itself in my entire time I've had fibre.

 

I have logged a few to many RSPs but that was due to the RSP being at fault and not the LFC. Not once seen a RED LOS.

 

Knock on wood.





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freitasm
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  #3360439 4-Apr-2025 08:59
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It's not a fibre problem, as this could happen on copper (DSL) anyway. It can happen on mobile broadband too, if the tower(s) have power cuts and run out of power. It will help with Starlink too, if your home is hit by a power cut.





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mudguard
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  #3360440 4-Apr-2025 09:05
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I think the fibre at home has a SIM card in the router. So if the fibre goes down it switches to 4G. I've only seen it activate once but I was notified once by Vodafone (One) prior anyway I think. 


Stu1

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  #3360441 4-Apr-2025 09:06
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freitasm:

 

It's not a fibre problem, as this could happen on copper (DSL) anyway. It can happen on mobile broadband too, if the tower(s) have power cuts and run out of power. It will help with Starlink too, if your home is hit by a power cut.

 



 

I have power back up that’s not the problem it’s how easy a fibre cable can be damaged and the process for installation. I’ve seen where the hit the cable it’s way to shallow it should be at the same depth as the gas and Water pipes . Even home installs multiple cases of homeowners putting a spade through the cable . When did that ever happen with copper? . There is a lot more reliance now on internet products than back in vdsl days. Gisbourne was a prime example of how unsecure and fragile  NZ internet capability is 


 
 
 

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Stu1

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  #3360442 4-Apr-2025 09:07
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MaxineN:

 

Lorenceo:

 

My fibre line is less prone to downtime than the mains power feed to my house.

 

 

 

 

I'm going to probably crap on my luck and say that I've never logged a fault for the fibre service itself in my entire time I've had fibre.

 

I have logged a few to many RSPs but that was due to the RSP being at fault and not the LFC. Not once seen a RED LOS.

 

Knock on wood.

 

 

I’ve had soo many down time I actually no how many lights the los is from the power light 


MaxineN
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  #3360444 4-Apr-2025 09:10
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Stu1:

 

freitasm:

 

It's not a fibre problem, as this could happen on copper (DSL) anyway. It can happen on mobile broadband too, if the tower(s) have power cuts and run out of power. It will help with Starlink too, if your home is hit by a power cut.

 



 

I have power back up that’s not the problem it’s how easy a fibre cable can be damaged and the process for installation. I’ve seen where the hit the cable it’s way to shallow it should be at the same depth as the gas and Water pipes . Even home installs multiple cases of homeowners putting a spade through the cable . When did that ever happen with copper? . There is a lot more reliance now on internet products than back in vdsl days. Gisbourne was a prime example of how unsecure and fragile  NZ internet capability is 

 

 

 

 

I have seen plenty of this example in my time at One New Zealand. They didn't call 0800 B4UDIG, and they started to dig and they hit the copper.

 

Also there have been a few cases where car vs pole has happened for overhead installs too.

 

 

 

It just happens.





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mrgsm021
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  #3360445 4-Apr-2025 09:10
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I've only had red on the optical light on the first gen Chorus ONT few years ago and that was apparently due to a kink on a fibre cable at the cabinet.


Stu1

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  #3360446 4-Apr-2025 09:13
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MaxineN:

 

Stu1:

 

freitasm:

 

It's not a fibre problem, as this could happen on copper (DSL) anyway. It can happen on mobile broadband too, if the tower(s) have power cuts and run out of power. It will help with Starlink too, if your home is hit by a power cut.

 



 

I have power back up that’s not the problem it’s how easy a fibre cable can be damaged and the process for installation. I’ve seen where the hit the cable it’s way to shallow it should be at the same depth as the gas and Water pipes . Even home installs multiple cases of homeowners putting a spade through the cable . When did that ever happen with copper? . There is a lot more reliance now on internet products than back in vdsl days. Gisbourne was a prime example of how unsecure and fragile  NZ internet capability is 

 

 

 

 

I have seen plenty of this example in my time at One New Zealand. They didn't call 0800 B4UDIG, and they started to dig and they hit the copper.

 

Also there have been a few cases where car vs pole has happened for overhead installs too.

 

 

 

It just happens.

 

 

It’s just annoying these things happens , it’s more how reliant we are as a family on the internet , school is chromebooks, tutoring is online . Basic things like alarms clocks not working so having to set an alarm on the kids watches 


freitasm
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  #3360448 4-Apr-2025 09:15
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This kind of occurrence can affect anyone in New Zealand and it won't be limited to fibre. Moving away from fibre is not a solution. Having a backup access is a plan, but it costs.

 

Anything else you get will not have the same performance as fibre.





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MaxineN
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  #3360449 4-Apr-2025 09:17
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Stu1:

 

It’s just annoying these things happens , it’s more how reliant we are as a family on the internet , school is chromebooks, tutoring is online . Basic things like alarms clocks not working so having to set an alarm on the kids watches 

 

 

The way the world is moving, it will continue to be reliant on the digital world and that is the way it will be for a long time.
The dot com boom still has a lot of wind left in it. Aotearoa is still catching up in some parts. 

 

If you really want redundancy, it's time to invest in some 4G access for a failover. You're screwed if the cell is on the same fibre path as the outage unless it's backhauled by a microwave link. But then you're also screwed if there's a power outage big enough to knock mains to the cell site. Then you're reliant on the UPS keeping the cell alive, and if the UPS dies, then the carrier will have to weigh the options for a temp diesel generator or keep the cell offline until power can be restored.

 

Hope this gives you some perspective.





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CYaBro
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  #3360450 4-Apr-2025 09:18
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Get Starlink as a backup, that's what I've done.

 

You don't need to be paying anything each month, just plug it in and activate it if you ever need it.
I just plug mine in every few months to make sure it still works and it can do any updates if there are any, without needing to activate and pay for anything.

 

We're on fibre here but are rural and about 21km from the exchange so plenty of opportunity for something to happen to the fibre.
However, in just over 4 years that we've been on it we've only had 2 major outages, that weren't an ISP issue, and that was something at the exchange and when a tree branch fell on the fibre that hangs across our front lawn from the pole on the street to the house.
Both times it was repaired within 24 hours.

 

 

 

 





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Stu1

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  #3360458 4-Apr-2025 09:24
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CYaBro:

 

Get Starlink as a backup, that's what I've done.

 

You don't need to be paying anything each month, just plug it in and activate it if you ever need it.
I just plug mine in every few months to make sure it still works and it can do any updates if there are any, without needing to activate and pay for anything.

 

We're on fibre here but are rural and about 21km from the exchange so plenty of opportunity for something to happen to the fibre.
However, in just over 4 years that we've been on it we've only had 2 major outages, that weren't an ISP issue, and that was something at the exchange and when a tree branch fell on the fibre that hangs across our front lawn from the pole on the street to the house.
Both times it was repaired within 24 hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s great thought it would have to be active .


MaxineN
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  #3360460 4-Apr-2025 09:26
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CYaBro:

 

Get Starlink as a backup, that's what I've done.

 

You don't need to be paying anything each month, just plug it in and activate it if you ever need it.
I just plug mine in every few months to make sure it still works and it can do any updates if there are any, without needing to activate and pay for anything.

 

We're on fibre here but are rural and about 21km from the exchange so plenty of opportunity for something to happen to the fibre.
However, in just over 4 years that we've been on it we've only had 2 major outages, that weren't an ISP issue, and that was something at the exchange and when a tree branch fell on the fibre that hangs across our front lawn from the pole on the street to the house.
Both times it was repaired within 24 hours.

 

 

 

 

That is a VERY expensive failover.

 

Honestly a 4G CPE off Trademe is about $50-100, then you just get a prepay SIM and top it up enough to get enough data to last.

 

But 4G is not available everywhere and if it works for you, great! It's a good option to have.





Ramblings from a mysterious lady who's into tech. Warning I may often create zingers.


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