[Snap] My Snap! UFB ordering and installation diary

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timmmay

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#130836 29-Sep-2013 21:18

I finally decided to go ahead with it, so I ordered Snap! 30/10 today. Mine will be an overhead install I think, but I guess I'll find out later. $50 installation fee, $75 per month for 100GB of data, including a phone line. I'll have the equipment installed in a cupboard in a spare bedroom.

I've told them I want to keep my existing internet connection, that this is additional, but that legacy phone lines can be taken down. I want my Vodafone cable to keep working until I know the Snap connection's reliable.

Signing up online was easy, though support had to tell me how to find it - the main part of the website isn't very intuitive and doesn't have much information, which they tell me they're addressing. All in all I had to send support around 5 emails to get the information I needed to decide to sign up, which took around 11 days.

One disappointment is their password field is limited to 16 characters, and won't take the space character. I can't think of any obvious reason to impose those limits. Not a big deal.

This thread will record the installation process.

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#904812 29-Sep-2013 22:39

It might not be a good idea to put the equipment in the ceiling. It'll get very hot up there, and things may overheat/become unstable.
Apart from that, sounds good. Be sure to post pictures.

michaelmurfy

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#904815 29-Sep-2013 22:42

What?! I can't use my password "Correct Horse Battery Staple" - that's ridiculous! Leave the phone line in place if you've got an option, more or less since getting it reconnected is an ass. I had my server in the ceiling over Winter but now I'm seeing temperatures of 35*C+ so had to move it, it's not ideal having equipment in the roof space due to the fact it does indeed get quite hot in there.

Edit: Now changed password just in case anyone tries logging into my Geekzone account.

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NZSimplicity

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#904823 29-Sep-2013 23:14

hmm are snap charging an installation fee? - cause Enable says on their web site: Connection is free to residential customers provided the distance from the boundary of your property to the connection point on your home is less than 30 metres and the internal wiring needed is less than 10 metres.

kingjj

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#904835 29-Sep-2013 23:47

NZSimplicity: hmm are snap charging an installation fee? - cause Enable says on their web site: Connection is free to residential customers provided the distance from the boundary of your property to the connection point on your home is less than 30 metres and the internal wiring needed is less than 10 metres.

Guessing the OP signed up for 2 years and got the Fritz!Box 7390 for $50.

timmmay

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#904850 30-Sep-2013 07:51

Lorenceo: It might not be a good idea to put the equipment in the ceiling. It'll get very hot up there, and things may overheat/become unstable.
Apart from that, sounds good. Be sure to post pictures.

michaelmurfy: What?! I can't use my password "Correct Horse Battery Staple" - that's ridiculous! Leave the phone line in place if you've got an option, more or less since getting it reconnected is an ass. I had my server in the ceiling over Winter but now I'm seeing temperatures of 35*C+ so had to move it, it's not ideal having equipment in the roof space due to the fact it does indeed get quite hot in there.

Edit: Now changed password just in case anyone tries logging into my Geekzone account.

I know it's not ideal. I asked about it in this thread, and I think it'll be ok. Yes it will shorten the equipment lifespan, but I don't plan to leave it there forever, maybe a year or two. I have a chimney that vents from the ceiling cavity (I took a fireplace out), current stuffed with insulation but I'll take that out to hopefully reduce the temperatures a little.

I just don't have any other area in the house to put it that my fiancée will let me use, it's an old house and all our storage is full. In the future I'll move it to the top of a wardrobe, which I'll make sure is well ventilated. I already had the conduit and power put in place for it when I rebuilt a room.

NZSimplicity: hmm are snap charging an installation fee? - cause Enable says on their web site: Connection is free to residential customers provided the distance from the boundary of your property to the connection point on your home is less than 30 metres and the internal wiring needed is less than 10 metres.

kingjj:
NZSimplicity: hmm are snap charging an installation fee? - cause Enable says on their web site: Connection is free to residential customers provided the distance from the boundary of your property to the connection point on your home is less than 30 metres and the internal wiring needed is less than 10 metres.

Guessing the OP signed up for 2 years and got the Fritz!Box 7390 for $50.

Yep I signed up for two years with the 7390 router. I've been with TC now Vodafone for 6 years, but they're dragging their heels offering UFB, and I'm a bit tired of their proxy/cache and routing issues. I'm hoping a smaller, newer company might do a better job.

Threarah

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#904901 30-Sep-2013 09:40

How did you manage to get unlimited overnight usage without buying an additional $15 data pack?

I had put off upgrading to snap's VDSL until our EQ repairs were done, but now that that is not happening until at least next year I rechecked the prices and it turned out that the free data pack + unlimited overnight was a special that expired at the end of August rather than a part of the 2 year contract as I had initially thought. Disappointing, as I can't really justify a $20/mo increase for upload speed alone (currently on snap ADSL2), whereas I initially thought it was only a $5/mo increase. Might want to check to make sure you're not making the same assumption as I did.

timmmay

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#904914 30-Sep-2013 09:54

Threarah: How did you manage to get unlimited overnight usage without buying an additional $15 data pack?

I had put off upgrading to snap's VDSL until our EQ repairs were done, but now that that is not happening until at least next year I rechecked the prices and it turned out that the free data pack + unlimited overnight was a special that expired at the end of August rather than a part of the 2 year contract as I had initially thought. Disappointing, as I can't really justify a $20/mo increase for upload speed alone (currently on snap ADSL2), whereas I initially thought it was only a $5/mo increase. Might want to check to make sure you're not making the same assumption as I did.

I misread the website, turns out you have to pay $15/month to get an extra 100GB and 1am - 7am free. Thanks for pointing that out. It's probably not worth it for me, given I currently get 60GB and don't always use that.

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timmmay

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#905034 30-Sep-2013 12:25

I've been contacted by Snap, the install scheduled for this coming Friday. That's much sooner than I expected. I'd better get the area to install it into prepared.

matt45

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#905390 30-Sep-2013 20:34

You should probably be aware that if the install location is not deemed to be suitable for the ONT (temperature etc) Chorus will refuse to install it there as it is a Chorus owned and maintained asset.

timmmay

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#905391 30-Sep-2013 20:37

Fair call. I've found a cupboard to put it into now, after negotiation with my fiance, so that problem's solved.

timmmay

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#906866 3-Oct-2013 08:27

I got a call from the fibre installation company today, they wanted to come a day early. I've had to say no as I've made arrangements for an electrician to come early tomorrow to install a power point where I want the equipment installed, and also arrangements to take time off work. They would come when I asked if I pushed it.

They were scheduled for Friday afternoon, but I suspect they're going to arrive early on Friday.

NB: this is not about Snap, it's about the install company.

timmmay

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#907832 4-Oct-2013 12:20

The fiber installation people are here today. They can't get the fiber from the road to the house because they need to get permission from the Wellington Electricity Company, which apparently can take days as it has to go from their company, to Chorus, to them, then back. So they'll probably come back next week, which will probably mean time off work.

They're doing the internal installation today, everything from the box attached to the house through to the fiber modem thingy, they're friendly and seem to be doing a good job of it.

Photos to follow once it's all finished.

timmmay

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#915180 15-Oct-2013 08:05

11 days after the initial visit from the chorus technicians and I've still not heard anything about finishing the connection. The house is wired, but it's not connected to the network as they need permission to climb the power poles. Snap don't seem to have any communication with or information from Chorus.

I'm not in a rush, but it all seems quite mickey mouse.

RalphFromSnap

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#915255 15-Oct-2013 10:10

Hey Timmmay,

The latest update we have from Chorus is that this order has been referred to the Civil Team for further build work. Unfortunately they were unable to supply us with a date on that update. I've requested further information from them now!

Cheers,
Ralph

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surfisup1000

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#915262 15-Oct-2013 10:19

timmmay: 11 days after the initial visit from the chorus technicians and I've still not heard anything about finishing the connection. The house is wired, but it's not connected to the network as they need permission to climb the power poles. Snap don't seem to have any communication with or information from Chorus.

I'm not in a rush, but it all seems quite mickey mouse.

I'm curious -- do snap have any control over chorus -- other than entering a work order and requesting status updates?

Are there any service level agreements in place with chorus that and average job must be completed in a certain time. I suspect that there is no such thing as an average job here.

And, should there be a better chorus->end-user messaging system in place?

Largely the complaints I see are that there are no status updates to customers when the job is with chorus.

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