[Snap] Our new Fibre

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › [Snap] Our new Fibre

shermanp

355 posts

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#136530 30-Nov-2013 10:32

Well, we finally have Fibre!

We chose Snap! as our ISP, and so I'd like to give some thoughts regarding the install process (up to where we are at so far).

First, the install to date has taken approx 3.5 weeks. As we live up a ROW, this was not unexpected. Our LFC is UltraFast Fibre.

So the signup process started on Nov 5. We signed up online, and was a very straightforward process. We elected not to get a FrtizBox. The plan we chose was 100/50 fibre with an extra 100GB data pack.

Two days later the contractor turned up to start digging holes not realising it was a ROW and so referred the matter back to UFF. UFF sent us a consent form that day for us and our neighbours to sign. We sent that back on the Monday. Note from this time there was no contact from Snap! whatsoever (apart from the automated welcome email). Also, no one from UFF or transfield ever gave advanced warning for when they were going to turn up. Thankfully my father works from home now and so there was almost always someone home.

So on the Monday or Tuesday (can't remember which) a "Designer" from UFF came to scope the works. Then nothing (appeared) to happen.

About a week later, I called Snap! to see if I could get an update on where UFF was at regarding the install. This was the first and only time there has been any contact with Snap! to date. The gentleman on the phone was very nice and promised to follow up, and send us an email. Needless to day, the promised email must have got lost in the great wide internet somewhere... (depressingly, I wasn't really expecting any different)

Then on Monday 25th Nov, it all finally started to happen. On Monday, they (hand)dug the required holes in the drive and berms.
Tuesday, it was the underborers turn.
Wednesday the guy came to fit the ETP and run ducting to our patch pannel.
Thursday, the ducting was all prepared for the fibre to be blown through.
Friday (yesterday) the Fibre was blown, the ONT installed etc.

So currently we have (basic) fibre internet (I'm using it right now), however it has NOT yet been officially provisioned, so we are currently on 30/10, and routes may not yet be optimised etc. We currently seem to be on a "default" Snap! profile.

Therefore I will withhold any speedtests from this thread until our connection has been provisioned.

So, in summary:

For a right of way install, ours seems to have gone very smoothly (good neighbours helps I'm sure)

There were a lot of services in the area, and no one hit any of them, so that's a big plus!

But communication was not the strong point of either UFF, Transfield, or Snap! The installers tended to have a habit of showing up without any advanced warning, and not once were we ever contacted by anyone from Snap!

PeterReader

6018 posts

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Geekzone

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#943326 30-Nov-2013 10:32

Hello... Our robot found some keywords in your post, so here is an automated reply with some important things to note regarding broadband speeds.

If you are posting regarding DSL speeds please check that

- you have reset your modem and router

- your PC (or other PCs in your LAN) is not downloading large files when you are testing

- you are not being throttled by your ISP due to going over the monthly cap

- your tests are always done on an ethernet connection to the router - do not use wireless for testing

- you read this topic and follow the instructions there.

Make sure you provide information for other users to help you. If you have not already done it, please EDIT your post and add this now:

- Your ISP and plan

- Type of connection (ADSL, ADSL2, VDSL)

- Your modem DSL stats (do not worry about posting Speedtest, we need sync rate, attenuation and noise margin)

- Your general location (or street)

- If you are rural or urban

- If you know your connection is to an exchange, cabinet or conklin

- If your connection is to a ULL or wholesale service

- If you have done an isolation test as per the link above

Most of the problems with speed are likely to be related to internal wiring issues. Read this discussion to find out more about this. Your ISP is not intentionally slowing you down today (unless you are on a managed plan). Also if this is the school holidays it's likely you will notice slower than usual speed due to more users online.

A master splitter is required for VDSL2 and in most cases will improve speeds on DSL connections. Regular disconnections can be a monitored alarm or a set top box trying to connect. If there's an alarm connected to your line even if you don't have an alarm contract it may still try to connect so it's worth checking.

I recommend you read these two blog posts:

- Is your premises phone wiring impacting your broadband performance? (very technical)

- Are you receiving a substandard ULL ADSL2+ connection from your ISP?

I am the Geekzone Robot and I am here to help. I am from the Internet. I do not interact. Do not expect other replies from me.

These links are referral codes: Sharesies | Mighty Ape

DarthKermit

5346 posts

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#943358 30-Nov-2013 12:17

Thanks for the update. What area do you live in?

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

shermanp

355 posts

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#943413 30-Nov-2013 15:03

DarthKermit: Thanks for the update. What area do you live in?

New Plymouth area.

WolfmanNZ

139 posts

Master Geek

#944216 2-Dec-2013 16:24

I have signed up in the last few days as well. I don't have shared driveway issues, so no dramas there, but the date I have been given for Chorus to come round is 20 December... if it doesnt go smoothly, that doesn't leave a lot of room for things to get sorted before everyone buggers off on holiday. Plus if they damage my wife's garden she's gonna kill them, then probably me!

shermanp

355 posts

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#951277 12-Dec-2013 21:56

Hi folks,

Just thought I'd update this.

After a bit over a week of chasing Snap and UFF, we finally have our UFB fully provisioned.

So far we are pretty happy with the performance.

Downloads are of course blazing fast, as expected.

Compared to our Telecom ADSL, web browsing is a bit of a mixed bag. Some sites are definitely more responsive, however I have also come across web sites that are significantly less so. I assume this is to do with the different routes each ISP uses. Streaming media for all sites seems very good however.

Obligatory speed test below:
SpeedTest

I also downloaded a ubuntu torrent this morning. It got as fast as 8.7MB/s

So yeah, rather happy :D

eXDee

4032 posts

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#951280 12-Dec-2013 22:02

shermanp: Compared to our Telecom ADSL, web browsing is a bit of a mixed bag. Some sites are definitely more responsive, however I have also come across web sites that are significantly less so. I assume this is to do with the different routes each ISP uses. Streaming media for all sites seems very good however.

Mostly caching i believe. Telecom runs a large cache farm, but i believe snap does not and opts for raw high bandwidth. Please correct if this isn't right (anyone from snap or who knows better).

naggyman

697 posts

Ultimate Geek

#951653 13-Dec-2013 14:30

shermanp: Also, no one from UFF or transfield ever gave advanced warning for when they were going to turn up. Thankfully my father works from home now and so there was almost always someone home.

When I had my install done we had chorus guys show up a few days early from their scheduled install date to begin the install, my dad was home for lunch so he told them to start. They basically did all of the outside work that didn't require them to be inside. They blew the fibre the next day (without telling us, just the ETP just had a sticker placed on it and was screwed shut). Then on the scheduled install day they finished the work.

Morgan French-Stagg

morgan.french.net.nz