Full fibre install - want to drill into my house?!

[Rubbleonthedouble2]

Has anyone had a broadband upgrade to full fibre and how did it go/what actually happened?

I've received an email from open reach telling me that they'll need to drill a small hole into my house! There was also a link to a video but that skimmed over the details and focused more on telling me I can watch my shows without buffing 🙄

We just renovated the house a couple of years ago and all the wires etc are nicely hidden, I don't want want new holes and exposed wires that the babies (1&3!) can get to and pull on.

They need to put something like this in, so they need to come through the wall to put this in so they can plug the box in.

This is normal

It's perfectly standard and really will just be a small hole. Speak to the engineers when they get to you and get them to explain what they're doing and why. If you dont like the location, they can sometimes work around it. If they do it and ruin something in/on your house, Openreach will pay to sort it.

Yes, normal. How else do you think the fibre can get in your house?

I know they did it in our house and I can’t even tell you where it comes in, I assume in the alcove where the tv is and it’s hidden by a cupboard

Yabu. How do you expect fibre broadband to get inside your precious house? The clue is in the name.

Don't like it, don't buy it!

They’ll have to drill a few holes in the walls outside one for the bracket that fixes the wire to the house and they need at least 2 more at the bottom to tether there ladder ( no way round this it’s health and safety working at height to secure equipment all the providers have to use the same system the engineer won’t risk not doing it they’ll be sacked as that’s one thing they check on the audit for fixing holes )
inside all wiring will be surface wiring they don’t go under floors or carpets
generally there’s very little internal wiring they come straight through the wall and put the ont box that needs mains power

they have to drill and they have to have wiring
they’ll go from line of site to the pole straight through the wall and fit box there
it’s how it works don’t kick off or pester engineer they’ll just abandon install and send it back as failed instal
they won’t run loads of internal wiring as the service providers only pay for minimal wiring

OP they drill a cable sized hole just above skirting board height. Inside you get a small box (a bit taller than the old telephone line boxes) with a cable that comes out. Our main cable then runs through trunking around a door frame (because it can't go under the floor) to the router. We also chose to have a second cable installed upstairs (in case the WiFi is dodgy and we need Internet for work) so have another hole upstairs. Both have silicone rings holding the cables in place (and keeping water out) and are siliconed over too so fully weatherproof.

When it was done here a few weeks ago, they checked I was happy with the position (close to floor) then drilled the hole, pushed the wire through and covered the outside hole with a small plate. Inside there's a small box.

Well yeah, they need to get the cable into the house. How did you expect it would work?

I had it installed and it's been utterly shit. The internet drops out all the time and then you have to phone BT and they drone on at you telling you to turn the router on and off again, which at this point is just frankly insulting. It's AWFUL and it costs LOADS. Cannot recommend. Utter shite.

And they never know or remember how many times you have called them so they make you start from the beginning again and again so you are trapped in this relentless argument with a goldfish who can neither help you or remember why they can't help you.

Oh and if you want to get out of your contract it's like nine hundred pounds, just to leave.

I am hotspotting from my phone to type this. Yes, inside my house. Awful!

They can’t magic it in. I have mine in a cupboard

They didn't need to drill any new holes for ours, just used the existing ones where the old landine was. Saying that, the actual service seems to be worse, so I'm not inclined to recommend the change.

I'm wanting to change package as what I'm paying just not is extortionate but the drilling etc is what's putting me off as I live in a flat so can't imagine it being that straight forward.

Possibly you haven't realised but upgrading to full fibre means that your internet while come through a fibre optic connection rather than the old telephone cable. So they will have to run a fibre optic cable into your house one way or another.

They will also need to install a device that converts the fibre optic signal to an electrical signal that can be understood by the router.

Why will they need a ladder? OP hasn’t said they are in a flat or installing it upstairs.

Ours, and everyone else’s that I’ve seen, is about a foot off the ground! No need for any ladders.

OP, the hole isn’t noticeable as there’s a box on the wall either side. No loose cables either.

Depends how the cable gets to your house. I live in an older house so my cable comes across the road from a pole, parallel to my old phone cable.

How else do you think the fibre cable will get into the house?!

If you look at the pavement outside your house, you will probably see a small plastic cap going down to the duct. This is where the cable will probably come out, and run in a straight line to your house wall where it will enter. In my case I got them to run it from the one nearer my neighbour,which was more conveniently situated for entry inside the garage, where the internal cable was then run.

They seem to like laying the cable to your house very shallow. Mine is under paving. You might be able to dig a trench yourself so it can be deeper, for example so it will not be damaged when you are digging the garden.

You can get Voda or 3 5G that is wireless. Otherwise yu will need a cable to be put through. Just avoid Virgin Media as they have terrible customer service

I had this issue with BT and changed to Plusnet. No issues since.

How do you think the fibre optic cable is going to come into your house, other than through the wall? The hole inside is covered with a plastic cover to make it look tidy. Outside has a little plastic box with a door where any spare fibre is coiled up.

When CityFibre installed mine, they asked where I wanted the cable to come in. Within reason, they can route the cable around the outside of your house. Mine is from a pole and comes down the outside wall to the ground floor.

Take a look at external walls where you have power sockets inside your house and make a list of several locations on external walls and next to sockets that you deem suitable for the media converter (that's the little powered box, it converts a signal sent as flashes of light in glass fibre into a signal sent as moving electrons in copper). If the fibre will come from a pole, consider locations on both floors. You can run the fibre in a trunking in your house, but it doesn't like being bent at right angles, so you can't run it around a corner of a room.

make a list of several locations on external walls and next to sockets that you deem suitable for the media converter

This is also where your router will need to be unless you want to run a category 6 cable around your walls, so think about being able to mount the router on the wall there or fit a little cabinet or something like that.

Normal. They have to for tetra, their safety system. Tiny hole and they'll block it straight up.

Slightly different situation
but

We were told the same but they also needed an external hole for installation health and safety

They said Theyd mastic fill 🤣🤣🤷‍♀️
Exposed and on the outside of a grade II star listed building
Not a clue !!!