The Foibles of Fibre

Mebuntu

OK, here's the Eircom fibre deal for FTTC for anyone considering buying it.

Before you start you need to know that if you have a monitored alarm (such as Eircom Phonewatch) you will lose your landline when fibre is installed. This renders your alarm monitoring useless which may affect your house insurance. The solution is to first have Phonewatch (or your alarm company) install a GSM dialler which costs €149 plus a sim card. (BTW, I am aware that cheap jammers of these diallers can be bought so no need to discuss that in this thread)

The fibre FAQ states that "Typically, the Fibre Broadband service will be installed inside the front door. Now, "typically means "usually" or "generally" which gives the impression that there is scope for a different location if required. But no. I find it ludicrous that Eircom will only install the router where they want to install it and not where the customer wants it. If I was to go to UPC they will install it where I want it to go. So, for the sake of a few yards of extra cabling Eircom is prepared to lose existing or prospective customers. That is no way to run a business in 2012 with so much competition around.

Johnboy1951

Thanks for the info ...... I have a couple of questions you might be able to help with.

you will lose your landline when fibre is installed.

Surely you have the option to keep your landline if you wish? .... at extra cost no doubt, but is the option not available?

This renders your alarm monitoring useless which may affect your house insurance.

Can the alarm monitor not use an ATA to a VOIP line in the absence of a landline? I do not understand how the monitor could tell the difference and refuse or fail to use a VOIP line.

Thanks for any further info you can provide.

thefinalstage

Mebuntu wrote: »

OK, here's the Eircom fibre deal for FTTC for anyone considering buying it.

Before you start you need to know that if you have a monitored alarm (such as Eircom Phonewatch) you will lose your landline when fibre is installed. This renders your alarm monitoring useless which may affect your house insurance. The solution is to first have Phonewatch (or your alarm company) install a GSM dialler which costs €149 plus a sim card. (BTW, I am aware that cheap jammers of these diallers can be bought so no need to discuss that in this thread)

You do realize that it is the same with UPC? You would lose your phone line unless you want to pay extra for the phone line to remain which you are free to do with eircoms fiber offering.

Mebuntu wrote: »

The fibre FAQ states that "Typically, the Fibre Broadband service will be installed inside the front door. Now, "typically means "usually" or "generally" which gives the impression that there is scope for a different location if required. But no. I find it ludicrous that Eircom will only install the router where they want to install it and not where the customer wants it. If I was to go to UPC they will install it where I want it to go. So, for the sake of a few yards of extra cabling Eircom is prepared to lose existing or prospective customers. That is no way to run a business in 2012 with so much competition around.

Seriously, anything to complain....

Mebuntu

Johnboy1951
Answer to both your questions. The fibre installers actually came to my house and the first thing they mentioned was my alarm. They must have seen the Eircom Phonewatch outside bell housing and asked did I have monitoring included. They then pointed out that, as my landline would be defunct after the fibre installation, my monitoring system would be lost. At no point did they say that I could keep the landline as well. By coincidence I had to call out Phonewatch the following day in respect of a problem that arose and when I asked about the fibre situation they confirmed that a GSM Dialler was the solution and told me the cost.

Poisonedstream
I have never complained before about Eircom and have always been with them because they have provided a great service up to now for phone, BB and Phonewatch. The point I made about the Alarm was for information purposes for those who, like me, may not be made aware of this problem until the installers call.

I did a lot of talking on different occasions to Fibre Sales and Tech Support before finally ordering.

• Nobody even asked me if I had a monitored alarm. As there must be hundreds of thousands of people who have these installed I would have thought that this would get at least a mention during a sales/tech discussion rather than being told about it by the installation team when they arrive at the house and, into the bargain, learn that the landline will now be kaput. Your comment is the first I have heard that I could keep the landline as well. If this is so why didn’t Eircom tell me that? If I went to UPC it would be just for the BB. I get the landline free and would just have continued with Eircom for the phone in the normal way.
• I asked specifically about location as it does not suit my setup to have the router in the hall and fibre Tech Support told me there would be no problem with installing the router in another room rather than in my hall where there is no power socket anyway. On that basis I decided to go ahead. The installers did not agree and I stand by my original comment in this regard.

my friend

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Can the alarm monitor not use an ATA to a VOIP line in the absence of a landline? I do not understand how the monitor could tell the difference and refuse or fail to use a VOIP line.

johnboy the problem with voip etc is that they are power dependent

no power no voip

Johnboy1951

my friend wrote: »

johnboy the problem with voip etc is that they are power dependent

no power no voip

Yes I realise that ..... but a small UPS to power the broadband devices would surely cover the eventuality that unwelcome visitors might cut the power line. I should have mentioned I had that in mind, sorry.

eircom: Mark

Mebuntu wrote: »

OK, here's the Eircom fibre deal for FTTC for anyone considering buying it.

Before you start you need to know that if you have a monitored alarm (such as Eircom Phonewatch) you will lose your landline when fibre is installed. This renders your alarm monitoring useless which may affect your house insurance. The solution is to first have Phonewatch (or your alarm company) install a GSM dialler which costs €149 plus a sim card. (BTW, I am aware that cheap jammers of these diallers can be bought so no need to discuss that in this thread)

The fibre FAQ states that "Typically, the Fibre Broadband service will be installed inside the front door. Now, "typically means "usually" or "generally" which gives the impression that there is scope for a different location if required. But no. I find it ludicrous that Eircom will only install the router where they want to install it and not where the customer wants it. If I was to go to UPC they will install it where I want it to go. So, for the sake of a few yards of extra cabling Eircom is prepared to lose existing or prospective customers. That is no way to run a business in 2012 with so much competition around.

Hi Mebuntu,

I appreciate your point, the reason eircom outline:

"Can I get the modem placed in an upstairs bedroom?

- Typically, the Fibre Broadband service will be installed inside the front door."

The fibre engineers always need to call out to an address and at times decide on a case by case basis as to the best location to install the fiber modem (similar when connecting the standard eircom phone socket).

The word "Typically" is used because the lay out & structure of the house can dictate how the fibre is provided to the address.

As eircom do not support internal wiring they can not take specific requirements from customers as where they would like to have the modem installed, As customers may renovate the property or change their minds as to where to place the modem, which is not sustainable from an ongoing product support perspective.

Thanks, Mark

Mebuntu

As eircom do not support internal wiring they can not take specific requirements from customers as where they would like to have the modem installed

Thanks, Mark but I think that should be rephrased as "As eircom WILL NOT support internal wiring they WILL NOT take specific requirements from customers as where they would like to have the modem installed." UPC don't seem to have a problem with bringing the wiring to a room inside the house. If it subsequently needs to be moved they will do it - at a cost. Why should Eircom be any different?

As customers may renovate the property or change their minds as to where to place the modem, which is not sustainable from an ongoing product support perspective.

That's just a set of words put together to try and justify an unreasonable stance. Look, I have no intention of changing my setup. All I needed was a bit of extra line run from the hall to another room and would have paid the extra for it if they wanted to charge.
In my existing setup an ordinary telephone extension cable carrying the DSL runs from the hall to the Eircom router in the other room. This has never before created a problem "from an ongoing product support perspective". Why should it now? Has Eircom such little confidence in its new product?

Wireless net

eircom: Mark wrote: »

Hi Mebuntu,

I appreciate your point, the reason eircom outline:

"Can I get the modem placed in an upstairs bedroom?

- Typically, the Fibre Broadband service will be installed inside the front door."

The fibre engineers always need to call out to an address and at times decide on a case by case basis as to the best location to install the fiber modem (similar when connecting the standard eircom phone socket).

The word "Typically" is used because the lay out & structure of the house can dictate how the fibre is provided to the address.

As eircom do not support internal wiring they can not take specific requirements from customers as where they would like to have the modem installed, As customers may renovate the property or change their minds as to where to place the modem, which is not sustainable from an ongoing product support perspective.

Thanks, Mark

Not to mention the tiny percentage of eircom customers who will be able to
Get the fiber service.

eircom: Mark

Mebuntu wrote: »

Thanks, Mark but I think that should be rephrased as "As eircom WILL NOT support internal wiring they WILL NOT take specific requirements from customers as where they would like to have the modem installed." UPC don't seem to have a problem with bringing the wiring to a room inside the house. If it subsequently needs to be moved they will do it - at a cost. Why should Eircom be any different?

That's just a set of words put together to try and justify an unreasonable stance. Look, I have no intention of changing my setup. All I needed was a bit of extra line run from the hall to another room and would have paid the extra for it if they wanted to charge.
In my existing setup an ordinary telephone extension cable carrying the DSL runs from the hall to the Eircom router in the other room. This has never before created a problem "from an ongoing product support perspective". Why should it now? Has Eircom such little confidence in its new product?

Hi Mebuntu,

I have passed on your feedback to our fibre support team. I am sorry get back to you with the options you were hoping for.

Thanks, Mark