Moving home - destination question

[Louise515]

Hi

I'm going to be moving soon but staying local. I have fibre broadband only and want to have that installed at the new address (a second floor rented flat (housing association)). Apparently, it is available but isn't currently installed in the new flat - there only appears to be a telephone socket. What would be involved with installing the fibre broadband, and can I overlap the service at my current address and the new one? I don't want to be without an internet connection and I need to do the move home over a few weeks or so.

Thanks

[Louise515]

I've just got so frustrated with it all just trying to find out what I have and what can easily be connected! I'm an elderly person and get confused and befuddled easily and I'm all alone in the world. I called BT re the phone line and I let myself get talked into having BT install an internet connection via the phone line but now I'm regretting it. It's why I hate having to deal with people over the phone. If that 'NTL' box is useable for high speed connection (100Mb or better) than that would be good and I'd cancel the BT one.

[Louise515]

The 'moving home' thing just takes me to book my move without telling me what I can easily have connected. I need something more explicit - it's all so opaque...

[goslow]

Is there a particular reason you need the high speed VM connection?

You stated that you just needed broadband only at the beginning of the topic (rather than any VM TV offerings etc.)

Many people believe that faster speed = a better connection but that is not necessarily so.

For general web browsing, sending emails, streaming iPlayer etc. you can certainly get by with a slower connection than 100 Mbps.

Do you know what speed and type of connection you are being offered by BT?

[Louise515]

I stream 4k videos and I somehow manage to run a combat flight simulator despite being old and doddery! My whole life revolves around the internet - the VM 125Mb has been fine but I'd be unhappy with anything very much slower - perhaps it's spoilt me...If I didn't think I needed it, I'd throw away my 3 desktops and just use a phone... BT have said I'd get 55-69Mb over the phone line (via a master socket) but it's not guaranteed. An engineer is supposed to be coming on the 9th but, as I say I'm regretting it now and would cancel if I could be sure about what I could get from VM. 

PS I have broadband only from VM - I'm not interested in TV or phone

[goslow]

Does your new address appear on the postcode checker on the movers page?

That should confirm that the service is available.

[Louise515]

Yes, there are all manner of services available but it doesn't tell me what is actually available at the actual property. The only things I know are available in the property are the phone lines (not actually connected) and the NTL box. Anything else would have to be installed - presumably from the road. This is where I've been having so much difficulty in my head because the property is set back and I can't see how anything could easily be installed except perhaps via the CATV cover (pictured above).

I'm losing the will to live because it's so hard to find out a simple thing! I need practical help from a knowledgeable engineer!

PS the property is on the postcode checker but that doesn't help if I can't get someone to tell me what I can have there.

[goslow]

I think I am getting confused now!

If your specific address (poscode/flat no. etc.) appears in this general postcode checker

https://www.virginmedia.com/broadband/postcode-checker

it will tell you all manner of services which you could have at the new address. This checker is for new customers so it shows multiple options. The home movers checker just confirms if you can move your services to a new address.

If your specific address appears in the postcode checker you can get VM services. If your specific address does not appear in the postcode checker you cannot get VM services.

But you (presumably) are just wanting to move your 125 Mbps only connection over to your new home so you would go via the home mover route to transfer your 125 Mbps broadband service.

And it looks like you have the connection box already in place and waiting to connect your VM hub to, from your photo. You should not need any new cables installed. VM will assume that cable and NTL wall box from your photo is working.

[Louise515]

I found this reference on here to old NTL cabling: 

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Use-of-ntlworld-cabling/td-p/5221111#:~:t....

That doesn't fill me with confidence either!

[goslow]

Don't think I can add any more to the above.

As far as I can see (and if your new address appears as serviceable on the postcode checker) you should be able to move your VM service and it looks like you already have the cabling in place so no cabling into your home should be needed.

VM would probably offer to send you a 'Quick Start' kit to plug the equipment in yourself but you might like to consider paying the £35 for a technician installation to give you peace of mind ref making the connections.

See what the VM forum team can tell you, who should reply back here in due course. Hopefully they will confirm the above and offer to take your info via PM and confirm you can move your VM service to your new home and go through the details with you of how to do that successfully.

[Louise515]

Yes it says I can have the fibre broadband but that's just a semi-automated response - it doesn't tell me anything about the practicalities of what needs to be done to get up and running, what would be involved, how much it would cost or how long it would take. I was talking to a former neighbour earlier today and who has just been going through a similar thing. 'Yes yes you can have fibre - we'll send you all the kit'. He gets the kit and there's nothing like what they told him would be there to plug into, so he goes round and round in circles (just like I am) and still hasn't got a connection after weeks of messing around. Everything is geared towards sales - not the technical support some people need.