Very difficult installation potential issues

[mda99das]

I am a new VM customer, install being done in 1 months time due to giving sky notice period.

Going for  1GB connection. The package is TV and broadband 360 with 2 additional boxes. Landline as well.

The issue is that at no point was I made aware that they would need co-ax cables for the 2 boxes.I thought it would be like my SKY Q where the miniboxes just work from Ethernet.

In the loft there is a distribution point where CAT6 ethernet and coax is fed into each room. This was put in when we refurbished the house to future proof it, and having a wired connection when we had SKY Q beats wireless hands down!

I want the engineer to install the router in the loft. From there 1 ethernet cable will plug in and go to the main box in the lounge on the ground floor using the pre existing wiring. VM will install a splitter on the coax)  that gives 4 feeds (as far as I am aware) one will go to the router, the other 3 will use the existing coax and go to the lounge and the 2 bedrooms that I want the boxes to be placed in.

Question : Shall I plug my netgear 16 port gigabit router into the VM router and the 3 ethernet connections for the boxes into the netgear. Or shall I plug the 3 boxes directly into the VM router and use the last port for the netgear?

I am moving the landline to virgin, but the master BT socket wiring is in the basement. 

Looking at pictures of the router I can see 2 x RJ11.

Question, does the VM router split the phone service itself? If so then I will need to run a phone cable down from the loft (there is a black drainpipe) and through an airbrick that leads into the basement. Its then simply a case of taking out the BT(sky) cable which has probably been there since 1970 and wiring the VM in, so that all the landlines now have service. If the VOIP is done at the cabinet then the wire would need to be split at ground level, with co-ax going to the loft and the 2 pair twisted wire going to the basement.

The house has been recently refurbished and there isn't a need for any drilling of the brickwork. There is an access panel just under the roof and the wire can be slid in where the wiring for the CCTV cameras are.

I have a pre installation visit booked, but just wanted to know if I am asking too much? I have spent a lot of time and effort refurbishing the house, and don't want holes drilled through walls for wiring.

I can't be the first one to have such a challenging request?

Appreciate any thoughts or comments. Thank you.

[derekheeps]

I was informed , when I asked my installer the other day , that the coax used by VM is RG6

[derekheeps]

That is exactly what I did prior to my installation : I ran in a length of 20mm conduit and put in a draw wire, so the installer could run the coax under my house to the back , and bring it in through the back wall , to my home office .

While my house is an ex local authority one , I am trying to get things done the way I want them and will be improving the property , given time .

Here's a link to my thread ; iI was fortunate to get a top installer , who did everything I asked , without questioning .

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/Re-Installation/td-p/5017524

[jpeg1]

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@mda99das wrote:

@jem101 that was a very good suggestion to place a draw string. In Fact today I was going to go into the loft to check and make it as easy as possible for the engineer, and will go into the basement as well with draw strings. The more I can do to help the team, I feel I will get a better result. Got loads of biscuits and cakes and snacks for the engineers to get them on side with decent tea and coffee!

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That's a nice idea, but the technician will have been assigned a standard time slot before s/he has to get to the next job.  If they actually have time to do this unusually complex job (and that's a big if) there won't be much time for refreshments. 

[mda99das]

Right all the draw strings are in place. I don't mind getting dirty and physically pulling the wires in the basement / loft, got the full PPE hazmat suit etc so dust won't be an issue. The engineer won't need to do any drilling externally, so hopefully they will have some time for refreshments! 

[jpeg1]

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@derekheeps wrote:
I was informed , when I asked my installer the other day , that the coax used by VM is RG6

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RG6 is only a very basic performance specification, and several grades are available with e.g. different types of screening - an important factor for VM's installations.  What you can buy locally tends to be the lowest grade.

See here:  https://www.belden.com/products/cable/coax-triax-cable/rg6-cable#sort=%40catalogitemwebdisplaypriori...

[derekheeps]

Oh indeed , and I don't know how technical the installer was either ; the I mentioned plugging the hub into my UPS , his reply was " I don't know what a UPS is " , so I had to explain ...

Well , locally , I have an RS Trade Counter , and an account with them ; mail ordering I can order from CPC , Farnell ( same company ) or Canford , so usually I can get any spec of cable I want ; it's a bit like comparing a generic RG59 with PSF 1/3M 

[mda99das]

Ok just a quick update, pre install guy came round and I showed him the C&W wire, and he said that is really old, they don't use that.

A fox or some other animal had chewed the wire and the green sheathing that encased it. 

Yes people were right they don't wire into lofts, but if you do as much of the work for them and make their lives easier, you are more likely to get the wiring where you want it. He was really appreciate that I went through the effort. The next step is the go live date.

It will be interesting to see if they will join the cable to the existing C&W cable that is in the metal cover in the street. Will this affect the strength?

I will dig a deep trench in the bedding behind the wall to make the next chap's life easier and he can feed in the green sheathing and bury the cable. Tomorrow I will nail the cable behind the drainpipe. But all in all very satisfying days work!

[mda99das]

Dear Jem101 @jem101

Thanks for your tips, just thought I would update you, or you may have seen my post already.

1) My sky should have been disconnected 3 days earlier, but out of sheer serendipity it happened on the morning of my install, and I got by using my 4G dongle

2) I had a temp connection to my neighbour's T as I did not have the RG11 cable outside my house. Had to get kelly group to do a pull but I guess mine took about 2-3 weeks to get it done

3) I got the cabling just the way I wanted to. I had to relay one of the RG6 cables as the chap from sky had cut one of the wires at the wall some years back. I got the engineer to crimp the existing RG6 cables and the newer amphenol cable. One thing to note, the engineer did test the strength of the signal at the RG11 end, and then at the first part of the RG6 end prior to splitting, and there was a drop in the signal. I probably used about 120 metres of RG6 which was the reason for the drop, however this was corrected with an amplifier. Incidentally using the 3 boxes (one is connected with amphenol cable to the splitter, and the other 2 are using the pre-existing RG6 cable, and I have to say, when I run the diagnostic tests, they all come up with "good signal"

Is this the highest it goes, or is there an "Excellent signal" display? I have had no loss of picture, but some of the channels are a tad bit blurry when there is text scrolling such as CNBC

4) I have the engineer coming back just to tidy things up, and just ensure that everything is working ok next week.

I appreciate your help.