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URGENT - Has anyone on here had BT Infinity 'Fiber' Broadband Installed

Hi All,

I am currently working on project for a politician here in Oz on broadband deployment.

I have a quick question, if anyone on here has had BT Infinity installed and were already using BT Broadband can you tell me the following....

If you were ALREADY a BT broadband customer....

1] Did you need a new modem installed by BT or did you use your old modem?

2] How does the 'Infinity' fiber-optic service compare to the old DSL broadband service?

3] What was the installation process like?

For context, the Oz government is deploying a $40 billion state-owned FTTH project and my guy wants some examples of how BT's 'FTTN' project (using copper, not fiber to reach subs) is holding up.

Many Thanks.
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Comments

  • 1) they provided a new router, but then routers get updated reasonably regularly anyway for new users, existing users don't get a new router due to the postage costs!
    2) faster. probably. Not a massive difference to be honest
    3) fine, there were issues with my telephone line, which struggle a bit...
  • 1) they provided a new router, but then routers get updated reasonably regularly anyway for new users, existing users don't get a new router due to the postage costs!
    2) faster. probably. Not a massive difference to be honest
    3) fine, there were issues with my telephone line, which struggle a bit...

    Just to clarify, you COULD have used your existing modem router for BT Infinity or did you definitely need a new one?

    Much appreciated.
  • Hi All,

    I am currently working on project for a politician here in Oz on broadband deployment.

    I have a quick question, if anyone on here has had BT Infinity installed and were already using BT Broadband can you tell me the following....

    If you were ALREADY a BT broadband customer....

    1] Did you need a new modem installed by BT or did you use your old modem?

    2] How does the 'Infinity' fiber-optic service compare to the old DSL broadband service?

    3] What was the installation process like?

    For context, the Oz government is deploying a $40 billion state-owned FTTH project and my guy wants some examples of how BT's 'FTTN' project (using copper, not fiber to reach subs) is holding up.

    Many Thanks.

    Had a new router provided, plus a modem which I didn't previously have.

    Considerably faster.

    Original engineer made a bit of a hash of things, which affected the telephone line. 2nd guy was more clued up and put things right.

    We were one of the first areas with Infinity, so I guess teething problems were to be expected.

  • Hi All,

    I am currently working on project for a politician here in Oz on broadband deployment.

    I have a quick question, if anyone on here has had BT Infinity installed and were already using BT Broadband can you tell me the following....

    If you were ALREADY a BT broadband customer....

    1] Did you need a new modem installed by BT or did you use your old modem?

    2] How does the 'Infinity' fiber-optic service compare to the old DSL broadband service?

    3] What was the installation process like?

    For context, the Oz government is deploying a $40 billion state-owned FTTH project and my guy wants some examples of how BT's 'FTTN' project (using copper, not fiber to reach subs) is holding up.

    Many Thanks.

    Had a new router provided, plus a modem which I didn't previously have.

    Considerably faster.

    Original engineer made a bit of a hash of things, which affected the telephone line. 2nd guy was more clued up and put things right.

    We were one of the first areas with Infinity, so I guess teething problems were to be expected.

    Great, thanks mate, much appreciated.
  • 1) they provided a new router, but then routers get updated reasonably regularly anyway for new users, existing users don't get a new router due to the postage costs!
    2) faster. probably. Not a massive difference to be honest
    3) fine, there were issues with my telephone line, which struggle a bit...

    Just to clarify, you COULD have used your existing modem router for BT Infinity or did you definitely need a new one?

    Much appreciated.
    A new BT home hub wireless router was provided. I know whether this was essential or not. Probably the old one would have worked, but less well?

    http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/broadband/wireless-hub-router

    My telephone line was a bit marginal, voice calls on it can be a bit crackly now, but then I hardly make calls on my BT line anyway, it wasn't an issue
  • 1. Now have a box that sits between the phone socket and the router but the route is the same we used on bt broadband.

    2. Hell of a lot quicker (about 10-12 times quicker)

    3. Install was quick and painless,no settings changes needed on our router from what i remember. We had a small issue with another socket in the house which was resolved speedily by bt.
  • Ormiston,

    The "second router" or modem is required to enable BT and other service providers to perform their own diagnostics down the line. It is an Openreach device (BT's separated site engineering team who work for all service providers, not just BT).

    The improvement in speed depends upon what speed you were getting previously, largely dependent upon distance from your telephone exchange. I live on the exchange boundary in Charlton where the loss of speed over copper cables over distance meant I was getting sub-2 Mbps. With Infinity the cabinet at the end of my street is now connected on fibre optics which brings very fast Broadband to that point and effectively means we are living next door to the exchange now. My speeds are now reliably above 20 Mbps and often as high as 38 Mbps on download. Upload is constrained at closer to 4 Mbps.

    I work for BT, so if you need any more information, send me a private message.
  • My brother has recently got infinity from BT, be aware that he has noticed (due to my technical skills) that his broadband speeds are much faster using ethernet rather than wireless. I'd say it's most likely being caused by the BT router that they supplied. I've made a few suggestions to him regarding changing the wireless channel etc.

    All I'm saying is if you don't get the speeds you were expecting via wireless, try connecting via a ethernet cable straight into the router to see if you notice any improvement. My brother gains 20mb.
  • Your wireless speed has nothing to do with the service being provisioned down your line. If its slower than it was before the router was changed, then its either a firmware issue, the router has been located differently and there's more interference where it's sited now, you've got more interference from neighbouring routers offering service in the same area of the spectrum, or your devices can only connect in wireless b (standard now is either g or n)

    There are other possibilities, but those are the most likely. People tend to forget (or never know) that WiFi is inherently much slower than wired, in any situation - because there is an overhead associated with each packet (information is broken into packets in networking to make it more efficient to transfer from one place to another) - involving encryption and encapsulating packets with information about the WiFi network. It gets worse when there are more devices on the network ad well, and data isn't 'full duplex' on WiFi networks (meaning your device can't send and receive data at the same time).

    In short, when you have a choice between wired and wireless, choose wired.
  • my experience of this is you need the new fibre box, and a compatible router - if your router is compatible it will work, if not then use a new one.
    and I agree a wired connection is more reliable and faster normally, although you can invest in higher speed wireless equipment specifically designed for video.
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  • Yeah - that'll be the newer stuff that is much faster when sat closer to the access point, but has its own problems that are too dull to go into here :)
  • I bet, but as you said, wired is much better and preferred, have you tried the plug into the wall socket variety and how does it compare?
  • Actually not bad. It can be ropey in some older places, but generally pretty reliable. It took me a bit of convincing, but is definitely a situation worth looking at where WiFi isn't an option because of thick walls, and you can't just chase cat5/6 either for the same or for aesthetic reasons.

    It was just a weird concept for me to get my head round - after years spent telling sparks to keep their shit away from my data cabling :)
  • Oi, Razil and Ambrose, get orf my thread!
  • The only issue I have with BT Infinity (71MB down, 21MB up as I can see the tel exchange from my front window!) is that I have a VOIP account and BT router or system is regularly sending "ghost calls" every two or three days usually around 3am! Suspect that its a result of checks but they're denying this. Got so bad and the voip phone is disconnected before bed... This never occurred before the installation, so id advise you to keep an eye out as this seem common over here.
  • Sorry for reviving an old thread, but I just wanted to say, trying to get BT Infinity installed has been the most miserable experience I've ever had with a big corporation. It's been utterly pathetic, and the customer services have only made it dreadfully worse.

    I know they say a small percentage of customers end up in this situation, and for the most part it runs like clockwork, but having spent several hours this week on the phone to them, I honestly cannot imagine these idiots ever getting it right. An utter and complete balls up, confounded by a CS team that have no clue how to make it right.

    Thus, having been switched on this morning and cancelled as soon as I got hom from work, I might be able to lay claim to the shortest tenure as a BT customer of all time.

  • had a very similar experience.

    for some reason I couldn't get out of the contract and had to keep infinity. after complaining in writing they have shorten my contract and put the price down to what I was on before I had infinity. all this took so much more effect than it should of done.

    they have apologised for the inconvenience but it wont bring back one of my laptops which has become obsolete because it cant cope with the high frequency or whatever that the modem puts out.

    and I have notice little improvement with the speed of my broadband. they have put that down to the area I live in. never told me that while they were giving me the spill to buy the thing in the first place.
  • my original post on general things that annoy you back in early December-


    "BT Infinity. what a waste of fucking time.

    ended up having to reconnect everything in the house (including sky hd) most manually to the hub. took ages. with little to no help from those over at BT Towers.

    oh and it still isn't fixed properly. ffs "
  • Hi All,

    I am currently working on project for a politician here in Oz on broadband deployment.

    I have a quick question, if anyone on here has had BT Infinity installed and were already using BT Broadband can you tell me the following....

    If you were ALREADY a BT broadband customer....

    1] Did you need a new modem installed by BT or did you use your old modem?

    2] How does the 'Infinity' fiber-optic service compare to the old DSL broadband service?

    3] What was the installation process like?

    For context, the Oz government is deploying a $40 billion state-owned FTTH project and my guy wants some examples of how BT's 'FTTN' project (using copper, not fiber to reach subs) is holding up.

    Many Thanks.

    Is the politician paying you for your knowledge ?
  • My experiences with BT and their abysmal customer services when trying to resolve a line problem and a substantial sum of money owed to me lasted months. I learned to my astonishment that they had been voted as the best customer services department in the UK. God alone knows what the second best must be like. Since I left them, I tear up any mail drops with angry relish.
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  • Not sure about infinity but my mum has standard BT broadband and every time I go round there I have to reset the router to get it to work on mine and the Mrs iPhones and my laptop.

    Also they have recently employed some right shady engineers lately.

    I'd like to get fibre but would go with sky once the prices come down.
  • buckshee said:

    Not sure about infinity but my mum has standard BT broadband and every time I go round there I have to reset the router to get it to work on mine and the Mrs iPhones and my laptop.

    Also they have recently employed some right shady engineers lately.

    I'd like to get fibre but would go with sky once the prices come down.

    The engineers may not be Openreaches own. They're using a lot of contractors e.g. Quinns, Kellys, who get paid per job. Not tarring them all with the same brush but have heard many bad stories.



  • 1. NEw modem not a new router as the old one works the same
    2. miles faster than the 1 mb I was getting (I am only about 20 meters form the box in the street)
    3. Install was just the same as standard DSL

    On a side note I have to say it is great for me to have it as I am so far from an exchange but the cost is some what high
  • edited January 2014
    Buckshee I signed up with sky fibre after asking for a Mac code to leave O2 broadband and getting put through to retentions. The deal was £20/month inc landline, free installation and £75 credit on my account. Brilliant service and no capping which is incredible considering I regularly upload 15 gig in an evening and stream and download heavily too. Probably not a deal open to everyone but my brother who works for sky says they're throwing deals out like confetti at the moment so now's probably a good time to ask.
  • I had a problem with my old router which was replaced a few weeks before I had bt infinity fitted, so there was no change to the router.

    Fitting infinity is not just about router (Sure you know), there was a white box fitted to the wall, which the Infinity fed into and then a cable leads from this to the router. Did not know about this box before they arrived to fit so had to do some quick furniture shifting

    Was significantly faster, but did fluctuate.

    Fitting was fine but they forgot to do something which affected wireless - can't quite rememeber what but soon sorted.
  • JiMMy 85 said:

    Sorry for reviving an old thread, but I just wanted to say, trying to get BT Infinity installed has been the most miserable experience I've ever had with a big corporation. It's been utterly pathetic, and the customer services have only made it dreadfully worse.

    I know they say a small percentage of customers end up in this situation, and for the most part it runs like clockwork, but having spent several hours this week on the phone to them, I honestly cannot imagine these idiots ever getting it right. An utter and complete balls up, confounded by a CS team that have no clue how to make it right.

    Thus, having been switched on this morning and cancelled as soon as I got hom from work, I might be able to lay claim to the shortest tenure as a BT customer of all time.

    LMFAO. If you think that's frustrating, don't ever work in IT. I ordered an SHDS (basically a leased line) at our new office four months before we moved. They still hadn't finished the commissioning on the weekend we moved in. They are absolutely fucking hopeless. You'll find the majority of BT engineers are shite - they let a load take early retirement years ago when Openreach split off and replaced them with clueless fuckwits. Most of the decent engineers went to competitors. In addition to this, the admin staff are utterly, pitilessly, mercilessly stupid. I think you could put a ctenophore into a BT line provisioning job and it would make a better fist of it than some of the clowns I've encountered working for them over the years.

    Of course, even BT pale into insignificance when compared to Easynet. Don't even get me started on that muppetshow.
  • the coms team all have it and that's why theres no video
  • edited January 2014
    I've got infinity, it's bloody awesome compared to the previous carrier. I went back to BT from "talk talk", BT laid fibre to the local cab and rewired the copper to my house. I get 30Mb + almost all the time and 7/8Mb upstream. I have never (in three years) had a outage with it.

    The wireless router/s installed give good service too, the user router is dual channel which means you don't get bled over by your neighbours, it seems to have a stronger signal too and it's much better than previous iterations.

    On top of that you can ues BT hotspots, which I'm told are all over the place in London.
  • JiMMy 85 said:

    Sorry for reviving an old thread, but I just wanted to say, trying to get BT Infinity installed has been the most miserable experience I've ever had with a big corporation. It's been utterly pathetic, and the customer services have only made it dreadfully worse.

    I know they say a small percentage of customers end up in this situation, and for the most part it runs like clockwork, but having spent several hours this week on the phone to them, I honestly cannot imagine these idiots ever getting it right. An utter and complete balls up, confounded by a CS team that have no clue how to make it right.

    Thus, having been switched on this morning and cancelled as soon as I got hom from work, I might be able to lay claim to the shortest tenure as a BT customer of all time.

    LMFAO. If you think that's frustrating, don't ever work in IT. I ordered an SHDS (basically a leased line) at our new office four months before we moved. They still hadn't finished the commissioning on the weekend we moved in. They are absolutely fucking hopeless. You'll find the majority of BT engineers are shite - they let a load take early retirement years ago when Openreach split off and replaced them with clueless fuckwits. Most of the decent engineers went to competitors. In addition to this, the admin staff are utterly, pitilessly, mercilessly stupid. I think you could put a ctenophore into a BT line provisioning job and it would make a better fist of it than some of the clowns I've encountered working for them over the years.

    Of course, even BT pale into insignificance when compared to Easynet. Don't even get me started on that muppetshow.
    Feel your pain. Have been Project Managing installation of new connections to our network for 3 third party contractors.

    Openreach came up with a plan to install a back haul circuit which would save us x amount in install costs and on-going costs. What they neglected to tell me was that it was all reliant on a fibre drop......we raised the purchase order in August 13 with a go live of 30th September.

    The update Openreach offered today was that there are still two fibre drops in the queue in front of us.

    They do not give a shit. No escalation. Account Managers full of shit.

    They have offered to expidite the install.....for a mere £2500 they will give us a proposed install date! No hint when that will be though.
  • Only a light user and left O2 (12 down/1 up) to go to Sky.

    SantaClaus is right, deals are quite good at Sky. They offered free line rental and broadband for a year. The bloke who gave me it had to rush to hospital due to baby birth and the bloke who followed up the call said he was surprised I was offered that immediately. It is a bit hit and miss.

    Not a fiber story but the speed has slowed with Sky but at a £240 saving this year, I'll cope.
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