I think this is very informative, nice one Rob...the curtains kept me watching 😂 . I'm still a little conflicted about the proposed complete dropping of a copper based landline, but we do want those faster speeds and it's just not possible (as far as I know). There are situations, like some people I know (that are full fibre), that can only get a mobile signal via wifi. If there is a powercut, no matter how good their own UPS is, the cabinets don't have much battery storage. So in their case, they have neither a mobile signal or a landline in an emergency. Has to be said, it's a very small proportion of people in that situation...I hope! A decent amount of the population don't know what a landline is, and the number of people that do know, are gradually going to decrease. Doesn't effect me at all, but I still feel for them all the same. As some have said, yes Cat 7 is a significant future proof and it's something only used in very rare specific situations (regret I can't say what they are). But like you say, you wanted to give it a go and why not sir! Personally I have 10G and 1G fibre throughout property and outbuilding with cat6 for redundancy, all 2 feet underground - lower power and not electrically conductive. Far from convenient though as pre terminated cables are needed, unless you have thousands of pounds for a splice machine. All the best to you!
Hi Chris, Thanks very much for your comprehensive reply and compliment 👍. Gail has caused quite a stir with those curtains 😂 . You’re so right regarding the UPS. I wonder, with FTTP if there is any requirement for a UPS in the cabinets, as I suspect the fibre would run straight to the exchange. I would hope the exchanges have UPS systems as before with the old copper lines. Coupled with the end users UPS, both ends would be active. Ha the Cat 7. I didn’t need this but wanted the experience of installing S/FTP cable. I purchased the termination tools, reasonably priced I must say. All via an electrical wholesaler who ordered Nexans cable, wall jacks and tools. I have CCTV powered by POE which is another reason I wanted a better cable. Same as you, I also have network cables ducted underground to the outbuildings. Thanks again for watching and commenting 👍. Cheers Rob
Full whole house Victron ESS battery system here. Keeps the whole house powered for about 3 days (More if we cut back on high usage devices) - Not sure why you installed Cat7; are you using some serious data networking that needs the speed? - I get the personal choice element, but boy did you spend a lot to do it. Worth mentioning to your viewers that CAT5 is perfectly adequate for the average domestic house; inc yours since your fibre speed is less than half CAT5 rated speed. Equally, the data rate over distance specifications you mentioned are indeed correct, however that is far less important if the distances are much shorter, such as the link from the ONT to the router which is typically less than 1m - at that range lose thin wires would probably suffice... lol Also, real shame those Cyberpower UPS's are lead acid based; the battery will last about 2 years being held at 100% all the time; LiFeP04 based alternatives are now available for double the usable capacity for the same size and will last well over 10 years with only a 20% drop in capacity. I guess the public at large are not ready for Lithium in the home, not even the safe LFP kind...
Hello Dougle, Your battery system sounds like a good set up. I know what you mean though about the lead acid batteries only lasting a couple of years or so. To be honest I only purchased these for the video as we never seem to suffer any power cuts. I wanted to show the dedicated BT UPS packs as they come with labelled connecting cables that anybody can understand. Ah yes the Cat7. The hub is around 6m from the ONT. The longest run I have is approx 45m to the garage. As you say I didn’t need this cable but I really enjoyed the experience of installing it. I’m also future proofed as no doubt Cat5 will eventually be obsolete. I did read somewhere, use Cat6 as a minimum for home networking. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
I have a UPS on our optical fibre system. But then found out during the first power outage, that our ISP doesn't have a UPS. So it was a bit pointless really! Hopefully they will upgrade their system at some point.
That’s a very good point. You would have thought if BT / EE offer this UPS for their devices, their telephone exchange would also have a UPS. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
If you live close to your nearest green box (that hums and whirres) it's likely that it lost power when you did. This is going to be a big issue with full digital. The old boxes were just junction points and didn't need power for voice connections. For broadband and especially for fibre they have electronics in them, and I suspect they are tied into the street power grid. So if you live near it then it's likely the fault could affect both you and the box. The exchanges used to have multiple mains feeds and/or backup power.
Great explanation Robb . Came across very professional and yet simplified but not overly. I’m retired University IT and found it excellent and easy to follow , especially given that Sky have just upgraded our street to FFTP so I’m at that stage of thinking of upgrading my old copper ADSL. Only consideration is I don’t want them digging up the front drive to get the cable from Pavement to house but guess that on install day I would be on their shoulder keeping an eye out. I get around 35mbps atm and could obviously improve that with full fibre. However my 5G gets over 300mbps so another option is 5G router . Thanks again Robb , nice diversion from caravanning vlogs and appreciate all your hard work in production Cheers H
Thanks very much for your appreciation and encouragement Howard. I switched from 76mbps FTTC to full fibre 300 FTTP. They were offering this for the same price as 100. Sounds like your street is cabled underground. Can you lay ducting from boundary to house without disturbing the drive ? On installation day all they would need to do is draw the cable through. Agree Howard, definitely keep an eye on them during installation. Caravanning videos resume soon 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting. Best regards Rob 👍
I’ve only noticed a quicker UL speed. We too have only two devices and no gaming. As our devices are getting on a bit (7 years and older), I wonder if the processors etc cannot match the available DL speed ?
Some notes for you Howard. I didn't want Openreach (not sky as you said its open reach), digging up the drive, so i did it myself, dug a trench under the front bushes, installed some pipework and pulled my own fiber thru it. When open reach came out, i told them they don't dig, there's a multi strand fiber in that pipe there they are to splice in there, they are not to install anything in the house, just leave there white box for me on the door step and ill take responsibility for it. Once they was done, all i had to do was clone the mac address from there white box, into my fiber switch and Tada internet without any of there equipment. The stupid white box's are to all intents and purposes a router. If your installer argues you tell them to call there office and it will get sorted you DONT NEED to let them dig anything or force you to have anything installed in the house, so enjoy!
Many thanks for that detailed explanation . I realised when I posted that I should have said OpenReach as I know they are the guys with the heavy boots , drills and hammers. Good idea what you did and worth a consideration. My front garden is in fact decorative stones etc rather than grass and flowers so I guess they will be able to bury beneath as long as they don’t dig up the edging which borders the pavement as they were expensive edgings. On top of this I’ve got Cadent in the street replacing gas mains and making a hell of a mess Watch this space … just glad I’m retired and can keep my eyes on everything !
After recovering from the curtain gag😂😂(after which,sad to report this is when Mrs D zoned out, her loss in my opinion) it was like I was back at BT training school Harrogate back in the 70’s & 80’s, well explained 👍
Hi Chris, Shame this video was curtains for Mrs D 🤣 and the viewing was drawn to a close 😂 . Next caravan video in a couple of weeks tell her 👍. Pleased you enjoyed my lecture 😁. Cheers Rob & Gail
I've UPS on my FTTH service in southern Ireland in an area which has a number of power outages a year (storms, faults). Thankfully the infrastructure provider has UPS in their street cabs which supply rural the FTTH service.
Sounds like a good set up by the infrastructure provider Philip. I think it should be like this in all rural areas, especially in locations prone to power cuts. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
Hi Rob and Gail. How spooky 👻, mind the pun with Halloween coming up 😅. Last week, we switched to BT/EE fibre, and now I understand what the engineer did. Will definitely now look into the battery back up system 👍. Thanks for the vlog and info. Take care and enjoy, looking forward to the next caravan trip. Paul and Joanne 👍. PS maybe Gail should look into curtain design 😂.
Hello Paul and Joanne, Trust me to be a week too late with this video but I’m happy to know I’ve now put you in the picture 😁. I’ll tell Gail her talents are wasted 😅. You’ll be pleased to know our next caravanning video should be out in a couple of weeks 👍. Best regards, Rob & Gail 😀
All good, but you still need a battery backup on your wireless house phone base station. Unless you have a wired phone connected to the hub. I use a UPS which powers everything from a protected power strip.
You’re right about the wireless phone John and it sounds like you have a good UPS set up. I have a corded desk phone plugged into the wall phone socket system that is wired back to the hubs phone socket. I show this in my previous video for which there is a link at the end of this video. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
I needed a lie down after making this video. It took some thinking to make it easy to follow with minimal tech talk 😂 . Thanks for your compliment Colin. Cheers Rob 👍
Hi Rob and Gail. Well explained Rob. Still copper here, think we are going fibre though. Hey Gail lovely curtains in the house. Were they the expensive velvet ones.🙂 Thanks guys. Thumbs up thumped 👍 ....Pete and Su....
Hi Pete and Su, Yes they are upgrading to fibre region by region so your turn will come soon. At least you know what to expect now. It’s amused Gail to know her curtains have caused a stir 😂 . Only the very best quality she says. By the way, did you see our Holgates, Silverdale video from two weeks ago ? We visit Carnforth railway heritage centre. Best regards, Rob & Gail 👍
Both the router and ONT supplied by the local Isp (No Openreach FTTP or FTTC available here… despite many broken promises!! ) are both 12volts DC so I purchases an Eaton 3s Mini for about £40.00 and a splitter “Y” cable with the correct connectors on the ends, this keeps my internet connection alive hour about 1.5 hours… power outages any longer than this, then I’m thinking of powering up the generator. The Isp’s battery backup seems to last about 2 to 2.5 hours.
Thanks for your comment Alan. 1.5 hours isn’t very long. My router/hub and ONT are also 12volts DC. The battery spec in my back up is 12v 7Ah. Luckily we don’t get any power cuts. I purchased these especially for the video. Cheers Rob 👍
Hello. Great video! What about your landline though? It seems to be cordless and I can’t help but thinking that of the power is cut the actual landline handset can’t communicate to the base (ie… not making calls) do you have a standard landline on hand to use? Thanks 😊
Thanks for your compliment Finlay. We do have cordless phones but the one in the thumbnail is a corded desk phone. This is plugged into the wall phone socket. The phone socket extensions are wired back to the phone socket on the back of the hub. So it should work with the battery back up. I show the wiring of the phone socket in my other video. There is a link to it at the end of this video. Cheers Rob 👍
Perhaps get a battery backup for the hub which has 240V sockets if you rely on cordless phones🤔 You can then plug the hub and your cordless phone base station PSUs into that together. Won’t last as long as the BT unit but 🤞 the power will be back before the battery runs out. Indeed I used such a system in the past.
Thanks for your comment. I agree about back ups with 240v sockets. However, I have a corded desk phone plugged into the wall phone socket. The phone extension socket system is plugged into the phone socket on the back of the hub. I show this in my previous video (link at end of this video). I only purchased these dedicated BT battery backups for the purpose of the video as we never suffer from power cuts. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
I have over 10 cameras around my property (not telling more) and I have battery backups on each aswell as the main fibre to ethernet and the switch I haven't had a problem in over 5 years
Thanks for your comment. Sounds like you have a good system there. We don’t get power cuts here either but I suppose you can never say never. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
Yes the base station would need its own power. It’s best to have a corded telephone that doesn’t need power. This would be plugged into the back of the hub or into a system as shown in my previous video (video link at the end of this one). The hub would power the corded telephone, similar to the old analogue phone line. Hope this helps. Cheers Rob 👍
Sorry I should have shown the spec sheet. It states: Sealed, maintenance-free lead-acid battery. 12v 7Ah. The instructions can be downloaded from the EE shop on the battery back page. Hope this helps. Cheers Rob 👍
Hi Barry, We haven’t any digital phones but I understand if the digital phone is linked to the hub via Wi-Fi then the internal batteries should keep the phone live until they run down. If the phone isn’t used I would imagine they should last a while. The other option is to have a corded phone plugged into the back of the hub or a similar set up to my corded desk phone shown in my other video. The link is at the end of this video. Hope this helps, Cheers Rob 👍
I've looked into it and found that BT/EE say that mains powered digital phones won't work during a power cut because the phone base plugged into the hub needs mains power to transmit the call signal to the handset(s) as well as keeping them charged. The batteries only power the handset functions to receive & transmit calls to/from the base. As you say, the only option is a non-mains powered corded phone plugged into the hub, providing it is compatible with BT Digital Voice. Isn't technology advancement wonderful! 😂
Thanks for the info Barry 👍. Probably worth experimenting by turning off the power to the base to see if the phone still works. By the way, the corded desk phone I have, although having a mains cord/plug, it does work without being plugged into mains. It takes its power from the hub to work like the old analogue set up. Cheers, Rob
Do you know the specification of the male barrel connector power plug required to go into the back of the BT Smart Hub 2 eg male outer diameter and inner diameter? Eg 5.5mm/3.0mm I cannot find this info anywhere.
Hi Richard, This is the only info I have: ‘Input barrel connector measured dimensions: outer diameter 5.5m inner diameter 3.0mm. No source in the UK has yet been found for this connector. A connector with these dimensions is marketed in the USA by Philmore (their type number 206).’ I imagine an electronics shop would have these. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
I recently watched your video and noticed that you have installed battery backups for the ONT and BT Router. However, it seems unnecessary to have backup power for these devices, as losing power would also affect the functionality of any connected PCs. If you were using a laptop, it would make more sense, but since you are in a domestic house, it may not be essential. I initially thought you had servers and PCs for website uploads, but in a domestic house, this may not be necessary. Ultimately, it's your choice, but personally, I would be more concerned about my refrigerator defrosting in a power outage. Most people tend to focus on when the power will come back on, so their food doesn't spoil. It doesn't seem practical to have battery backups for the BT router and ONT in a domestic house. However, if you were running a business with website services, it would be more understandable.
Hello, in my previous digital voice telephone video I received a lot of comments regarding battery backup and not being able to make urgent telephone calls during a power outage. We don’t live in an area that suffers power outages and we have a decent mobile signal. So you are correct in saying we don’t really need battery backup. However, in the event of a power cut and power loss to our local mobile phone mast, our one corded desk phone that’s plugged into the BT Router will effectively give us several hours of telephone backup. Presuming the telephone exchange has backup (otherwise what’s the point of them selling us backup), I would also have internet access. Although I only purchased these backups to conduct battery backup timings for my video, they are a safety net. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
You’re absolutely correct. All my structured wiring running in wall conduits etc are cat 7, so wanted to keep everything consistent by using cat 7 patch leads. I guess I’m covered for any future upgrades. cat 5e isn’t obsolete…yet ! Thanks for your input. Cheers Rob 👍
Too technical nearly for me - I am hopeless at these things, and watched x2, so I have taken notes and very helpful as phone provider due to change the wiring. Also thanks for the battery back up -- which I do need. I was wondering if there was such a thing!! xx.R. Did you go to the NEC..? x.R.
Hello Roland, Pleased you found my latest techy video helpful. Thought I would share this one as it’s affecting us all. I had so many questions regarding battery backup in my previous telephone video it got me thinking how long does BT’s backup last. Alas the NEC coincided with a caravan holiday booked back in January. The video for this will be out at the end of the month. Best wishes, Rob & Gail 😄😀
There’s nothing in the instructions stating you can do this. Personally I wouldn’t have thought so. It would invalidate the warranty is something went wrong. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
Interesting and once more the YT algorithm strikes we watch you via my wife’s YT feed - FF we’ve got coming next week via EE after years with BT (i went online in 93 with 56k and it’s been a uphill upgrade ever since) - my question is is when you considered the fibre was it a fully serviced pitch to swing you over?
Hi David, Yes, full fibre vs full serviced 😁. No spiel needed to swing my decision to go FF ! We remember the slow speeds too with dial up internet. Good luck with the installation, hope all goes well. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers Rob 👍
@@robswiseways5697 I'm surprised they let you as of now it needs to be on the outside as it's part of the OR network for maintenance so they can access it without requiring someone being available
@@Bawlk I guess I was lucky to be able to have it inside. But as I stated in my video I would have to book an appointment for OR to access the CSP. Thanks for your comment. Cheers Rob
How many times did you have to film thst Rob with the sftps and the onts n things id of been at it all day lol .. joking apart its all good stuff well done your very clever 👍 i suppose if you have solar panels with batteries it doesn't matter if you have a power cut .. nice explanation.. Glyn Ps you lost Carol after the first minute but she likes your garage 😃
Hi there Glyn & Carol, lots of stops and starts making this video. Gave me chance to choose my words so I didn’t waffle on doubling the length of the video 😂 . I didn’t sit there all day staring at the battery !! honest 😂 . I worked from home that day. I guess you’re correct about solar and battery storage. Never gave that a thought. Gail’s the same, not really a subject she’s interested in (but she likes to sit in the garage with a coffee 👍. Thanks for watching and best regards to you both 👍 Rob & Gail
Becuase the BT Hub has plastic around the ethernet ports, you won't ge any benefit of using FTP ethernet cables as needs to have metal ethernet on both sides and grounded accordingly to 'clean earth'. Which may need a dedicated earth ground rod
Thanks for your info Chandresh. I’m not a ICT expert, but you’re right about the hub ports not being grounded. I mentioned in the video when using S/FTP cable it should be properly grounded. My network is indeed grounded to an earth rod and it should still help prevent Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) and where I have network cables bundled, Alien Crosstalk. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers Rob 👍
Are you a IT/Network technician for a living Rob? (And is Gail an artist? 😅) Also love the paint colour in your study, do you remember what it is? (Although in subsequent clips it looked white!)
Hello Lily and Bruce, Although not my field of work, it is one of my interests. Rather like someone who loves tinkering with cars 😁. Gail is quite the homemaker but admits she can’t draw (the curtains get it) 😂. The study is painted white. Gail decorated our whole house including the garden room using the marvellous Crown Trade Historic and Classic Colour Collection. Premium quality timeless neutrals. She can highly recommend. Best regards, Rob & Gail 😀 .
@robswiseways5697 ahh I'm a big fan of the Crown Historic range. You have a beautiful house, well done Gail! Oh P.S. we've just come back from a wonderful site, Kelling Heath in Holt, Norfolk. Not sure if it's too far down South for you but you'd love the site. Lots of walks, great views, stream trains and tucked away (full serviced) pitches.
@@ArtJourneyUK Thank you for your compliment and for your recommendation. We’ve just had a look at Kelling Heath, it’s our cup of tea and we’ve made a note of it 👍.Thanks once again, Rob & Gail
Hi SJ, I have full fibre 300. On installation day the test showed 326 Mbps download. Can’t remember the upload. BT say the min guaranteed will be 150Mbps. The normal upload speed will be 49Mbps. I’ve did a couple of tests using a wired connection and the download varied from 161 to 232. Every time I do the test the upload speed won’t display but it is fast when uploading TH-cam videos. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
@@robswiseways5697with bt on full fibre 900 I get max 950mbps to 1gbps down and it's constant at 110mbps up I bought my own Asus tuf gaming 2.5gbps router with WiFi 6 cost £80 and it's amazing with no drops in speed and WiFi speeds at least 600mbps on WiFi some WiFi getting 1000mbps and enthernet on cat 6 cables getting consistent 1000mbps it's been brilliant for a year after getting my own router as the bt smart hub after multiple replacements kept knocking my sons xbox and pc offline so had to keep resetting the hub as it ran out of random mac addresses as it kept filling up plus NEVER get the EE smart hub plus router it's awful just look at all the issues with it online with multiple disconnects and freezes plus the plus router with EE resets the event log after every restart it does so impossible to find out the fault issues apparently it's a known memory leak issues with these routers as they mass produced them quickly to compete against vodaphone
The basic problem with FTTP is that some naughty burglar type person can still cut your connection to the outside world and the battery will just assist in telling you that there is a problem with your connection
Hello Mike, I suppose this is something that can happen to any of us at any time. How many old films have we watched where the copper phone line gets cut ? By the way, the battery wouldn’t know the fibre had been cut, so would continue delivering power to dead devices. Thanks for your comment and for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
Thanks for watching Pete. Strange how they charge £84.99 for one and the same price if you have two. One for ONT and one for hub? By the way I’ve double checked the instructions and word for word it states: ‘Every minute the alarm beeps four times’. This is exactly what happened when I was timing it. Thanks again. Cheers Rob 👍
When we moved to Vodafone and got FTTP installed as part of the switch, the openreach engineer left the master socket and telephone cable in place Although the old telephone cable goes down a sloped roof, and the fibre was run via an intermediate pole and straight down to the ground floor wall (the ONT was placed near the master socket, and the CSP is outside the property) Sadly Vodafone doesn’t offer any sort of battery backup for its router, but power cuts seem to never happen where i live
I wonder if the master socket and cable were left because you were switching to Vodaphone and not staying with BT ? As the country is gradually moving to fibre, it would have made sense for them to have stripped out the old equipment. Power cuts don’t seem to happen for us either. I purchased the battery back ups for the purpose of the video because of all the power cut comments I received in my other video. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers Rob 👍
Oh you're using digital voice please please please don't let them install an EE smart hub plus as the digital voice on fttp is bugged and rarely works.
I think this is very informative, nice one Rob...the curtains kept me watching 😂 . I'm still a little conflicted about the proposed complete dropping of a copper based landline, but we do want those faster speeds and it's just not possible (as far as I know).
There are situations, like some people I know (that are full fibre), that can only get a mobile signal via wifi. If there is a powercut, no matter how good their own UPS is, the cabinets don't have much battery storage. So in their case, they have neither a mobile signal or a landline in an emergency. Has to be said, it's a very small proportion of people in that situation...I hope! A decent amount of the population don't know what a landline is, and the number of people that do know, are gradually going to decrease. Doesn't effect me at all, but I still feel for them all the same.
As some have said, yes Cat 7 is a significant future proof and it's something only used in very rare specific situations (regret I can't say what they are). But like you say, you wanted to give it a go and why not sir! Personally I have 10G and 1G fibre throughout property and outbuilding with cat6 for redundancy, all 2 feet underground - lower power and not electrically conductive. Far from convenient though as pre terminated cables are needed, unless you have thousands of pounds for a splice machine.
All the best to you!
Hi Chris, Thanks very much for your comprehensive reply and compliment 👍. Gail has caused quite a stir with those curtains 😂 .
You’re so right regarding the UPS. I wonder, with FTTP if there is any requirement for a UPS in the cabinets, as I suspect the fibre would run straight to the exchange. I would hope the exchanges have UPS systems as before with the old copper lines. Coupled with the end users UPS, both ends would be active.
Ha the Cat 7. I didn’t need this but wanted the experience of installing S/FTP cable. I purchased the termination tools, reasonably priced I must say. All via an electrical wholesaler who ordered Nexans cable, wall jacks and tools. I have CCTV powered by POE which is another reason I wanted a better cable. Same as you, I also have network cables ducted underground to the outbuildings.
Thanks again for watching and commenting 👍. Cheers Rob
Full whole house Victron ESS battery system here. Keeps the whole house powered for about 3 days (More if we cut back on high usage devices) - Not sure why you installed Cat7; are you using some serious data networking that needs the speed? - I get the personal choice element, but boy did you spend a lot to do it. Worth mentioning to your viewers that CAT5 is perfectly adequate for the average domestic house; inc yours since your fibre speed is less than half CAT5 rated speed.
Equally, the data rate over distance specifications you mentioned are indeed correct, however that is far less important if the distances are much shorter, such as the link from the ONT to the router which is typically less than 1m - at that range lose thin wires would probably suffice... lol
Also, real shame those Cyberpower UPS's are lead acid based; the battery will last about 2 years being held at 100% all the time; LiFeP04 based alternatives are now available for double the usable capacity for the same size and will last well over 10 years with only a 20% drop in capacity. I guess the public at large are not ready for Lithium in the home, not even the safe LFP kind...
Hello Dougle, Your battery system sounds like a good set up. I know what you mean though about the lead acid batteries only lasting a couple of years or so. To be honest I only purchased these for the video as we never seem to suffer any power cuts. I wanted to show the dedicated BT UPS packs as they come with labelled connecting cables that anybody can understand. Ah yes the Cat7. The hub is around 6m from the ONT. The longest run I have is approx 45m to the garage. As you say I didn’t need this cable but I really enjoyed the experience of installing it. I’m also future proofed as no doubt Cat5 will eventually be obsolete. I did read somewhere, use Cat6 as a minimum for home networking. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
I have a UPS on our optical fibre system. But then found out during the first power outage, that our ISP doesn't have a UPS. So it was a bit pointless really! Hopefully they will upgrade their system at some point.
That’s a very good point. You would have thought if BT / EE offer this UPS for their devices, their telephone exchange would also have a UPS. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
If you live close to your nearest green box (that hums and whirres) it's likely that it lost power when you did. This is going to be a big issue with full digital. The old boxes were just junction points and didn't need power for voice connections. For broadband and especially for fibre they have electronics in them, and I suspect they are tied into the street power grid. So if you live near it then it's likely the fault could affect both you and the box.
The exchanges used to have multiple mains feeds and/or backup power.
Great explanation Robb . Came across very professional and yet simplified but not overly.
I’m retired University IT and found it excellent and easy to follow , especially given that Sky have just upgraded our street to FFTP so I’m at that stage of thinking of upgrading my old copper ADSL.
Only consideration is I don’t want them digging up the front drive to get the cable from Pavement to house but guess that on install day I would be on their shoulder keeping an eye out.
I get around 35mbps atm and could obviously improve that with full fibre. However my 5G gets over 300mbps so another option is 5G router .
Thanks again Robb , nice diversion from caravanning vlogs and appreciate all your hard work in production
Cheers
H
Thanks very much for your appreciation and encouragement Howard.
I switched from 76mbps FTTC to full fibre 300 FTTP. They were offering this for the same price as 100.
Sounds like your street is cabled underground. Can you lay ducting from boundary to house without disturbing the drive ? On installation day all they would need to do is draw the cable through. Agree Howard, definitely keep an eye on them during installation.
Caravanning videos resume soon 😁
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Best regards
Rob 👍
Thanks Robb … and have you noticed significant improvement in DL and UL speeds?
Only the two of us here so not a lot of devices online or gaming
I’ve only noticed a quicker UL speed. We too have only two devices and no gaming. As our devices are getting on a bit (7 years and older), I wonder if the processors etc cannot match the available DL speed ?
Some notes for you Howard. I didn't want Openreach (not sky as you said its open reach), digging up the drive, so i did it myself, dug a trench under the front bushes, installed some pipework and pulled my own fiber thru it. When open reach came out, i told them they don't dig, there's a multi strand fiber in that pipe there they are to splice in there, they are not to install anything in the house, just leave there white box for me on the door step and ill take responsibility for it.
Once they was done, all i had to do was clone the mac address from there white box, into my fiber switch and Tada internet without any of there equipment. The stupid white box's are to all intents and purposes a router.
If your installer argues you tell them to call there office and it will get sorted you DONT NEED to let them dig anything or force you to have anything installed in the house, so enjoy!
Many thanks for that detailed explanation . I realised when I posted that I should have said OpenReach as I know they are the guys with the heavy boots , drills and hammers.
Good idea what you did and worth a consideration. My front garden is in fact decorative stones etc rather than grass and flowers so I guess they will be able to bury beneath as long as they don’t dig up the edging which borders the pavement as they were expensive edgings.
On top of this I’ve got Cadent in the street replacing gas mains and making a hell of a mess
Watch this space … just glad I’m retired and can keep my eyes on everything !
After recovering from the curtain gag😂😂(after which,sad to report this is when Mrs D zoned out, her loss in my opinion) it was like I was back at BT training school Harrogate back in the 70’s & 80’s, well explained 👍
Hi Chris, Shame this video was curtains for Mrs D 🤣 and the viewing was drawn to a close 😂 . Next caravan video in a couple of weeks tell her 👍. Pleased you enjoyed my lecture 😁. Cheers Rob & Gail
Must admit not totally sure what you were on about, but you sure explained it very well!
Many thanks for watching John 😂 Cheers Rob 👍
I've UPS on my FTTH service in southern Ireland in an area which has a number of power outages a year (storms, faults). Thankfully the infrastructure provider has UPS in their street cabs which supply rural the FTTH service.
Sounds like a good set up by the infrastructure provider Philip. I think it should be like this in all rural areas, especially in locations prone to power cuts. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
Hi Rob and Gail.
How spooky 👻, mind the pun with Halloween coming up 😅.
Last week, we switched to BT/EE fibre, and now I understand what the engineer did.
Will definitely now look into the battery back up system 👍.
Thanks for the vlog and info.
Take care and enjoy, looking forward to the next caravan trip.
Paul and Joanne 👍.
PS maybe Gail should look into curtain design 😂.
Hello Paul and Joanne,
Trust me to be a week too late with this video but I’m happy to know I’ve now put you in the picture 😁.
I’ll tell Gail her talents are wasted 😅.
You’ll be pleased to know our next caravanning video should be out in a couple of weeks 👍.
Best regards,
Rob & Gail 😀
All good, but you still need a battery backup on your wireless house phone base station. Unless you have a wired phone connected to the hub. I use a UPS which powers everything from a protected power strip.
You’re right about the wireless phone John and it sounds like you have a good UPS set up. I have a corded desk phone plugged into the wall phone socket system that is wired back to the hubs phone socket. I show this in my previous video for which there is a link at the end of this video. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
Lovely video you explain things so well.
Thank you Paul. My kebab skewer certainly came in handy 😂. Cheers Rob 👍
Rob think I need a lie down, oh I am lying down! 😂 Your a clever lad, very informative.
I needed a lie down after making this video. It took some thinking to make it easy to follow with minimal tech talk 😂 . Thanks for your compliment Colin. Cheers Rob 👍
Hi Rob and Gail.
Well explained Rob.
Still copper here, think we are going fibre though.
Hey Gail lovely curtains in the house. Were they the expensive velvet ones.🙂
Thanks guys.
Thumbs up thumped 👍
....Pete and Su....
Hi Pete and Su,
Yes they are upgrading to fibre region by region so your turn will come soon. At least you know what to expect now.
It’s amused Gail to know her curtains have caused a stir 😂 . Only the very best quality she says.
By the way, did you see our Holgates, Silverdale video from two weeks ago ? We visit Carnforth railway heritage centre.
Best regards, Rob & Gail 👍
Both the router and ONT supplied by the local Isp (No Openreach FTTP or FTTC available here… despite many broken promises!! ) are both 12volts DC so I purchases an Eaton 3s Mini for about £40.00 and a splitter “Y” cable with the correct connectors on the ends, this keeps my internet connection alive hour about 1.5 hours… power outages any longer than this, then I’m thinking of powering up the generator.
The Isp’s battery backup seems to last about 2 to 2.5 hours.
Thanks for your comment Alan. 1.5 hours isn’t very long. My router/hub and ONT are also 12volts DC. The battery spec in my back up is 12v 7Ah. Luckily we don’t get any power cuts. I purchased these especially for the video. Cheers Rob 👍
Hello. Great video! What about your landline though? It seems to be cordless and I can’t help but thinking that of the power is cut the actual landline handset can’t communicate to the base (ie… not making calls) do you have a standard landline on hand to use? Thanks 😊
Thanks for your compliment Finlay. We do have cordless phones but the one in the thumbnail is a corded desk phone. This is plugged into the wall phone socket. The phone socket extensions are wired back to the phone socket on the back of the hub. So it should work with the battery back up. I show the wiring of the phone socket in my other video. There is a link to it at the end of this video. Cheers Rob 👍
@ Ok, thank you for the clarification :)
Perhaps get a battery backup for the hub which has 240V sockets if you rely on cordless phones🤔 You can then plug the hub and your cordless phone base station PSUs into that together. Won’t last as long as the BT unit but 🤞 the power will be back before the battery runs out. Indeed I used such a system in the past.
Thanks for your comment. I agree about back ups with 240v sockets. However, I have a corded desk phone plugged into the wall phone socket. The phone extension socket system is plugged into the phone socket on the back of the hub. I show this in my previous video (link at end of this video). I only purchased these dedicated BT battery backups for the purpose of the video as we never suffer from power cuts. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
I have over 10 cameras around my property (not telling more) and I have battery backups on each aswell as the main fibre to ethernet and the switch I haven't had a problem in over 5 years
Thanks for your comment. Sounds like you have a good system there. We don’t get power cuts here either but I suppose you can never say never. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
Silly question, but as you use a wireless telephone, wouldn't it's hub / base station need it's own power backup to continue working in a powercut?
Yes the base station would need its own power. It’s best to have a corded telephone that doesn’t need power. This would be plugged into the back of the hub or into a system as shown in my previous video (video link at the end of this one). The hub would power the corded telephone, similar to the old analogue phone line. Hope this helps. Cheers Rob 👍
Or have a WiFi calling enabled on the mobile phone to use hub WiFi instead @@robswiseways5697
@@robswiseways5697If you have BTs DECT Phones for the SH2, the Smart Hub 2 is its own DECT Base.
Watched the unpacking of the batteries, but missed the specifications. Are they lithium?
Sorry I should have shown the spec sheet. It states: Sealed, maintenance-free lead-acid battery. 12v 7Ah. The instructions can be downloaded from the EE shop on the battery back page. Hope this helps. Cheers Rob 👍
P.S. Gail is a good draughtsperson. More please - maybe sketches of your walks !! x.R.
Gail says sketch coming up just for you Roland in November’s trip 🤭
@@robswiseways5697 Lovely! xx.R.
Bloody hell Rob, have enough of ONT's and CSPs from my Mrs, she is a fibre engineer 😂😂😂
At least your full fibre will be done right Paul 😂. Thanks for making me smile and thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
Very interesting Rob, but for digital landline emergency use, how do you provide power for the digital phone?
Hi Barry, We haven’t any digital phones but I understand if the digital phone is linked to the hub via Wi-Fi then the internal batteries should keep the phone live until they run down. If the phone isn’t used I would imagine they should last a while. The other option is to have a corded phone plugged into the back of the hub or a similar set up to my corded desk phone shown in my other video. The link is at the end of this video. Hope this helps, Cheers Rob 👍
I've looked into it and found that BT/EE say that mains powered digital phones won't work during a power cut because the phone base plugged into the hub needs mains power to transmit the call signal to the handset(s) as well as keeping them charged. The batteries only power the handset functions to receive & transmit calls to/from the base. As you say, the only option is a non-mains powered corded phone plugged into the hub, providing it is compatible with BT Digital Voice.
Isn't technology advancement wonderful! 😂
Thanks for the info Barry 👍. Probably worth experimenting by turning off the power to the base to see if the phone still works. By the way, the corded desk phone I have, although having a mains cord/plug, it does work without being plugged into mains. It takes its power from the hub to work like the old analogue set up.
Cheers, Rob
Do you know the specification of the male barrel connector power plug required to go into the back of the BT Smart Hub 2 eg male outer diameter and inner diameter?
Eg 5.5mm/3.0mm
I cannot find this info anywhere.
Hi Richard, This is the only info I have: ‘Input barrel connector measured dimensions: outer diameter 5.5m inner diameter 3.0mm. No source in the UK has yet been found for this connector. A connector with these dimensions is marketed in the USA by Philmore (their type number 206).’ I imagine an electronics shop would have these. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
Thank you for that Rob@@robswiseways5697
I recently watched your video and noticed that you have installed battery backups for the ONT and BT Router. However, it seems unnecessary to have backup power for these devices, as losing power would also affect the functionality of any connected PCs. If you were using a laptop, it would make more sense, but since you are in a domestic house, it may not be essential. I initially thought you had servers and PCs for website uploads, but in a domestic house, this may not be necessary. Ultimately, it's your choice, but personally, I would be more concerned about my refrigerator defrosting in a power outage. Most people tend to focus on when the power will come back on, so their food doesn't spoil. It doesn't seem practical to have battery backups for the BT router and ONT in a domestic house. However, if you were running a business with website services, it would be more understandable.
Hello, in my previous digital voice telephone video I received a lot of comments regarding battery backup and not being able to make urgent telephone calls during a power outage. We don’t live in an area that suffers power outages and we have a decent mobile signal. So you are correct in saying we don’t really need battery backup. However, in the event of a power cut and power loss to our local mobile phone mast, our one corded desk phone that’s plugged into the BT Router will effectively give us several hours of telephone backup. Presuming the telephone exchange has backup (otherwise what’s the point of them selling us backup), I would also have internet access. Although I only purchased these backups to conduct battery backup timings for my video, they are a safety net. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
it's ok running cat 7 but anything hanging off that bt hub is only gigabit ethernet so only cat 5e speeds
You’re absolutely correct. All my structured wiring running in wall conduits etc are cat 7, so wanted to keep everything consistent by using cat 7 patch leads. I guess I’m covered for any future upgrades. cat 5e isn’t obsolete…yet ! Thanks for your input. Cheers Rob 👍
Too technical nearly for me - I am hopeless at these things, and watched x2, so I have taken notes and very helpful as phone provider due to change the wiring. Also thanks for the battery back up -- which I do need. I was wondering if there was such a thing!! xx.R. Did you go to the NEC..? x.R.
Hello Roland, Pleased you found my latest techy video helpful. Thought I would share this one as it’s affecting us all. I had so many questions regarding battery backup in my previous telephone video it got me thinking how long does BT’s backup last.
Alas the NEC coincided with a caravan holiday booked back in January. The video for this will be out at the end of the month.
Best wishes, Rob & Gail 😄😀
Can you please link the battery pack please
There’s nothing in the instructions stating you can do this. Personally I wouldn’t have thought so. It would invalidate the warranty is something went wrong. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
@@robswiseways5697 the ee shop to purchase it for my FTTP please Rk
Interesting and once more the YT algorithm strikes we watch you via my wife’s YT feed - FF we’ve got coming next week via EE after years with BT (i went online in 93 with 56k and it’s been a uphill upgrade ever since) - my question is is when you considered the fibre was it a fully serviced pitch to swing you over?
Hi David, Yes, full fibre vs full serviced 😁. No spiel needed to swing my decision to go FF ! We remember the slow speeds too with dial up internet. Good luck with the installation, hope all goes well. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers Rob 👍
Just an FYI the CSP would normally be on the outside of the house in a normal installation
Yes that’s right. I did it this way to avoid external cables and boxes on the outside. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
@@robswiseways5697 I'm surprised they let you as of now it needs to be on the outside as it's part of the OR network for maintenance so they can access it without requiring someone being available
@@Bawlk I guess I was lucky to be able to have it inside. But as I stated in my video I would have to book an appointment for OR to access the CSP. Thanks for your comment. Cheers Rob
How many times did you have to film thst Rob with the sftps and the onts n things id of been at it all day lol .. joking apart its all good stuff well done your very clever 👍 i suppose if you have solar panels with batteries it doesn't matter if you have a power cut .. nice explanation.. Glyn
Ps you lost Carol after the first minute but she likes your garage 😃
Hi there Glyn & Carol, lots of stops and starts making this video. Gave me chance to choose my words so I didn’t waffle on doubling the length of the video 😂 . I didn’t sit there all day staring at the battery !! honest 😂 . I worked from home that day. I guess you’re correct about solar and battery storage. Never gave that a thought. Gail’s the same, not really a subject she’s interested in (but she likes to sit in the garage with a coffee 👍. Thanks for watching and best regards to you both 👍 Rob & Gail
Becuase the BT Hub has plastic around the ethernet ports, you won't ge any benefit of using FTP ethernet cables as needs to have metal ethernet on both sides and grounded accordingly to 'clean earth'. Which may need a dedicated earth ground rod
Thanks for your info Chandresh. I’m not a ICT expert, but you’re right about the hub ports not being grounded. I mentioned in the video when using S/FTP cable it should be properly grounded. My network is indeed grounded to an earth rod and it should still help prevent Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) and where I have network cables bundled, Alien Crosstalk. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers Rob 👍
Are you a IT/Network technician for a living Rob? (And is Gail an artist? 😅)
Also love the paint colour in your study, do you remember what it is? (Although in subsequent clips it looked white!)
Hello Lily and Bruce, Although not my field of work, it is one of my interests. Rather like someone who loves tinkering with cars 😁.
Gail is quite the homemaker but admits she can’t draw (the curtains get it) 😂. The study is painted white. Gail decorated our whole house including the garden room using the marvellous Crown Trade Historic and Classic Colour Collection. Premium quality timeless neutrals. She can highly recommend. Best regards, Rob & Gail 😀 .
@robswiseways5697 ahh I'm a big fan of the Crown Historic range. You have a beautiful house, well done Gail!
Oh P.S. we've just come back from a wonderful site, Kelling Heath in Holt, Norfolk. Not sure if it's too far down South for you but you'd love the site. Lots of walks, great views, stream trains and tucked away (full serviced) pitches.
@@ArtJourneyUK Thank you for your compliment and for your recommendation. We’ve just had a look at Kelling Heath, it’s our cup of tea and we’ve made a note of it 👍.Thanks once again, Rob & Gail
How fast is your broadband now?
Hi SJ, I have full fibre 300. On installation day the test showed 326 Mbps download. Can’t remember the upload. BT say the min guaranteed will be 150Mbps. The normal upload speed will be 49Mbps. I’ve did a couple of tests using a wired connection and the download varied from 161 to 232. Every time I do the test the upload speed won’t display but it is fast when uploading TH-cam videos. Thanks for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
@@robswiseways5697 that’s impressive
@@robswiseways5697with bt on full fibre 900 I get max 950mbps to 1gbps down and it's constant at 110mbps up I bought my own Asus tuf gaming 2.5gbps router with WiFi 6 cost £80 and it's amazing with no drops in speed and WiFi speeds at least 600mbps on WiFi some WiFi getting 1000mbps and enthernet on cat 6 cables getting consistent 1000mbps it's been brilliant for a year after getting my own router as the bt smart hub after multiple replacements kept knocking my sons xbox and pc offline so had to keep resetting the hub as it ran out of random mac addresses as it kept filling up plus NEVER get the EE smart hub plus router it's awful just look at all the issues with it online with multiple disconnects and freezes plus the plus router with EE resets the event log after every restart it does so impossible to find out the fault issues apparently it's a known memory leak issues with these routers as they mass produced them quickly to compete against vodaphone
The basic problem with FTTP is that some naughty burglar type person can still cut your connection to the outside world and the battery will just assist in telling you that there is a problem with your connection
Hello Mike, I suppose this is something that can happen to any of us at any time. How many old films have we watched where the copper phone line gets cut ? By the way, the battery wouldn’t know the fibre had been cut, so would continue delivering power to dead devices. Thanks for your comment and for watching. Cheers Rob 👍
@@robswiseways5697 Totally agree your points are very valid but without an outbound connection either fibre or copper to be blunt you are in a pickle
@@Mike_5 That’s the top and bottom of it Mike.
I used to give them away free when i worked at EE. £84,99 each now.. and it's 4 times every scond
Thanks for watching Pete. Strange how they charge £84.99 for one and the same price if you have two. One for ONT and one for hub? By the way I’ve double checked the instructions and word for word it states: ‘Every minute the alarm beeps four times’. This is exactly what happened when I was timing it. Thanks again. Cheers Rob 👍
When we moved to Vodafone and got FTTP installed as part of the switch, the openreach engineer left the master socket and telephone cable in place
Although the old telephone cable goes down a sloped roof, and the fibre was run via an intermediate pole and straight down to the ground floor wall (the ONT was placed near the master socket, and the CSP is outside the property)
Sadly Vodafone doesn’t offer any sort of battery backup for its router, but power cuts seem to never happen where i live
I wonder if the master socket and cable were left because you were switching to Vodaphone and not staying with BT ? As the country is gradually moving to fibre, it would have made sense for them to have stripped out the old equipment.
Power cuts don’t seem to happen for us either. I purchased the battery back ups for the purpose of the video because of all the power cut comments I received in my other video.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers Rob 👍
@@robswiseways5697 Stripping out more kit means more waste to dispose of... I can see why they leave it in... it saves money... 😎
@@dougle03 You’re probably right there Dougle. Cheers Rob
Oh you're using digital voice please please please don't let them install an EE smart hub plus as the digital voice on fttp is bugged and rarely works.
Thanks for the tip Jack. The BT website states BT broadband is becoming EE broadband. I shall stay with BT for as long as possible. Cheers, Rob 👍