Who knows about tough installations?

ftex_1 · ‎02-16-2008

I’m getting U-Verse service on the 25th, and I’m in a weird area. My copper wires are about 60 years old as far as I can figure. We’re at the end of the street that dead ends into railroad tracks. We currently have DSL, and can only manage to hold a very low speed connection. The line I used to have dedicated to a FAX was so worthless we disconnected it. POTS is marginal. On the bright side, they pulled new wires at the street about 6 months ago, and when I recently complained about the DSL service, I was urged by a rep to give U-Verse a try. In researching it, some call it a “fiber-copper hybrid”. I’m wondering if anyone knows what the actual wiring looks like: FTTN or FTTP. If anyone has experience in this area, please let me know how the installation is supposed to work, and whether the installer can get creative on site. In other words, if they plan to get fiber from the street and travel over copper from there, will they give up and bring the fiber from the street (maybe 400’) if the copper won’t work? I’m in the Great State of Texas (as they refer to it here), Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Thanks in advance for any/all help!

randyl · ‎10-25-2007

real basic:

fiber to the vrad at your subdivion

vrad/crossobx copper to your house

at house they will put new nid and hook u up to existing wires coax etc or run new if needed ?

your line they will use is supposed to allready be tested and ready to go ?? (disclaimer here )

so new to subdivion ( fiber) then they use copper to your house last 300' or less than 3000' to your house depending on your distance to new vrad..

simple simple explanation short version etc

http://utalk.att.com/utalk/board/message?board.id=Uverse_TV_Equipment&thread.id=1238&view=by_date_as... << reading material etc

randy

Message Edited by randyl on 02-16-2008 02:58 PM

spd2demun · ‎07-28-2007

My guess is if they have pulled some new wiring, you will have better results. They will (should, make sure they do) test your existing wiring, and if it tests well, they can use existing coax (assuming you have that for TV)? If they have to replace wiring inside or out to make it work, they can do that.

I'm not the resident wiring expert, that was just my guess...

ftex wrote:
I’m getting U-Verse service on the 25th, and I’m in a weird area. My copper wires are about 60 years old as far as I can figure. We’re at the end of the street that dead ends into railroad tracks. We currently have DSL, and can only manage to hold a very low speed connection. The line I used to have dedicated to a FAX was so worthless we disconnected it. POTS is marginal. On the bright side, they pulled new wires at the street about 6 months ago, and when I recently complained about the DSL service, I was urged by a rep to give U-Verse a try. In researching it, some call it a “fiber-copper hybrid”. I’m wondering if anyone knows what the actual wiring looks like: FTTN or FTTP. If anyone has experience in this area, please let me know how the installation is supposed to work, and whether the installer can get creative on site. In other words, if they plan to get fiber from the street and travel over copper from there, will they give up and bring the fiber from the street (maybe 400’) if the copper won’t work? I’m in the Great State of Texas (as they refer to it here), Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Thanks in advance for any/all help!

CLKroute419 · ‎02-01-2008

The lines in my neighborhood were over 60 years old and I knew they would not work. This was why we had no land line. So much static and the phone just never worked. The morning they hooked up u-verse the tech noticed the line from the pole to the house needed to be replaced and called for someone to do that. As soon as that was in place and tested the line they relized there were bigger problems. However, two line men were already here so they went and tried for two hours to get the line that runs down the street patched up. They came back and told me the whole big line needed replaced. What they did was go back and get a BIG box of CAT5 and ran it from my house all the way back to the VRAD. Two weeks later a contractor came through and placed a new line for the whole neighborhood. A week after that the two linemen came back and "cut in" and place everything back on the phone line.

I was impressed that they were able, willing to get me service that day. I figured I was out of luck. AT&T had all of the diffrent departments working together. The u-verse installer made a phone call and 15 min later two line men were here. The installer continued in the house while the line men worked in the neighbohood. The line men said that my problem was common. For years they have been trying to get old lines replaced but those who made the decisions were not willing to speed the money just for a land line phone. However, with U-verse their hands are now forced to fix what should have been fixed years ago.

hogrunr · ‎08-08-2006

CLKroute419 wrote:
The lines in my neighborhood were over 60 years old and I knew they would not work. This was why we had no land line. So much static and the phone just never worked. The morning they hooked up u-verse the tech noticed the line from the pole to the house needed to be replaced and called for someone to do that. As soon as that was in place and tested the line they relized there were bigger problems. However, two line men were already here so they went and tried for two hours to get the line that runs down the street patched up. They came back and told me the whole big line needed replaced. What they did was go back and get a BIG box of CAT5 and ran it from my house all the way back to the VRAD. Two weeks later a contractor came through and placed a new line for the whole neighborhood. A week after that the two linemen came back and "cut in" and place everything back on the phone line.

I was impressed that they were able, willing to get me service that day. I figured I was out of luck. AT&T had all of the diffrent departments working together. The u-verse installer made a phone call and 15 min later two line men were here. The installer continued in the house while the line men worked in the neighbohood. The line men said that my problem was common. For years they have been trying to get old lines replaced but those who made the decisions were not willing to speed the money just for a land line phone. However, with U-verse their hands are now forced to fix what should have been fixed years ago.

That is great that they did that for you, and to the original poster, don't let the installers tell you that they can't do it, as evidenced by this previous post, they can if they are willing to make the effort. Also, DO NOT let the installers leave until you are absolutely satisfied with they job they have done, as soon as they have the TV up and working, turn it on a channel and leave it there to see how it looks while they are there, if you are getting HD, then turn it on an HD channel and watch for a while. While the tech is there, go to www.speedtest.net and make sure you are getting the internet speed you are supposed to be getting.

TIPANDRING · ‎01-30-2008

Hola ftex,

Well ---that is a loaded question----as you have seen probable from this forum---some have had real issues. I would ask you to insist that the prem techs--run all new runs to each location--cat5e to the RG. There are many factors--that are different install--is there areas that are accessable e.g--basement of crawlspace?---also if your house has wood sideing -----the list could go on---BUT---if you get a prem tech that has been doing this for sometime--they should be able to make it enjoyable in the end.

NEW WIREING is a real PLUS

john

hogrunr · ‎08-08-2006

So is the wiring inside your house that old also, or just the wiring in your neighborhood. As in, your coax cableing inside the house....

ftex_1 · ‎02-16-2008

Thanks to everyone who replied, particularly CLKroute419, who was in an almost identical situation, it sounded like. It's so good to have this to refer to in case someone says it can't be done. The wiring inside my place is fine, and I can replace whatever they need inside. You know, if it were up to me, I would have pulled outside lines a long time ago... Thanks again, and I'll post again letting you know how it went!

spd2demun · ‎07-28-2007

Good luck!!

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