wow... fiber to the home...

[VJ]

Another one of those examples where technology crept up on me... Since about 4 months, it is possible to get fiber to the home at my place in Warsaw. Now, my ADSL subscription expires and it turns out that they have no more ADSL offers. Fiber is the only option, and 100 Mb is the minimum. Of course it means pulling a new cable (and of course I don't have a nice cabling system there, so there will be a cable along the wall), but I did not expect fiber to come so soon. I thought I would move to some VDSL solution before fiber.

It changes my cabling somewhat. Currently I have:
telephone line -> splitter/filter -> patch panel --in wall-> router --in wall-> switch -> patch panel --in wall-> everywhere

The reason the router is where it is, is as the printer is positioned there, and the printer is shared on the network. Now, if I want to keep using my own router, which I do, I will have
fiber -> provider-router -> patch panel --in wall-> router --in wall-> switch -> patch panel --in wall-> everywhere

The annoying thing here is the provider router: an extra device taking up space and using power. If I would go with an own router (e.g. Fritzbox), it would have to be where the fiber is, and that is not where the printer is, so I lose the printer share.

My switch is a smartswitch by DLink (DGS-1210), which has places for a fiber transceiver. I'm wondering if it is possible to do something with that: add a fiber transceiver, route it to a fixed port of the switch (it has that functionality!), then connect it via cables to my router (which as an ethernet wan port). Of course, a simple fiber-ethernet transceiver should also work but means an extra device.

For sure something to try in the future (still in Spain for one and a half years), but I still am shocked to see how FTTH just arrived so fast.

[UtwigMU]

I had fiber since like 2008 in Slovenia. Router costs on the order of 1€/month in power, so just replace splitter with it and keep your current setup. I did replace Linksys WRT54GLs with Mikrotik RB2011 as it is faster and provides a lot of features.

[VJ]

Yes... here the router is free, completely, so nothing urgent in changing the setup.

I'm more shocked by the rate at which they introduce it. Just a few months ago, the operator asked the building administrator to install fiber to it. And now, at the end of a subscription, I cannot renew ADSL even. There may be people on a 2 year ADSL contract still, so for sure they have to support them. But the operator basically canceled the contracts from their side: you can get out of the deal for free if you change to fiber, which costs you nothing and the monthly payment is less.

[Jammrock]

Fiber is the new ISP/telco strategy to deal with cord cutters, and to stay competitive with unlimited wireless data plans. All services over a single fiber also removes a lot of the regulations that go along with traditional phone and cable services. So they switch to competitive Internet packages and provide streaming and other Internet services to increase their monthly subscriptions.

I have AT&T fiber and I am constantly bombarded with "special pricing on DirectTV Now streaming" and "switch to AT&T wireless and save" and all sorts of other AT&T bundling. The net result would be, if I bundled Internet + DirectTV Now + AT&T wireless + home phone (poor cell service at my house), the same cost as a traditional cable/satellite service plus cell phone plan.

But I won't switch because I got a 1Gb fiber line for $70 (normally $99 with a $7 equipment fee) with no equipment fees, for life. Early adopter bonus. If I switch to a bundle that goes away and I have to take all price increases in the future.

[VJ]

Nice deal. I will have 100 Mbit / 10 Mbit fiber, mobile phone with unlimited calls/sms in Europe (roaming or calling to foreign numbers) and 5 GB per month (2.5 in Europe), for approx. 17 eur.

I'm surprised that there are not many routers with fiber yet, only Fritzbox and Mikrotik. A bit annoying is that they label routers that have an ethernet WAN port as fiber/cable routers. I hope that terminology quickly gets corrected.

[UtwigMU]

I'm paying 24€ incl 22% VAT for 100Mb/10Mb only internet. Had to subscribe for 2 years to get free upgrade from 10 to 100. I get free static IP. Work pays for my phone, I don't have a TV. I have ISP router with wireless but I'm ignoring that (one port is direct to WAN) and using my own Mikrotik.

[Umfriend]

I think I have 200Mb/20Mb over cable. I remember when 1.5Mb/256Kb was a revolution. I was an early subscriber and always remained with the same ISP. OK, it bankrupted once and changed its name a zillion times but still. The funny thing is, I never change my subscription, it just gets upgraded for free every once in a while. It is 62.5€/month but that includes TV and fixed line phone.

[VJ]

Well, it is installed... Not much issues, but of course there is now a cable running along the ceiling... For sure something to schedule in the next renovations: easy access to allow cables from the outside into the apartment. Not something to do immediately: with the building renovations, changes to intercom and TV are planned and those will also require new cables. But that is all planned in the next 5 years.

It works fine, so at least my girlfriend has internet. She had some problems rewiring the patchpanel to accommodate our router, so she ended up moving the router next to the modem. Only thing she looses now is that the printer is not on the network. But she does not need it often can can connect a laptop directly. In December I'll see how to resolve it.

She asked for to keep the cable a bit longer, so now it is about 4m too long; but that is more than enough for use to allow it to be hidden nicely when the time comes.

[UtwigMU]

Good job! I also have apartment woes at the moment.

[VJ]

It is one thing I did not think of with the renovations when I bought it: easy access for pulling cables from outside to inside, as e.g. was now necessary. Particularly important with the fiber, as I think they would have to replace the cable from point to point if it breaks. (and the building's electrician already once cut in my telephone cable in the common area, so I have to make sure not to need big renovations when a cable need replacing.

I'm already planning the renovations that will accompany the building renovations, ranging from cabling (intercom, fiber, tv), electric blinds (of course in the only spot where I did not foresee cables for electric blinds), new built-in closets in the corridor to even a water drain for the airconditioning (in case the renovations would not offer us an alternative to the current pipe outside). Luckily, it will come in still a few years time, so more or less at a time when a refresh of the interior would be in order. I know I will have to post photos when that finishes.

[Umfriend]

Bla bla bla AND STILL NO PICS!

[cjolley]

Bla bla bla AND STILL NO PICS!

Yes. Pix or it didn't happen.

[VJ]

ok... Here is a photo.
1507653217979.JPEG
It clearly shows the fiber cable coming out of the ceiling near the front door.

For more photos you'll have to wait till I'm back from Spain... in about one and a half years...

[Umfriend]

ok... Here is a photo.

LOL! Well, we asked for it...