[GLLUG] Update was Re: Information please about FTTH/FTTP

[James Roberts]

Just an update here: I contracted the Community Fibre FTTP service after 
finding I could use their phone app to make local UK calls while I work 
in Spain, which is useful (if so far untested).

The installers duly arrived and had it all up and running in less than 
two hours. They were not too untidy.

I contracted the 150Mbps service plus phone (deal not on their website - 
see e.g. 
https://www.moneysupermarket.com/broadband/providers/community-fibre/ )

Disclaimer: I have no commercial connection whatsoever with any of these.

Pros and cons so far:

Technical:

- the router supplied is a Linksys Velop together with an FTTP modem. I 
was going to dump the Velop but had issues getting my OPNSense router to 
talk to the modem with DHCP and eventually gave in and removed quite a 
lot of frankly redundant infrastructure (for home use) and connected the 
second Ethernet port on the Velop straight to my switch. All works fine.

- they supply a Grandstream VoIp to POTS box which is plugged into the 
switch and worked without issues.

- The Velop router is giving me full 150 Mbps over wifi at 4m through a 
brick double wall - so not too bad.

- The Velop router allows very little configuration, I can't even change 
the LAN network from 192.168.1.n but really this is not important as its 
double-nat'd CGN anyway. There's IPSec etc pass-through and DMZ, but I 
was advised port pass-through would not work with the CGN. I don't need 
it as I now use Chrome remote desktop.

- on giving up my technical pretensions everything works rather well 
compared with my 8 year old previous installation which was much slower.

Contractual:

- don't do what I did. I saw the offers as laid out above and instead of 
contracting FTTP online and then adding the phone service, I called 
sales and they did it for me. This meant it fell out of the loop and I 
had various rather heated emails to support before the correct discount 
contract price got sorted. It did get sorted though. I hope!

Just FYI in case you are considering it:

Latency 1 ms and 150 Mbps symmetrical makes it very responsive :)

I had Entanet/City Fibre FTTC 80/20 before and was not expecting such a 
big difference.

I decided I did not care about the local-only telephone service as I 
changed both our mobile contracts at the same time away from Vodafone to 
other suppliers offering limited free on contract overseas mobile calls, 
at least to Europe which is what I needed.

I am now not really managing my network (much), and really that is an 
advantage if something goes wrong while I am away and my very 
non-technical wife has to deal with it as it is all supported by 
Community Fibre which OPNSense would not be ;)

Oh and there's a remote-access-from-mobile for the Linksys Velop which 
allows what limited management exists to be done from anywhere - 
untested so far.

Finally the whole 150Mbp+phone+unlimited UK calls costs less per month 
than BT were charging me just for the phone line. Which is nice.

So far, so good.

MeJ





On 25/02/2022 16:28, James Roberts via GLLUG wrote:
> 
> 
> On 25/02/2022 16:02, Chris Bell via GLLUG wrote:
> 
> PS They have a chat facility on the website. I got most of that info 
> form their tech guy who seemed very competent. If you ask tech questions 
> sales will pass you to tech.
> 
> MeJ
> 

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