OpenNet installation - Any good / bad experiences or advice to share?

[Bukitimah]

I had mine installed but it took months! Don't expect a very neat installation unless you are willing to pay. Very basic exposé PVC trunking, even if it takes a little more effort to conceal them above false ceiling.

Now it is done, speed wise not that fantastic. Maybe the next round, pay more to achieve what was initially promised. That is how things work here.

 

[catchlights]

I have mind done up FOC, drill a very big hold above my main door , but patch it up nicely later.

I'm still not sure is a wise choice for not laying extra point during the period.

what do you guys think? any benefits for having extra points?

 

[diver-hloc]

Mine was pretty painless... a hole is drill on the maindoor frame... fiber pulled through... trucking was free for the 1st 15m as stated... FW was fast and polite... I shifted my stuff out of their way before they came and that help speed things up.

Drop of speed from 100mbps to only 30+mbps because the fiber ended at the livingroom (as the modem) and I had to use HomePlug to get internet signal from livingroom to my room. Reduce of speed is most likely caused by interference on my power cable because of all the other device tapping power from the same wires.

Currently planning to lay CAT6 Ethernet Cable from livingroom to the rooms.... have to DIY myself...

 

[diver-hloc]

I have mind done up FOC, drill a very big hold above my main door , but patch it up nicely later.

I'm still not sure is a wise choice for not laying extra point during the period.

what do you guys think? any benefits for having extra points?

You can get the full speed capability of the fiber... Like I said eariler... using HomePlug to transfer signal from livingroom to my room... but my speed drop from 100Mbps to only 30Mbps.... which mean that even if I'm to upgrade to 200Mbps... the result would likely be the same...

 

[catchlights]

You can get the full speed capability of the fiber... Like I said eariler... using HomePlug to transfer signal from livingroom to my room... but my speed drop from 100Mbps to only 30Mbps.... which mean that even if I'm to upgrade to 200Mbps... the result would likely be the same...

I see, am using wireless to access internet, so don't benefit much unless I connect to modem directly?

 

[chillicutter]

Testing? No one mentioned about testing to me at all!

2 Bangalas came and used my existing casing that contains the coxial cable to run the fibre then terminate onto a box. So basically no casing was installed.

After they finished terminating the fibre, one of the worker showed be the "red beam" from the port claiming that this indicates that the fibre is working. Without testing on a multi meter or DTX testers.

Then I signed up with M1 fibre broadband and they send someone to do the patching and setup the modem. So far no problem.

 

[chillicutter]

Mine was pretty painless... a hole is drill on the maindoor frame... fiber pulled through... trucking was free for the 1st 15m as stated... FW was fast and polite... I shifted my stuff out of their way before they came and that help speed things up.

Drop of speed from 100mbps to only 30+mbps because the fiber ended at the livingroom (as the modem) and I had to use HomePlug to get internet signal from livingroom to my room. Reduce of speed is most likely caused by interference on my power cable because of all the other device tapping power from the same wires.

Currently planning to lay CAT6 Ethernet Cable from livingroom to the rooms.... have to DIY myself...

Please don use the homeplug thingy unless you are really really at your wits out.

Running data on electrical cables is a big no no. Lets not talk about the alien crosstalk and interference that you will get. The structure of electrical cables itself are not suitable to carry data.

If you strip a electrical cable, you will see straight lines of copper. For data cables, you will see 4 pairs of smaller cables which is blue, orange, green and brown in colour and data runs alot better on these twisted pairs. e.g Cat 5e, Cat 6, Cat 6A, Cat 7.

 

[Rashkae]

I see, am using wireless to access internet, so don't benefit much unless I connect to modem directly?

Yeah, you're not even benefiting from the full 100mbps speeds (though we all know the local providers will never give full speed anyway...)

My setup is a Wireless-N router with 4-port hub - 1 goes to my main PC/workstation, and one port is for digital home phone, the other 2 I keep free for laptops if I'm sitting near the port.

The wifi-N reaches into my bedroom no problem for surfing, etc from there. But not that good for gaming, etc.

 

[diver-hloc]

Please don use the homeplug thingy unless you are really really at your wits out.

Running data on electrical cables is a big no no. Lets not talk about the alien crosstalk and interference that you will get. The structure of electrical cables itself are not suitable to carry data.

If you strip a electrical cable, you will see straight lines of copper. For data cables, you will see 4 pairs of smaller cables which is blue, orange, green and brown in colour and data runs alot better on these twisted pairs. e.g Cat 5e, Cat 6, Cat 6A, Cat 7.

I have no choice as there isn't a way for me lay cable from livingroom to my room with PC... I'm now 'Armed' with a 14mm drill bit and hopefully will make a hole big enough to get a Ethernet Cable through the 9cm thick wall.... then I could start laying cable.

 

[ninelives]

I see, am using wireless to access internet, so don't benefit much unless I connect to modem directly?

now with wireless N, speed can reach very high. i am using Asus one, the USB adapter itself is $150 over. speed can reach 450 mbps above. dont need home plug. but if you get cheapo router, you wont get that max throughput.

i am also agree with chillicutter, homeplug not reliable.

get the best wireless router/adapter you can afford.

ps: i am using Asus RT-N56 series.

look at the upload speed, i do video up-streaming occasionally, the result is impressive, no lag at all.

 

[splim]

now with wireless N, speed can reach very high. i am using Asus one, the USB adapter itself is $150 over. speed can reach 450 mbps above. dont need home plug. but if you get cheapo router, you wont get that max throughput.

i am also agree with chillicutter, homeplug not reliable.

get the best wireless router/adapter you can afford.

ps: i am using Asus RT-N56 series.


....

look at the upload speed, i do video up-streaming occasionally, the result is impressive, no lag at all.

What is the max speed you can get when transfer from another wired connected pc ?

My understanding was that 450mbps is the connection speed, actual speed is usually less than half of it.

 

[keiser]

tot for the "real world" situation the telco side should be about 1/3 (e.g. so 100mbps should be around +/- 33mbps) and wireless should be around 1/4 ...?

What is the max speed you can get when transfer from another wired connected pc ?

My understanding was that 450mbps is the connection speed, actual speed is usually less than half of it.

 

[keiser]

hmm ... i wonder how OpenNet ensure the quality of their work ... i was told that they recommend that the owner to be around to supervise the work ... may be that's the way?

2 Bangla workers came separately at different times. I suppose the company is labour-cost conscious.

First one did something. This one cannot see a horizontal line properly, so the cable duct he installed was slightly slanted. Cannot undo.

The next one did something to connect up on another day. Not sure whether he may have screwed up the connection in the junction box outside. I had no incoming calls on the Singtel home phone line for some time after the Open Net installation (did not discover that until much later when I tried to make a call out using land line). The Singtel technician came to undo the screw-up.

I am not sure the Open Net thing can function. Did not subscribe, so not tested.

You see, the Open Net company did not send a separate Supervisor or Quality Assurance team / inspector to come and do a communication test using instruments to verify that the whole set up is operational and sign on the Inspection Certificate for each house's connection. If this requirement was missing from the contract given by the Authorities to the Open Net installing company, then where is the Quality Assurance?

Not every household that has this thing installed will subscribe. What if they actually don't function because they were not installed properly?

 

[keiser]

one of the problem for me is due to their guideline on laying the cable next to the TV point - which is the worst place because the router place near there creates a lot of wireless blind spots .... .... why must lay near the tv point leh?

You can get the full speed capability of the fiber... Like I said eariler... using HomePlug to transfer signal from livingroom to my room... but my speed drop from 100Mbps to only 30Mbps.... which mean that even if I'm to upgrade to 200Mbps... the result would likely be the same...

 

[xtemujin]

I was told by the contractor that it was not possible to lay another point during the installation period as I wanted to lay another point in my room.

I have mind done up FOC, drill a very big hold above my main door , but patch it up nicely later.

I'm still not sure is a wise choice for not laying extra point during the period.

what do you guys think? any benefits for having extra points?

 

[Rashkae]

one of the problem for me is due to their guideline on laying the cable next to the TV point - which is the worst place because the router place near there creates a lot of wireless blind spots .... .... why must lay near the tv point leh?

They laid it where I asked them to - which is nowhere near the cable point

 

[Rashkae]

I was told by the contractor that it was not possible to lay another point during the installation period as I wanted to lay another point in my room.

More than one point is not possible. But the access point they lay can be anywhere

 

[ninelives]

I was told by the contractor that it was not possible to lay another point during the installation period as I wanted to lay another point in my room.

you need to make reservation, additional point is not free.

 

[splim]

tot for the "real world" situation the telco side should be about 1/3 (e.g. so 100mbps should be around +/- 33mbps) and wireless should be around 1/4 ...?

You'll get close to what you subscribed. For wireless, it's always depend on your luck.

 

[Rashkae]

You'll get close to what you subscribed. For wireless, it's always depend on your luck.

Nope. That's why the telcos post the "average speed" in the tables as well.

For wireless, you are also limited by the exact same bandwidth that enters your wireless router (your cable or fibre plan). The limit there is your wireless router speed, and if it is capable of bandwidth in excess of the input bandwidth.