FTTP installation - just sealant on outside wall entry? WAS Re: Sigh. Another powerline adapter fail

Yes, they just use sealant..

The box is I think a CSP or customer splice point. Its purpose is to protect the joint between the external grade fibre and the internal grade that feeds the ONT, not to cover the entry point. Its a grey box, I guess 3" or 4" square.

It appears that they do sometimes fit these inside. It just means if your drop fibre from the pole is damaged they need access to your house to replace.

Dave

Moine was the same:-

OK, thanks to both you and David Wade. I appreciate the use of the CSP/Customer Splicing Point, it was the other bit I meant. I was thinking/hoping that they might use an 'External CLI' as shown on page 1 of this:

(In fact pages 2 and 3 of this PDF show such a part in use)

I might buy a cap anyway, it looks a bit rough to me as it is.

Thanks J^n

I assume that the hole into the house sloped upwards from the outside. Does the cable have any silicone sealant on it where it goes through the wall?

That is a good point - no, it doesn't. I mention in my posting that I drilled the hole. I drilled it horizontally to the best of my ability; you having reminded me I am a little annoyed that I didn't think to ask the engineers this. They saw me drilling the hole FWIW...

Yes, as mentioned.

I was assuming that one of the points of the 'CLI' (a sort of tube, with end cap) was to mechanically protect the cable as it goes through the wall/cavity, and also to prevent any 'mis-behaviour' (leaching/wear etc) between the brick/mortar and cable? Small beer perhaps, but still...

J^n

The fibre cable is incredibly robust. John

I patched it with mortar on the outside and filler on the inside.

There has been no problem

I think it was s,loped up,. but in my case it doesnt matter,. The cross section of the wall is paint-render-mesh-airgap-waterproof plywood-insulation-plasterboard.

The airgap has a gap at the wall base to let any water out

Snap (except my outside box is brown). Mine has no sealant on the outside and a plastic hole cover on the inside. When the wind is in the wrong direct I get a small amount of brick dust on the inside. This reminds me to apply a small amount of sealant on the outside.

Understood - but in that case why make these CLI parts?

Anyway, it seems that it is fairly common practice and has almost certainly been 'done to code', so I will just put some sort of cover on it to satisfy my own aesthetic. Thanks all

J^n

There are many different types of wall. If its brick/breeze block combination, fairly common on newer builds, with large cavities you may need the conduit to thread the fibre through. Also in rural older homes you might encounter rubble infill, which would be a real swine to sort.

Wandering round my local area I don't think I have seen any installations with a CLI.

Dave Dave

They are not exclusively for fibre

My FTTP was installed yesterday by 'MT Quinn openreach', with a grey box outside close to the hole through the wall. The hole has just sealant on the outside, just covered by the ONT on the inside.

Initially a red LOS light, rebooting did not fix that, shining a light into the fibre from inside showed up outside. The installer said that sometimes climbing up the pole and shaking something fixes it.

Somehow he managed to get rid of the red light, and move on to a flashing green PON light. He then needed to call someone to run diagnostics, so he had a long wait on hold outside where there is some mobile phone signal.

Diagnostics can't see the ONT, script say to try another one. He did that, went outside to wait on hold again; still can't see the ONT, script still says to try another ONT.

So I'm a failed install, still with FTTC, and an engineer with more tools will have to go up the pole sometime.