OpenNet Cabling & Trunking ...........

[Patricklyb]

wired should be better but your seen wireless is better!

 

when i signed up with M1 i got by using wireless

 

download:20mbs

upload:21mbs

 

later try wired

 

download:50mbs

upload:49mbs

 

lastly i try homeplug:

 

download:60mbs

upload:45mbs

 

which M1 claim it good

 

hear a bro here got d/l of 90mbs/upload:50+ on 100mbs plan from M1

[Bystander50]

Not a techie myself so help please.

This new open net cable is just the carrier???

 

Do Starhub, Singtel and M1 use it?

 

If one point only then this is best at TV position in living room?

 

Then can you get a 'divider' to allow television and internet in study preferably wired to be taken off from this one point.?

 

Can another cable line be taken off and run to a bedroom for a third TV point??

 

And do these Aztec Homeplugs work well.

Are they only for internet or do they work with TV

Can they be used to supply more than one room?

Are they better than wireless?

 

Many questions I know but a bit clueless on this.

 

Any service provider can use it.

If you look at the ONT properly, you'll see at 1 and 2 at the bottom. This means it can support up to a maximum of 2 service providers.

If you want to set up your own company to provide fiber Internet services, you can buy the bandwidth from OpenNet and resell them. You do not need to lay the cables yourself. The signal will still come from the same ONT.

 

Sad to say there is no way you can split a fiber connection like what you do for electrical cables.

That is why it is advisable to have the ONT near your living room cable point. A lot of people have the misconception that this OpenNet thing is all about high speed Internet coz it is widely advertised. In future, the same fiber connection will bring in signals for TV or IPTV. Put it too far away from your TV point, you'll have to figure out another way to lay your HDMI/Component/Composite cables all the way to your TV. Good luck to those who wants neat cabling and put the point near their front door/store room.

From what I know, at the moment, OpenNet only allows 1 cable to be laid into each house. I believe they are constraint by costs. I'm not sure how many cores they are using for 1 single cable. A 48 core cable can only serve 24 units. And I believe they won't use up everything, leaving a few pairs as reserves for dud or damage pairs. Even if OpenNet allows multiple connections in your house, all these points would have to be tapped from the riser outside your house in. Unless you look for professional commercial contractors (not those normal electrician) who can afford a splicing machine, not many people can help you run these cables. Not even DIY.

 

I stream the signals from my STB via LAN to the other rooms in my house and watch the show off my LCD monitor. The cons is only 1 channel can be watched at 1 time. If you change the channel, the one watching in the living room would see the channel change. This device is not those illegal STB, it just gets the video signals out via Composite or Component output, re-encode and send it out via LAN. Comes with 2 diodes so that you can change channel via software anytime. The pros is you can watch the same thing outside on your mobile phone or PC so long as you have an Internet connection at both ends.

 

Homeplugs will work. The whole connection is very simple.

 

Fiber In (from wall) -> ONT In -> ONT Out (RJ45) -> Router -> Homeplug

 

The ONT works like a media converter, converting optical signals to electrical before sending out to your router.

Once it reaches your router, you can treat it as the normal connections you are doing now, including wireless.

For my case, I wired up my whole house during renovation, so all my LAN cables are all hidden.

 

 

[Bystander50]

check with u guys, isit onli open net contractor can do relocation the tb box or cabling works? can i ask other licensed electrician to do it?

 

By right, yes, you have to look for their contractors to do any works relating to the Termination Point.

By left, you can look for your own contractors to do the job, but once you messed up, you;ll have to go back to them, might have some problems then. For fiber, the alignment of the 2 strands are very important. Any misalignment, your signals gets distorted or you'll get a lot of errors in the transmission.

 

Your normal electrician may be able to help you lay the cables, but not joining them.

He may not even have stock since Fiber is pretty new to them. A splicing machine to join up the 2 fiber strands easily cost $30k onwards, something not what the normal electrician can afford. Besides, there are 2 types of fiber cables - Single Mode (SM) and Multi Mode (MM). OpenNet is using SM cables (yellow in colour if you shop around Sim Lim Tower/Square). MM is orange in colour.

 

There is another way that relocation can be done without using the splicing machine. In theory it works, but I've no time to test it yet. What you can do is to buy a SC-SC coupler and the fiber cable (connectors are SC-SC). Calculate the length you want for this cable in your relocated point. The cable length is not a problem for normal apartment.

Carefully remove the cables inside the Termination Point. There will be some exposed fiber strands not protected by the rubber. Buy those square electrical PVC box and hide these exposed portions inside, becareful not to break any of them.

Next connect the 2 original connectors to the coupler at 1 end, and your newly purchased cable to the other end. Next, just run your new cable to your new location you want to put. Cover everything back with the original TP box.

 

If you don't know what a coupler is, just open up the TP box, you'll see a green square/rectangular adapter at the bottom made of plastic.

That is the coupler.

 

 

[Rainman]

OMG, Sunday 11pm

 

I'm on 30mbps plan, it's even struggling to go to speedtest website....LOL

 

[David]

Edited June 5, 2011 by David

[Tarzan666]

Thanks for your detailed advice,

 

Opennet managed get me a slot on 22nd June, i told my contractor not to box up the ceiling etc till open net come. Means overall reno project be delayed.

I dun mind rather than later on have trouble with opennet installation.

[Bystander50]

Thanks very much Bystander50.

 

Very good explanation.

We are moving shortly to a brand new HDB.

 

Will it have both Open net and the old style cables?

 

OpenNet cables you got to check with HDB, co-oxial cable for Starhub will definitely have and in every room, including your kitchen and store room, except toilets.

 

 

I only need Starhub TV and the Star hub free 1 Mb internet connection.

 

I was offered the upgrade to fiber Internet by Starhub when my contract expired. High chance you'll go for it since the price different is not a lot if you compare it with the speed.

 

 

So the old style cables will work OK for me until TV comes through Open net.

 

I believe till then, both Starhub's cable TV and Singtel's Mio will be using a common STB via fiber, so you won't have so many lying around.

 

 

Or would it be better to have the whole Open Net cabling set up from the living room TV point to other rooms now?

 

I was told during installation that OpenNet only allows 1 set of fiber cable to each unit. Not sure if there's any policy change. Take note that at the moment, there is no way you can tap from that existing single fiber cable to your other rooms. If OpenNet permits you to have multiple cables, you'll have 4 cables running parallel from your riser into your living room + the 3 other rooms. And the next question is whether does OpenNet have sufficient cable pairs for you to run. Unike Starhub's signals which are LIVE the moment it is connected, fiber signals need to be turned on by OpenNet at their backend. Another words, even if you get your own professional cable contractor to open up the riser and run the cables, you'll NEVER get the signal as OpenNet does not have any record of the fiber pairs.

 

 

By the sounds of it if the missus and mother in law are watching one tv programme in the living room using Open net then I can't watch a different programme in the study or bedroom using Open net. Is that correct?

 

I do have a suggestion that works since you're doing your renovations soon and this could help you lay and hide all the cables.

Call up OpenNet and ask them for the correct cable specifications. By right it should be SC connector, Single Mode fiber, APC polished (the tip/protection cap is green in colour). Most of the fiber cables found in Sim Lim are not APC polished, so I'm not very sure if these could be used. I have the non APC polished ones, but do not have the time to test them to see if there's any differences.

 

Ok, here it goes when you have the cables. If you have the $$$ to spend, you can buy the number of cables you want into each room. The good abt this is you have a backup cable to each room. Identify where the OpenNet TP is in your living room and ask your electrician to lay these cables to each room from this point. Becareful about bending at shsarp angles at corners. There are 2 connectors at the TP, that means you can connect up to a maximum of 2 services. What you can do is when you need to use a 2nd service in another room, just identify that connector and plug it into one of the 2 ports. Sad to say, this method only allows u to use in 2 locations, but at least better than nothing. OpenNet connection uses 1 cable only (instead of the normal 2 used in the IT industry).

 

In future if they permit you to have a 2nd TP, you can ask them to terminate the new next to your current one and connect these spare cables in. At least all your termination points are at the same location. I'll be working on this when my house undergo a major renovation. You can future proof your house for some time.

 

Sounds like in the study or bedroom I'd have to set up the TV channel with the old style connection.

 

[Bystander50]

Thanks for your detailed advice,

 

Opennet managed get me a slot on 22nd June, i told my contractor not to box up the ceiling etc till open net come. Means overall reno project be delayed.

I dun mind rather than later on have trouble with opennet installation.

 

You can consider my suggestion to Neutrino on cabling the rest of your house with these fiber cables.

I am not working for OpenNet or their contractors, just sharing some knowledge I have on fiber.

 

Once you've laid your own cables, you can do a simple light test to see if the cable is ok.

Just use a red LED (preferably) and shine it through one connector at a time and get someone at the other end to see if he can see the light.

 

 

 

[Ultramega]

You can consider my suggestion to Neutrino on cabling the rest of your house with these fiber cables.

I am not working for OpenNet or their contractors, just sharing some knowledge I have on fiber.

 

Once you've laid your own cables, you can do a simple light test to see if the cable is ok.

Just use a red LED (preferably) and shine it through one connector at a time and get someone at the other end to see if he can see the light.

 

The LED test you suggested is only good for checking continuity. ie, check if the cable has any breaks/cracks in between. However even if the light passes through to the other end, it does not guarantee the signal is good.

While doing the LED test, don't only look out for light at the other end. Should also look out for light along the cable. But for this you need a strong LED light source else the light can't pass through the cable's protective layer and you can't see the light. And of course, do the test before covering up the cable trunking. Any light along the cable suggests a break/crack in the fiber inside (traditionally made of 9 micro meter thick glass (for single-mode) and nowadays made of high grade plastic *i think*), and that would reduce the signal strength thereby giving you intermittent connection issues.

 

[Bystander50]

The LED test you suggested is only good for checking continuity. ie, check if the cable has any breaks/cracks in between. However even if the light passes through to the other end, it does not guarantee the signal is good.

While doing the LED test, don't only look out for light at the other end. Should also look out for light along the cable. But for this you need a strong LED light source else the light can't pass through the cable's protective layer and you can't see the light. And of course, do the test before covering up the cable trunking. Any light along the cable suggests a break/crack in the fiber inside (traditionally made of 9 micro meter thick glass (for single-mode) and nowadays made of high grade plastic *i think*), and that would reduce the signal strength thereby giving you intermittent connection issues.

 

A light test is the most a normal end user can do within means. If we do need to check on the signal strength, then the cheapest to go for is a Power Meter, and this costs at least US$500 onwards, while the OTDR for checking the estimated location of the breakage costs many times more. All these equipments are not as cheap as a multimeter (below S$20) that a home user can afford. It's also not possible see through the protective layer of the cable as the light goes through. The only way you can see the light, which is usually a small dot is at the tip.

 

This LED light test method is not harmful. If you stare at the light source while connected to the OpenNet's TP, there's a chance your eyes may be burned/damaged by the laser. I can't say for sure what light source OpenNet is using - Laser or LED. So just to play safe. Another way if you are worried is to test in a totally dark environment and bringing the tip close to a wall. If you can see the red dot, chances are the cable is ok. We usually do this kind of test when we have connectivity issues to eliminate cable problems.

 

 

 

[Valx]

i have a question for those who had sign up for fiber plans.

Right now that opennet box is at living room.

let say i sign with singtel or starhub they will get their technicans down to my house. Can i ask the technical to drill a hole from the living room to my other room which is directly behind the cable point? Will they charge extra for the drilling. why i need to drill a hole through is because the cable point is at living room, my PC is at other room and i do not wish to go by powerline or wireless. Can share with me your setups?

[Civic2000]

A very powerful electric drill is needed to drill a hole thru the wall. The technician from the Telco coming to your house to set up the equipment for broadband services does not come with such tool. I doubt they will do it you. You have to get someone who is in the renovation line to do it for you. But just curious, what wrong with using wireless connection? In fact, when you sign up with these Telco for the broadband service, it is standard that they come with Wireless home gateway.

[Bystander50]

i have a question for those who had sign up for fiber plans.

Right now that opennet box is at living room.

let say i sign with singtel or starhub they will get their technicans down to my house. Can i ask the technical to drill a hole from the living room to my other room which is directly behind the cable point? Will they charge extra for the drilling. why i need to drill a hole through is because the cable point is at living room, my PC is at other room and i do not wish to go by powerline or wireless. Can share with me your setups?

 

The technician that comes to your flat is a sub-contractor from Starhub/Singtel.

They'll only bring the necessary equipments like the router and ONT, and their laptops.

They do not have the drill or any equipments to help you re-route your cables.

 

Most of the time is after they leave, then you do your own tidying up.

 

For my case, my house is fully wired up with Cat 6 cables during renovation and I terminated all the connections at the living room.

So if there's any new additions or changes to equipment, I just need to play around with the connections on the switch or router.

These moving around of cables does not affect the rest of the rooms as it's just changing from 1 port to the other.

I don't use wireless at home, all my data still goes through the LAN cables.

I don't trust Homeplug devices. If a lightning strike can kaput a modem (as in those using telephone lines), you are risking your equipments to similiar risks as if the Homeplug mulfunction or due to power surge, your PC or Laptop goes with it.

Besides, everyone is connected to the same power grid and even though there is one circuit for your home, there is a concern for security as there may be a possibility that someone may just sneak in to your network. I'm not sure if the HomePlug devices have encryption similiar to WPA. Why open up more points of entry when we already have difficulties securing attacks coming in via the modem?

 

 

 

 

[Bystander50]

A very powerful electric drill is needed to drill a hole thru the wall. The technician from the Telco coming to your house to set up the equipment for broadband services does not come with such tool. I doubt they will do it you. You have to get someone who is in the renovation line to do it for you. But just curious, what wrong with using wireless connection? In fact, when you sign up with these Telco for the broadband service, it is standard that they come with Wireless home gateway.

 

It depends on the layout of the flat, there may be some problems in using wireless.

For my house, my router is in the living room and my master bedroom is at the opposite end of it. If you are using the standard antennas that comes with it, the reception is only at the halfway mark and I can't even get a single bar of signal although the distance is about 5m or so away. Moreover, the Huawei gateway cum router that comes with it is using built-in antennas, that means you can't change to those high gain antennas.

 

Last thing is security and the congested channel of the wireless spectrum, especially so if you are staying in built-up areas like HDB or condo.

That's my take for not using wireless, not sure for others though.

 

 

 

[Sotongcat]

 

 

 

"I can't say for sure what light source OpenNet is using - Laser or LED"

 

SM (Single Mode) is laser confirmed. 9um fiber, can't be LED

 

"By right it should be SC connector, Single Mode fiber, APC polished (the tip/protection cap is green in colour)."

 

SC-APC (angled polish connector) is usually used for SM type fiber, and it is not easy to find.

 

 

I also have the same headache, where the termination box is behind the sofa. I am still figuring out how to buy 20m of Green connector type SingleMode SC-APC cables to "extend" the connection to the TV side.

[Rainman]

wired should be better but your seen wireless is better!

 

when i signed up with M1 i got by using wireless

 

download:20mbs

upload:21mbs

 

later try wired

 

download:50mbs

upload:49mbs

 

lastly i try homeplug:

 

download:60mbs

upload:45mbs

 

which M1 claim it good

 

hear a bro here got d/l of 90mbs/upload:50+ on 100mbs plan from M1

 

Home plug is better than wired and normal router?

 

Why is this so? are there any one else using home plug and able to verify?

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

[Jman888]

Home plug is better than wired and normal router?

 

Why is this so? are there any one else using home plug and able to verify?

 

Thanks.

 

 

my home plug doesn't work with the fiber

[Bystander50]

"I can't say for sure what light source OpenNet is using - Laser or LED"

 

SM (Single Mode) is laser confirmed. 9um fiber, can't be LED

 

"By right it should be SC connector, Single Mode fiber, APC polished (the tip/protection cap is green in colour)."

 

SC-APC (angled polish connector) is usually used for SM type fiber, and it is not easy to find.

 

 

I also have the same headache, where the termination box is behind the sofa. I am still figuring out how to buy 20m of Green connector type SingleMode SC-APC cables to "extend" the connection to the TV side.

 

Can buy these cables online, they should have.

I'm curious to find out if there's any difference if I use the normal ones to do the extension.

 

A lot of people have this problem when they didn't foresee one day they'll need these services, thinking of using only wireless and hence put the TP far away.

In your case, most likely you'll still have to run the cable to near your TV, which is almost as good as placing the TP there in the first place.