On 22/10/2023 11:32, Mark Carver wrote:
> On 22/10/2023 09:45, Roderick Stewart wrote:
>> On Sat, 21 Oct 2023 14:55:13 +0100, David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>> It's actually none of Openreach's bloody business how you choose to
>>>> power their kit. It needs 240 volts, and that's it. Provide it however
>>>> you like.
>>>>
>>>> It's the dogmatic DNA of the GPO shining through yet again...
>>>
>>> But if its one of those old square 13amp adaptors the two wall warts may
>>> foul each other and they will be unable to test it.
>>
>> You can test it with any kind of adaptor that works, and then tidy it
>> up later with whatever you can find that looks neat. I have a block
>> adaptor with 13A outlets on the top and on the front, so the ONT power
>> supply goes on top, where its back end overhangs a little, but the
>> cable is only low voltage and therefore thin and flexible so this
>> isn't a problem. The plug for the router is actually on an extension
>> cable to a high shelf where the router sits, so it's a standard 13A
>> plug with a less flexible mains cable, but as it's plugged to the
>> front of the adaptor its cable hangs straight down.
>>
>>> The ONT and its adaptor are OpenReach property, so I would say they are
>>> free to tell you how to power it.
>>
>> I would say they can only tell you that it should ideally be powered
>> continuously along with the router, and leave the details to you.
>>
>> The only valid reason for powering these items continuously is that
>> they'll take a minute or two to boot up, make the connection and
>> stabilise when you switch them on. They don't consume much electricity
>> so it's most convenient just to leave them alone, but you're paying
>> for it so it should be your decision.
>
> With FTTP there is no reason (from the service providers point of view)
> to keep the router or ONT permanently powered up.
>
> There is no DSL style 'line training'.
>
> Of course yes, from a user point of view, better to keep them powered
> 24/7 because of the boot up time you mention. However, if you're going
> on holiday for a fortnight, (and don't have an IoT devices such as
> security cameras etc) then switch the ONT and router off if you wish.
>
I VPN through mine so I can watch British TV in Spain. If you have VOIP
and use the voicemail in the router you may also want to keep in on...

Dave

On Friday, 20 October 2023 at 11:56:03 UTC+1, SH wrote:
> On 20/10/2023 11:44, Spike wrote:
> >
> > A neighbour of mine has just had full fibre installed by BT.
> >
> > There is a grey box on the outside of the wall with two cables running in
> > to it at the bottom. One cable is clearly the incoming fibre, the other (a
> > white cable) goes into a drilling through the wall into the room behind.. It
> > is neatly tacked to the skirting board and runs along two walls then
> > disappears behind a heavy display unit.
> >
> > The white cable appears to terminate at an Ethernet port on a BT Super Hub
> > router, but I can’t see behind the display unit.
> >
> > Is the external wall box powered from the Ethernet port, or is there
> > another box hidden behind the display unit?
> >
> > I ask because if and when I need to upgrade to fibre, I’d like to have as
> > few wall warts in the setup as possible, and powering the ONT from the
> > router is an attractive proposition.
> >
> I wonder if its powered via PoE?
>
> (Power over ethernet)
>
> This would require the router to have a PoE enabled ethernet socket
> which is not something I have seen on routers.
>
> The other possibility is that you have an optical coupler on the outside
> box, and a white fibre patch cable has been used and there is two boxes
> behind that heavy unit or a combo ONT & Router unit.
>
> If the latter you will have two wall warts as the ONT requires power. If
> you have one wall wart, then a combo ONT & router but again I've never
> seen one of these.
>
> Its not considered good practice to put an ONT on an outside wall for
> various reasons.

Draytek make / made PoE routers, e.g. 2952P