> -----Original Message-----
> From: hampshire-bounces@??? [mailto:hampshire-
> bounces@???] On Behalf Of Mike Austin
> Sent: 02 January 2012 13:48
> To: hampshire@???
> Subject: Re: [Hampshire] VDSL equipment
>
> I have experience of both the Virgin Media cable broadband and BT
> Infinity, which my lady has at her home. It is worth explaining the
> difference to help understand their use.
>
> In both cases the fibre optic cable is fed to a box in the street
> somewhere near your home. With Virgin, the broadband signal is fed to the
> house via a coaxial cable with separate phone line. In my case the
> coaxial cable also supplies my television signal.
>
> In the case of the BT Infinity connection, a two core copper cable is fed
> to the house and carries your telephone and broadband data.
>
> The standard installation involves replacing your primary telephone socket
> at the first point of entry of the BT line into your home. The new face
> socket has a VDSL outlet to the modem, and a standard telephone outlet. BT
> provided a Homehub router wired to the modem. Any telephone extensions are
> fed from the new box and do not require a separate filter. You are then
> faced with a choice of using wireless or powerline plugs if your desktop
> is elsewhere.
>
> Incidentally, some of the latest powerline plugs include wireless
> capability. Since I run three WAPs in my own home, on different channels
> with different SSIDs, they could have been useful.
>
> In reality, you can move the new telephone socket to a more convenient
> point in your home if you have suitable wiring already installed, as most
> homes should. The installation engineer may baulk at this as they prefer
> not to use your existing wiring.
>
> If anyone wants me to explain the procedure, I will do a follow up.
>
> Mike
>
Thanks for this Mike - very clear. On a slightly different note, BT has
clearly badged this as "BT Infinity" because they want to sell the set top
box which, as far as I can tell, what they're actually doing is installing a
VDSL connection and proprietary hardware to stream content over said
connection.
Is there a set top box out there that basically does the job of a TiVO or BT
homehub/infinitiy/whateveritscalled but is not tied to a particular ISP?
I know, for instance, that PS3 and Apple TV can connect to lovefilm,
blinkbox, iplayer etc but you need a separate account for each service -
which is a huge faff.
The BT set top box, as far as I know:
a) requires BT total broadband - which I don't want because I hate BT as an
ISP
b) is basically a freeview box which streams non-freeview stuff over the
VDSL connection.
So as I will have a VDSL connection and I already have a freeview box, to
use BT as an ISP for the purposes of Sky Sports is a waste of time. I just
wondered if there was a box that was ISP independent which would do this for
me. I guess there's always SkyPlayer!
Cheers
Rob
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