Location of Exterior Box for Sky Broadband

[DK0904]

Hi all

I have Openreach coming out to complete the installation of Sky Broadband on Friday.

Previously someone came out when I wasn't there and fitted the exterior box - however they fitted it near the back of the house (due to that being where the telephone pole is located) and i'm looking for them to put the interior box around the front of the house, as I had previously with current providers, Virgin.

• So, is this something I can broach with the engineer who will show up on Friday or would it need to be sorted prior to them coming?
• Would they be able to move the exterior box, or would they run a cable around the house to the front?
• Also Openreach seem to say to conact your service provider with any questions but not sure this would be a Sky question - any quick way of getting through to their Live chat rather than the infuriating AI assistant?

Thanks!

[jamesn123]

@DK0904 

It would be something you discuss with the engineer on install day. Its unlikely they will move or touch the exterior box (CSP) but its possible they could run a fibre cable around to the front of your house, however this would likely fall under a non-standard installation so they may refuse to do it. 

[DK0904]

Thanks for the reply

Seems odd that they would just randomly plonk the exterior box on the house in the first place without checking where it would be located for internal work - as it is, it would be going into the crawlspace underneath my kitchen, so a bit puzzled by what they are supposed to do.

[jamesn123]

@DK0904 

It happens for two reasons usually.

1. The team that runs the cable from the pole/duct to your home & the team that does the internal install are often different or even completely separate companies so they dont really communicate.

2. Openreach will prefer the most direct connection to your property so if the pole/duct is at the rear of yours they would not want to spend the extra time & resource to get the cable run all the way around to the front. 

[DK0904]

Cheers

Yeah - just wondering what my engineer is going to do on Friday - appreciate that the box doesn't have to be exactly on the other side of the wall from the exterior box, but he's basically going to have to go under my house or possibly into a cupboard under the stairs where our gas meter is located, which doesn't have a power outlet.

To me, logically, taking the wires around the house externally is the only option that makes sense.

[jamesn123]

@DK0904 

I would imagine the engineer will just run the cable upwards from the CSP until it can enter the property without being in the crawlspace.

[DK0904]

Which in itself poses an issue as that'd be going right into the side of my kitchen units.

If I was wanting to work out what would happen, who would I be contacting about this do you think - Openreach or Sky?

[jamesn123]

@DK0904 

Then they would run it to the left or right a few meters until there was a wall opening to bring it in. Neither Sky nor Openreach will discuss your specific install method until the day as its only that engineer that can see what possibilities there may be. If you are unhappy with the proposed solution by the engineer on the day, you can always refuse install and reschedule.