Virgin cable "pre-wire" install as part of a self-build or renovation

[joth]

 

1/ Has anyone installed Virgin Media as part of their build, and done so via the "developer services" rather than a consumer install?

In particular I'd like to pre-wire the house for cable (including the main cable in from the street into the house, and through the house to A/V cupboard and a couple TV-side outlets), but without having to sign up for a package as a customer.  In principle, I'd be fine activating say a 1-month contract to get this done, however last time I spoke to them the consumer activation team were utterly useless about having any conversation about how they would put the cable up the front garden or through the wall until after I'd given them my money and committed to a date for them to come around and do the install. (No opportunity to discuss trenches or anything else).

 

Their property developers site, esp the guidebook, seems pretty comprehensive, but all aimed for estate developers not the lone self-builder, let alone renovator like me. So interested what route others took?

 

2/  I assume the external wall box is mandatory? No way to bring it in through ducting under the floor slab and up in the middle of the building, like water main?

Trying to figure out how to minimize external wall mess, and reduce number of penetrations through the cavity wall, but looks like Virgin and OpenReach (like the DNO) are all pretty keen on these external wall boxes now.

 

3/ Are they doing anything in particular to future proof for fiber? They supply duct - is the idea fiber could be pulled through it in future? (I guess this is the answer to #2: external boxes are more future proofed) 

 

 

FWIW our Openreach cable is already underground (always has been) so current thought is to just leave that untouched.  Unfortunately it does come in right by the front door, so any new external box that winds up being added will be in a fairly ugly location.

 

 

[PeterW]

Virgin employ some of the worst “engineers” I’ve come across ...

 

Expect them to lay a duct 6-9” deep in your lawn, and then also drill at least 2 or 3 holes through the wall for them to route their cables. 
 

All internal boxes will be surface mount only, usually in the most visible position..... 

[joth]

1 hour ago, PeterW said:

Virgin employ some of the worst “engineers” I’ve come across ...

 

 

Don't get me started. Our last house was attacked rather brutally during the couple years we let it out while living overseas.

 

But....  ignoring the mandatory PoS router that needed a daily reboot ....  the internet speed was pretty reasonable really. Half the price for double the speed we were used to getting in silicon valley.

 

Hence my idea to have the cable installed but not connected, mostly to give options for future price comparison shopping (and if I want, dual redundant wired network link e.g. if working from home more in future).

 

 

56 minutes ago, PeterW said:

All internal boxes will be surface mount only, usually in the most visible position..... 

At least for this bit, in the PDF I linked they have plan VMTD0047 for  pre-wiring a house: they provide all the cable, and leave coiled behind euro module wall plates of our choice (ready for termination on subscription activation), and a single penetration needed from the external wall box to connect to an  internal hub / distribution box (ITB)

 

I'm just rather  incredulous whetehr anyone ever succeeded having them install this to any reasonable standard, and that didn't subsequently require 20 new holes made on eventual commissioning.

 

 

[joth]

Answering my own question in case it's helpful to others.

 

1. Sign up to a virgin broadband 30 day rolling contract, select the earliest available install date during sign-up

2. Wait a couple days and hopefully they'll pull the external cable from the pavement up to the boundary (or throw through the hedge in our case) along with some green ducting

3. Phone up the cancellation line and click through all the menus saying you want to cancel until you get to a human that is motivated not to lose a would be customer

4. You could just cancel now, or Explain your house isn't built / has no electricity,  you need to defer the instal for 5 months but you'd like a pre-install survey and have them bring a roll of internal cable for internal prewire

5. If they drop off the internal cable within 14 days you can then call up can cancel under remote selling terms for full refund, Or just leave it with deferred full install for 6+ months time. 

 

During the visit they also confirmed that while they normally put the splitter outside for multiroom install, they can bring a single cable into one location and do an internal splitter there which is better for a 1st fix prewire and reducing airtightness penetrations

 

 

Edited February 2, 2020 by joth

[Ferdinand]

My technique on renovations is to pre-install ducts and pullcords to where I know where I want them to go, to small 'mini cupboards' in the wall. 

 

So they do not have to drill any holes at all, and my way is easier.

 

I put them in when I do the underfloor insulation.

 

if necessary I would bung them £25 as well.

 

Too important not to have holes being drilled through my beautiful renovation.

 

Outside I run them under loose gravel borders and paths eg along a French drain.

 

F

Edited January 31, 2020 by Ferdinand

[Oz07]

25 what a weird amount for a drink!?

[joth]

On 31/01/2020 at 21:24, Ferdinand said:

My technique on renovations is to pre-install ducts and pullcords to where I know where I want them to go, to small 'mini cupboards' in the wall. 

 

So they do not have to drill any holes at all, and my way is easier.

 

I put them in when I do the underfloor insulation.

 

if necessary I would bung them £25 as well.

 

Too important not to have holes being drilled through my beautiful renovation.

 

Outside I run them under loose gravel borders and paths eg along a French drain.

 

Yeah I'll be putting a bunch of ducting in, but for the main run into the wiring cupboard I wanted to know I had the actual cable in place already. Likewise we're tearing up the front garden for a new soak away so seemed a sensible time to drop the cable into an open trench. 

The openreach cable also got chewed up so had to put additional duct in for that to be rerun too, after all.