Much Ado About Wall Plates

Internet access discussion, including Fusion, IP Broadband, and Gigabit Fiber!
16 posts Page 1 of 2
by chris.w » Fri Aug 16, 2019 10:33 pm
Can someone can tell me whether Sonic uses keystone-format, snap-in, fiber-optic jacks in the wall plate on the interior wall near the ONT? (For clarity, here's a picture of someone's Sonic fiber install. The wall plate is the white rectangular plate in the upper left, with the yellow fiber cable running from it.)
Fiber Install.jpg
Fiber Install.jpg (21.12 KiB) Viewed 22892 times

While I wait for my FDA to go live, I'm trying to work out a plan for fiber routing. Currently, my DSL cable connects to an RJ11 jack in a 2-port Leviton wall plate whose other port holds an RJ45 Ethernet jack. Both jacks are keystone-format modules that snap into the plate. When the fiber install takes place, I'd like to keep the wall plate and the Ethernet jack but replace the DSL jack with one for the fiber-optic cable. If Sonic uses keystone-format fiber-optic jacks at the wall plate, this approach should be easy--or at least straightforward--for the installer; if not, I may need to rethink my plan.

Here are front and back pictures of my wall plate as currently configured. I'd like to replace the RJ11 DSL jack in the upper port with a fiber-optic jack.
Wall Plate (front).jpg
Wall Plate (front).jpg (27.76 KiB) Viewed 22892 times
Wall Plate (back).jpg
Wall Plate (back).jpg (34.44 KiB) Viewed 22892 times
by joeyyung911 » Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:46 pm
Where is the ethernet going to/from?
Excelsior, Sonic Fiber
by larns576 » Sat Aug 17, 2019 7:53 am
My ATT and Sonic fiber installs both didnt use keystone. The pic you attached is probably a home that was built with fiber to the home prewired or was custom wired.

Both my ATT and Sonic fiber installs were basically the same. A black fiber cable from the pole outside comes into the home, thru the same hole as my other CableTV and phone cables.

1. The black fiber cable then goes into a gray box that loops the cable around a few times and then exits the gray box as the yellow fiber you have in your pic.

2. The yellow fiber cable then goes into the ONT which converts it to RJ45

3. RJ45 is then run to the router, then to my PC.

Sonic provided the gray box and ONT free with the install. The router is rented from them. Here's a pic of that gray box:
https://images.app.goo.gl/FoKcvLgvDqSd6hKv8
by chris.w » Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:15 am
From the router to a computer located elsewhere in the house.
by steven.thomas » Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:26 am
Hi, I'm a Lead Field Technician with Sonic.Yes we do use the snap-in, keystone format fiber-optic jacks. I'm looking at your pics now and I'm confident we'll be able to swap out the copper keystone from the DSL for a fiber one, definitely an issue that can easily be resolved by any installer. We'll either simply re-use your wall plate or replace it with one that will work. Hopefully this wall plate is situated in the house in a way that our installer can run one of our secondary fiber cables to it from the transition box where the primary drop cable coming in from the street is terminated.This is a determination made once the installer is on site, so unfortunately I can't guarantee that we can run the fiber to this jack, however once on site the installer will do his or her best to accommodate the plan. I hope this answers your question, thank you for choosing Sonic.
by steven.thomas » Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:36 am
Hi, I'm a Lead Field Technician with Sonic.Yes we do use the snap-in, keystone format fiber-optic jacks. I'm looking at your pics now and I'm confident we'll be able to swap out the copper keystone from the DSL for a fiber one, definitely an issue that can easily be resolved by any installer. We'll either simply re-use your wall plate or replace it with one that will work. Hopefully this wall plate is situated in the house in a way that our installer can run one of our secondary fiber cables to it from the transition box where the primary drop cable coming in from the street is terminated.This is a determination made once the installer is on site, so unfortunately I can't guarantee that we can run the fiber to this jack, however once on site the installer will do his or her best to accommodate the plan. I hope this answers your question, thank you for choosing Sonic.
by chris.w » Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:42 am
For reference, here's an example of a keystone-format fiber-optic jack (Leviton 41085-ASW).
This one may not be compatible with Sonic's connector format or installation practices, but Leviton and other vendors offer a wide variety of fiber-optic keystone jacks and adapters in many flavors.
SC Adapter.jpg
SC Adapter.jpg (11.31 KiB) Viewed 22818 times
by Sonic Guest » Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:56 pm
Just make sure the tech can route the fiber to your keystone plate and you provide the fiber jack. Buy a 4-port plate if you want to preserve your DSL jack.

Sonic will not drill holes or anything like that outside the fiber drop from the pole to MPOE. I did the drilling for my parents when they had their install and I provided all the parts.
by chris.w » Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:30 am
steven.thomas wrote:Hi, I'm a Lead Field Technician with Sonic.Yes we do use the snap-in, keystone format fiber-optic jacks. I'm looking at your pics now and I'm confident we'll be able to swap out the copper keystone from the DSL for a fiber one, definitely an issue that can easily be resolved by any installer. We'll either simply re-use your wall plate or replace it with one that will work.
Thanks! That’s what I was hoping to hear.
steven.thomas wrote:Hopefully this wall plate is situated in the house in a way that our installer can run one of our secondary fiber cables to it from the transition box where the primary drop cable coming in from the street is terminated.

Should be doable. The DSL cable will no longer be needed, so I’d like to remove it and replace it with the secondary fiber cable. The DSL cable is only loosely stapled in place and it can definitely be pulled out—and maybe used to pull the fiber into place if we do it right.
steven.thomas wrote:This is a determination made once the installer is on site, so unfortunately I can't guarantee that we can run the fiber to this jack, however once on site the installer will do his or her best to accommodate the plan.

Understood. The last part of the run might be a little tricky, since it goes through a flexible, corrugated conduit (AKA Smurf tube), up to the box, but I’ve fished both cables (Ethernet and DSL) into place before, and I’m guessing that the fiber cable will be easier than the DSL cable was. I’ll need to go over all of this with the installer, but I don’t see any technical show-stoppers.
steven.thomas wrote: I hope this answers your question, thank you for choosing Sonic.

Yes it does, and thanks again for your helpful information and advice.
by ewhac » Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:07 pm
steven.thomas wrote:Hopefully this wall plate is situated in the house in a way that our installer can run one of our secondary fiber cables to it from the transition box where the primary drop cable coming in from the street is terminated. [ ... ]
Could you say a little more about this transition box and how it needs to be sited?

More detailed: In our house, the phone demarc is on the wall inside the garage (and I will need to clear out a bunch of schmoo so you guys can get at it). Previously I had imagined that the fiber would go directly into the ONT, which would split it into Ethernet and POTS. From there, an Ethernet cable would go to the router, and the POTS wires would go to existing phone wiring.

Now it sounds like there's going to be several new boxes on the wall:
  • Optical "demarc" (external fiber to to internal fiber)
  • ONTs,
  • ONT power supplies,
  • UPS for ONT power supplies (provided by me).
Not objecting or complaining; just trying to understand what to expect.

Also: What's the minimum bend radius on the fiber (informs how the boxes need to be placed on the wall)?

Also also: How resistant to physical impact is the drop cable from the pole to the house? 'Cause there's been at least one occasion when the garbage truck has hoisted the trash bucket in the air and whacked the Comcast line doing it.
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