If you're doing major renovation work on a property, then you'll be relieved to get to the final stages of the project where you prepare to move in. You have a lot of things to arrange during this period, including setting up phone and data connections.
When you call service providers to see how to do this, you're told that you need a lead-in cable to set up telecom services. How can you tell whether you already have this cable or whether you need to set up a new one?
What Is a Lead-in Cable?
Lead-in cables are the connection between telecom cabling in the street and your property. Typically, your service runs through underground cables that feed into a line on your land. This line then goes through a box and into your home where you use it to run phone and data connections.
Do You Already Have a Lead-in Cable?
If the people who owned the property before you didn't have had phone and data access, then you probably don't have a lead-in cable on site. For example, if the house was previously owned by someone elderly who didn't even have a home phone, then you're out of luck.
If the people did have telecom access, then you may have a lead-in cable in place already. You may be able to find this. The cable usually feeds into a box on an exterior wall. Some may run through overhead line connections into your house. If you can find the box or see a connecting overhead line, then you have a lead-in cable.
If you can't find anything that looks like this, ask your builder if they noticed a lead-in box when they were working on the property. Builders know what these boxes are, so they should remember if they saw one. Phone companies may also have cable locating services that can help. If you can't find the cabling or are sure there hasn't been any in the past, then you'll have to arrange for a new lead-in to be installed before you can set up a phone or anything that needs to use the Internet.
This process varies, depending on your telecom provider. You usually need to dig a trench in a specified location to take the cable. The phone company then lays the lead-in, connects it to exterior cables and connects you up. If you have more questions about cable locating, contact services such as One Step Ahead Communications.
Share25 October 2018
When I was a kid I dreamed that I'd have a robot to help me do all my day-to-day tasks by the time I was grown. Unfortunately we don't have robots around the house, yet, but there are a range of technologies that do make my life much easier. From cookers that help reduce cooking time, to robotic vacuum cleaners and timers to make devices turn on at the right time, there are so many new technologies that can make life around the house much easier. This blog is all about technology for the home. Thank you for stopping by!
