Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?

Thanks

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

BodgeIt wrote:
I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?

Thanks

I think it's quite obvious where the cable is going to be if they 'never
touch block paving' - it gets clipped to your fence, or if you have a garden
wall, it gets clipped to that - if you don't fancy either of these ideas,
you ain't getting cable installed.

FWIW, they don't lift anything, for flags, they run the cable between the
joints - yes even if they are staggered, and for tarmac and concrete, they
grind out a small channel about an inch deep, put the cable into place and
fill in.

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

BodgeIt wrote:
I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?

Thanks
I expect they use a "mole". The gas board do in these cases.

Bob

Bob

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

Bob Minchin wrote:
BodgeIt wrote:
I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?

Thanks
I expect they use a "mole". The gas board do in these cases.

Bob

They can't use a mole because they are 2 feet long, meaning they'd have to
dig two holes in his block paving, one at the house end and one at the
pavement end and each hole would have to be at least 2 foot square



--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

On Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:15:54 GMT, "Phil L"
wrote:



Thanks

I think it's quite obvious where the cable is going to be if they 'never
touch block paving' - it gets clipped to your fence, or if you have a garden
wall, it gets clipped to that - if you don't fancy either of these ideas,
you ain't getting cable installed.

FWIW, they don't lift anything, for flags, they run the cable between the
joints - yes even if they are staggered, and for tarmac and concrete, they
grind out a small channel about an inch deep, put the cable into place and
fill in.


The only way they can do that would be to run the cable on top of the
pavement, the pavement in our cul-de-sac is also block paved, as is
the road. There is simply no route to my property that isn't block
paved for at least 1.5metres width.

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

BodgeIt wrote:
I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?

They train in secret at the Hogwash School of Wizardry and Witchcrap with
Barry Trotter.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

Phil L wrote:
BodgeIt wrote:
I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?

FWIW, they don't lift anything, for flags, they run the cable between the
joints - yes even if they are staggered, and for tarmac and concrete, they
grind out a small channel about an inch deep, put the cable into place and
fill in.

That's what they did that in my flowerbed, FFS...

David

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

BodgeIt wrote:
On Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:15:54 GMT, "Phil L"
wrote:



Thanks

I think it's quite obvious where the cable is going to be if they
'never touch block paving' - it gets clipped to your fence, or if
you have a garden wall, it gets clipped to that - if you don't fancy
either of these ideas, you ain't getting cable installed.

FWIW, they don't lift anything, for flags, they run the cable
between the joints - yes even if they are staggered, and for tarmac
and concrete, they grind out a small channel about an inch deep, put
the cable into place and fill in.


The only way they can do that would be to run the cable on top of the
pavement, the pavement in our cul-de-sac is also block paved, as is
the road. There is simply no route to my property that isn't block
paved for at least 1.5metres width.

Do you have a fence or wall seperating your garden from next doors, and from
the pavement?

Is there a small cement infill between wall/fence and block paving? - if
there is, this is where the cable will go.

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
om...
BodgeIt wrote:
I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?

They train in secret at the Hogwash School of Wizardry and Witchcrap with
Barry Trotter.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk



I think you are all very optimistic - round here they are just laid on the
surface across paving and if you have a 'high class' installation the cable
is put inside a bit of black flexible pipe! Equally if you want an
additional 'box' at the back of the house the cable is often just thrown
over the roof ridge.

Peter

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

On Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:33:57 GMT, "Phil L"
wrote:

BodgeIt wrote:
On Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:15:54 GMT, "Phil L"
wrote:



Thanks

I think it's quite obvious where the cable is going to be if they
'never touch block paving' - it gets clipped to your fence, or if
you have a garden wall, it gets clipped to that - if you don't fancy
either of these ideas, you ain't getting cable installed.

FWIW, they don't lift anything, for flags, they run the cable
between the joints - yes even if they are staggered, and for tarmac
and concrete, they grind out a small channel about an inch deep, put
the cable into place and fill in.


The only way they can do that would be to run the cable on top of the
pavement, the pavement in our cul-de-sac is also block paved, as is
the road. There is simply no route to my property that isn't block
paved for at least 1.5metres width.

Do you have a fence or wall seperating your garden from next doors, and from
the pavement?

Is there a small cement infill between wall/fence and block paving? - if
there is, this is where the cable will go.

Yes, but it would be a tortuous route, probably 30 metres, whereas the
connection point is only 3 metres 'as the crow flys' to where it would
enter the house. Surely they wouldn't do that? Would they? How thick
is the cable, like RG59 coax?

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

On Sun, 5 Jul 2009 19:53:16 +0100, "Peter Andrews"
wrote:






I think you are all very optimistic - round here they are just laid on the
surface across paving and if you have a 'high class' installation the cable
is put inside a bit of black flexible pipe! Equally if you want an
additional 'box' at the back of the house the cable is often just thrown
over the roof ridge.

Peter


Peter you are jesting now, aren't you?

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

"BodgeIt" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 5 Jul 2009 19:53:16 +0100, "Peter Andrews"
wrote:






I think you are all very optimistic - round here they are just laid on the
surface across paving and if you have a 'high class' installation the
cable
is put inside a bit of black flexible pipe! Equally if you want an
additional 'box' at the back of the house the cable is often just thrown
over the roof ridge.

Peter


Peter you are jesting now, aren't you?

Probably not.. I have seen such things done around here.

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

"BodgeIt" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 5 Jul 2009 19:53:16 +0100, "Peter Andrews"
wrote:






I think you are all very optimistic - round here they are just laid on the
surface across paving and if you have a 'high class' installation the
cable
is put inside a bit of black flexible pipe! Equally if you want an
additional 'box' at the back of the house the cable is often just thrown
over the roof ridge.

Peter


Peter you are jesting now, aren't you?

No.

Peter

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

Peter Andrews wrote:
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
om...
BodgeIt wrote:
I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?
They train in secret at the Hogwash School of Wizardry and Witchcrap with
Barry Trotter.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk



I think you are all very optimistic - round here they are just laid on the
surface across paving and if you have a 'high class' installation the cable
is put inside a bit of black flexible pipe! Equally if you want an
additional 'box' at the back of the house the cable is often just thrown
over the roof ridge.

Peter


We must be in a *very* posh installation - our flexible conduit isn't
black - it's green! I guess that's to hide it between the blades of
grass. When I did some paving and so on outside, I buried it as deeply
as I could, but it had started out snaked through plants.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

In message , Rod
writes
Peter Andrews wrote:
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in
message om...
BodgeIt wrote:
I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?
They train in secret at the Hogwash School of Wizardry and Witchcrap
with Barry Trotter.


-- Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk


I think you are all very optimistic - round here they are just laid
on the surface across paving and if you have a 'high class'
installation the cable is put inside a bit of black flexible pipe!
Equally if you want an additional 'box' at the back of the house the
cable is often just thrown over the roof ridge.
Peter
We must be in a *very* posh installation - our flexible conduit isn't
black - it's green! I guess that's to hide it between the blades of
grass. When I did some paving and so on outside, I buried it as deeply
as I could, but it had started out snaked through plants.

PAh - mine was hidden in a mortar fillet running down the side wall


--
geoff

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

In article ,
Rod wrote:

We must be in a *very* posh installation - our flexible conduit isn't
black - it's green! I guess that's to hide it between the blades of
grass. When I did some paving and so on outside, I buried it as deeply
as I could, but it had started out snaked through plants.

Heh, Down here in "Posh" Folkestone (!) we have the same green conduit.

Ours is half heartedly buried in the gravel and the edge of our front
garden. Had to sign something to say we accepted that it wasn't buried
to the correct depth IIRC (it was installed 10 years ago)

Darren

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Phil L wrote:
BodgeIt wrote:
I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?

FWIW, they don't lift anything, for flags, they run the cable between the
joints - yes even if they are staggered, and for tarmac and concrete,
they grind out a small channel about an inch deep, put the cable into
place and fill in.

That's what they did that in my flowerbed, FFS...


And my lawn - lift an inch of turf, tuck underneath and tread down.
Alternatively, they will make an appointment, drive to your house, take one
look and drive away (I've known that happen too). If you want a proper job
on installation, you have to provide the route yourself IMHO. Still happy
with rest of service though.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

Bob Mannix wrote:
"Lobster" wrote in message
...
Phil L wrote:
BodgeIt wrote:
I've decided I want to have sky sports for the new football season. I
really don't want a dish on the side of my house so I'm planning to
get it through Virgin Media. There is already a virgin media
connection point in the pavement right next to the end of my drive. I
have block paving laid on the drive and between the pavement and the
house, its not possible to lay a cable from the connection point to
the house without going underneath the block paving, the shortest run
being about 3 metres. I rang VM to ask whose responsibility it was to
lift and relay the block paving. They said they never touch block
paving but there's no need for me to do it either, because their
engineers "have ways" to do it. Well I don't see how a cable can be
laid without lifting the paving. The call centre couldn't elaborate,
only to keep saying "our engineers have ways to do these things".
So my question is, has anyone had VM installed with a cable run under
block paving (or tarmac, or slabs), and what 'special ways' did the
engineers use?
FWIW, they don't lift anything, for flags, they run the cable between the
joints - yes even if they are staggered, and for tarmac and concrete,
they grind out a small channel about an inch deep, put the cable into
place and fill in.
That's what they did that in my flowerbed, FFS...


And my lawn - lift an inch of turf, tuck underneath and tread down.
Alternatively, they will make an appointment, drive to your house, take one
look and drive away (I've known that happen too). If you want a proper job
on installation, you have to provide the route yourself IMHO. Still happy
with rest of service though.
#

Never a truer word spoken.

Installation teams are on a rate, and miking a net unobtrusive job costs
money.

A decent conduit with a pull wire is the cheapest of all, IF you provide
it for them..

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

Peter Andrews wrote:

I think you are all very optimistic - round here they are just laid on the
surface across paving and if you have a 'high class' installation the cable
is put inside a bit of black flexible pipe!

We got cable installed (with landlady's permission) for Internet in our
student house. The installers (while I was out) stuck it straight
through the extractor fan in my basement bedroom. All I could really do
about it was take the fuse out of the FCU to stop someone turning on the
fan and tangling it up in the cable.

Pete

Virgin Media Installation Conundrum
 

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Pete Verdon
d saying something
like:

We got cable installed (with landlady's permission) for Internet in our
student house. The installers (while I was out) stuck it straight
through the extractor fan in my basement bedroom. All I could really do
about it was take the fuse out of the FCU to stop someone turning on the
fan and tangling it up in the cable.

Oh dear. FFS.