We are 'Unified'!!

One day, my 15 years old son asked me, "Mama, do you know how internet works? Do you know how it got connected to our house? Are they using cables?". I was dumbfounded. I could not answer even one of the questions. Being a streamyx user for the past few years, I realize that I am taking things for granted. I never appreciate and concern on how things works around here. Therefore, with the intention of educating my self in the era of ever changing technology and with the co-incidents that I got our house subscribed to the Unifi package,  I would like to make an effort to understand how we are able to enjoy the high speed internet connection at home. The photos in this post were taken during the Unifi installation work. We will first attempt to understand the standard activities described in the Unifi pamphlet, then we will go the the real life installation.  So, let's start with the theoretical understanding on how the TM Point contractors are going to start the installation. 

Image taken from Unifi pamphlet provided by Telekom Malaysia

The above is the Unifi pamphlet on describing the standard activities which will take place during the installation of FTTH cable which plays the crucial role in enabling the super fast speed of the internet connection. The duration of the installation depends on the distance between the pedestal DP unit to our house. If you see any green block that look like the photo below, then you know that your area is already equipped with the FFTH cable and available for Unifi services. 

Pedestal DP unit

From the pedestal DP unit, the cable will go underground until it reaches the final pit which is normally located inside the resident's compound. From the final pit, the cable will surface and be connected to the FTB-BTB unit, BTU-RG-STB/PC and BTU-DEC Phone. 

The pedestal PD unit & the first pit hole

The photo above shows the contractor who was trying to connect the FFTH cable from the pedestal DP unit. Then the cable has to go through underground for about more than 30 meters until it reached my house.

The second pit which is located in front of the house

Problem may arise if the underground "tunnel" or passage is blocked, sometimes by sands or unidentified substances. The contractors have to unblock the pathway which may take some time to finish. This is why some Unifi installation takes up to 7 hours to completion. Luckily, the pathway along my house was not blocked, and the work was done pretty fast (approximately 3 hours).

This is the final pit which is located within the residential territory. The FFTH cable from the pedestal PD unit, will be connected over the surface as shown in the photo below.

The above two photos are the photos of the final pit located inside the residential area. I didn't want the contractor to hack the floor, so the best way to do this is to ask them to link the cable over the surface. I hope no one (including me) would trip on this piping.

The cable then will be linked to the FTB-BTB unit, before being connected to the internal equipment such as the TU-RG-STB/PC and BTU-DEC Phone. Minimal drilling is required to the wall so that the cable is passable through the wall to connect to the internal equipment.

Telephone unit provided by TM

We are provided with the set-top-box (for TV), modem and router.

After the installation, the contractor set up the connection for the Unifi. It took around less than 1 hour for the contractor to do the setting up. And now, we are 'unified'. The connection is very fast as compared to our previous streamyx line. Life in the virtual world is much more interesting now that we don't have to wait for ages for any information we are searching for.