OPENET. PAIN IN THE @SS!

Time to carry out our plan!!  Plug one end of the fibre cable to the Openet Point and pull it across to the tv console.

The inside of the electrical riser.

After pulling for some time, we realised that the very delicate fibre cable given to us was only 3 meters.  We need more than this to pull it to the tv console because  the existing wiring was not run parallel with the electrical riser.  Instead, the electrician has it run UP to the false ceiling then down again - in a inverted "U" shape.

These pictures were from my Day 14 of Reno.

The bunch of wires coming our from the partition.

Red square = Openet Point.  Left point arrow = pull cable into electrical riser.

Remaining 3 arrows shows the running of the wires INSIDE the partition.

Mad rush to the nearest IT store to get an extra long fibre cable!

 Ten meters!!  More than enough!!

Not sure of market price nor the cheapest find at Sim Lim...but let's cut the chase since we only applied a day's leave and travelling, parking is too much of a hassle!

. . . continue tag of war . . .

... and out came our pulley!!! OMG!!  The fibre cable is still somewhere inside the partition!!

The installation got off a bad start, now this type of crap!!  

Stop joking me!! I havnt got whole day!!

We have no choice but to call our ID, Rick for help.  Do you know Rick left A&D??

(Will blog it in another post).

Called him at 1335hrs and he arrived at our door steps 20 minutes later!!  He's as efficient as ever!

He came, we chat, he had a look-see, we calmed down, he made a call to his carpenter ...case closed.

At exactly 1500hrs, 30 minutes after Rick left, Mr Mok is here to our rescue!!

Chubby hands aside, we have difficultly setting up wiring thru that pathetic 3" hole.

So Pay Master requested Mr Mok to do another opening - but in actual fact... he still believe that there's a chance of finding the fibre cable there - parallel to the electrical riser.

Who says blogging is a waste of time!  It's about documenting the happenings!!  Thanks to my blog, I pointed out how the wiring was run by the previous electrician and therefore on a very lucky 2nd attempt, we located the loose end of the fibre cable!!

Finally - no more funny business!

All plaster up smoothly - now let's till weekend for us to get a can of paint to paint over it.

Now the cable / wiring are all tucked nicely away!!

Again - let's sit on it till weekend to plaster that ugly "drill-scar".

All 4 devices sitting within the console.

Hang back the tv - it's all nice again.

NOW - do not ask me about heating issues inside that very limited space!  I've already voiced out my concern but if the Pay Master wants it this way - then that be it.

OPENET. NOT VERY OPEN (3)

The technician came with 2 new toys today to activate our optic fibre subscription.

To my dismay, neither these 2 toys support digital home voice!!  Meaning, I've to keep my existing modem "ON" (extra cost for electricity bill).

The telco who provide the service does not have a 3-in-1 device - that simply house the router, modem and digital home voice in 1 device!!!  Talk about hi-tech??  Talk about energy saving??

Now, I have to "ON" my new router, "ON" my new modem as well as "ON" existing modem!!

FINE!  Accept the fact, move on.

Plug & Play.  Connection up and ready to surf.

BUT... what a sight we have here! 

So, after the technician left, we unplug and start our plans to beautify the corner.

Our plan is that the yellow wire (fibre cable) will be going thru the wire casing, into the electrical riser and to be pull towards our tv console.  The modem and router will be place inside the tv console where all wiring will be hidden.

. . .    t o   b e   c o n t i n u e d   . . . 

OPENET. NOT VERY OPEN (2)

Not long after I posted my previous entry, we were informed by our telco provider that we are eligible for upgrading for our broadband and cable tv services.  So on this day, we went to Compass Point to renew our contract for another 2 years.

The only thing I'm rejoicing is the change of channels on my cable tv and I'm going home today with my new set-top box.

So, dates have been fixed on 5 Oct for Openet to come and install the point and 11 Oct for telco provider to come to activate the service.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So fast forward to 5 October.  Contractors came, after some discussion, they set down to do their work.

First, we emptied our cabinet and locate the electrical riser.  The Openet point will be placed next to this.  But the nearest, mean to drill holes (luckily thru the wall not the cabinet) so that cable could pass thru.

I was not present during the installation, but when I got home,  this is what I saw.

Not the terminal but a very odd wire casing sticking our of no where with a sloppy job of plastering.

Anyway, cable are linked, Openet Point installed. You think the job is done?  (Told you it's going to be troublesome)!

We left the place for our weekend grocery and when we got home, we noticed that we cant get a wifi connection on our laptops / smartphones.  

1.  We thought we off the modem by accident... nope, it's ON but the lights are blinking erratically.

2.  We thought the installation of optic fibre has disrupt the existing broadband signal.

So we call telco... and our digital home voice is down too!! WTH??

For the whole weekend, we have no wifi, no home line!!  The reason being....

The contractor who drilled thru the wall damaged the splitter (which was hiding in a corner of the electric riser).

The hole is big enough for me to poke in my pinky finger!!

Thanks to the prompt response from our telco's technician team!!

He came, he first look at the modem (which was working), he look at the Openet Point, trace it back to the electrical riser and WAHH LAAH!  He changed a new splitter and job done!! Came, diagnose and left all within 15mins!!

Of course, we "greased" the contractor left, right, centre, up and down for the damage!!  We were practically barking at them for lost of connection over the weekend and on Monday morning when they came (empty handed) and expect magic to fix the problem....  he got another yelling from the Pay Master.

Now that we got our internet connection and digital home voice back,  our next appointment for activation is on 11 Oct.

. . .   t o   b e   c o n t i n u e . . .

OPENET. NOT VERY OPEN (1)

Having stayed in our 'new' flat for more than 18 months,  we were being informed that our block is FINALLY ready for optical fibre installation.

1.  Happy? Not really especially all the wirings are being 'entombed' or being enclosed in false wall/ceiling.  If we were to go ahead,  we risk damaging our fixtures and changing/spoiling the looks of current look

2.  Looking forward?  Not really keen.  Why cant those people involved plan this way before occupants starts to shift in?

3. Unlike in the past, probably 5-10yrs ago, occupants simply engaged OPENET to install the cables in their premises (many people like my parents, after installation, never use it, instead stick with broadband), we now have to go thru the 3 colors Green, Orange or Red telco companies to subscribe to the fibre service.

From what I foresee,  troublesome clearing and cleaning up, troublesome having to go thru long queue to get at telco just to get an appointment for Openet installation then another date for telco technicians to activate the service on another date.

Anyway, we are still sometime away from renewing our contract with our telco provider, so let's just sit on it for the time being.

YET ANOTHER YEAR...

I cant believe we are hitting the 2 year mark come this September.  

Again, I must stress that the only thing I enjoy being here is the peace and privacy of a corner unit.

But honestly, the surrounding is still in such a mess.  Only TWO miserable bus services with the nearest clinic and supermarkets at least 10 mins away (depending your walking speed).

In the background, Punggol Topaz is going up fast and furious.  

The LRT is FOREVER on 'TEST-MODE", which I really think it's a waste of resource to TEST it EVERYDAY.  Why cant they just open up the station?? Low ridership doesnt mean zero ridership?!?

Finally, the foreground is of course Punggol Emerald.  I gave up on cleaning my windows and balcony ages ago.  It will probably be another 2 years before I can really utilise the balcony, which is now, shameful to say covered in a thick layer of dust.

I purposely choose a unit far away from the rubbish chute, yet I end up having 2 of them facing into my unit!

Further down this service road is a project by Sim Lian Group - Treasure Trove.
The rumored haunted Matilda House has been reduced to only walls and columns.  

And on top of these dust and noise, the jets ROARRRRED as early as 0800hrs and carry on thru-out the day till  1930 - 2000hrs.  

The lights at the roof-top forever goes AWOL!  Again I gave up calling the TC about it since I hardly use the area.  I dutifully pay my S&CC charges but this is the CRAP i got in return!

I guess I just need more time to adjust to the neighbourhood.  I dont have such issue when I shifted from my parents' place to Pasir Ris after marriage.  Well, it only took me a short time to got use to the soft roaring of commercial flight even in the wee hours (in fact I find them soothing), and, the very soft and distant horns from the vessels treading thru the shipyard at Changi. But ONE thing I really cannot tolerate are nosey/noisy neighbours especially mine was a corridor unit and there's 2 other units with young and rowdy kids further down.

Given a second chance, I really must seriously think about shifting... not just to where I'm currently located but anywhere around this overpopulated, over-run FT island!

A YEAR ON...REVIEWS

We had officially reached the one year mark and in fact, we are into it's 13th month in this 'new' flat.

Let's look at the various fittings we have gotten for this new flat... shall start with the kitchen since it's where I usually spent my day.

KITCHEN - RUBINE KITCHEN SINK

I'm glad that the most common comment I got is that I've a large sink!!  So big that I can easily wash my HappyCall pan.  However, if you look closely, the only thing I regretted getting this sink is it's right angle corners.

This corners are prone to trap dirt and slime... so scrubbing is a must every other day. 

I dry it daily after our washing up our dinner and scrub it with detergent... still slime are building up and very visible whenever the sink is wet.

KITCHEN - RINNAI HOOD AND HOB

No complaints about my Rinnai hood RH-382, it's easy to maintain, cleaning it is a breeze.  But then I dont do deep frying and I usually open all my windows during cooking so I only on the hood during heavy cooking.

So far yet to replace my charcoal filters since I dont do heavy cooking.

There's a total of 3 such panels on the hood.  Easily remove for washing.

As for my Rinnai hob RB - 2FVSVA, maintenance and cleaning is ok.  Stainless steel top - no problem, but when it comes to open flame, it's a NO-NO.  The flame goes out easily.... even a gently sneeze can put the fire out, not forgetting I like to keep my windows open during the cooking process.

Easy to take apart...wash...dry and assemble.

I wonder if I would give a all thumbs up review if I've gotten a inner burner hob. 

LIVING HALL - TV CONSOLE

This is one carpentry I cannot bring myself to accept... The door simply cant alight properly with all the cables and wires going on inside this very small space.

Anyone with a chubby hand/arm can forget about switching off the mains unless you want to get yourself stuck.

Tried! Give Up!!  With so many plugs and wires inside... The closing will never align properly.

Luckily we do not have young kids at home... so this is much the permanent state of our TV Console.

LIVING HALL - SHOE CABINET

Given a 2nd chance, I wouldnt want my shoe cabinet made this way.  It restrict the entrance/exit space and it blocks natural light to the area.  Bad fengshui if you must say.  That's why a light is being install over head.

Very classy, very nice hor?

BUT... how does one comes in from outside when the shoe cabinet doors are open?? Similarly, when we are all rushing to go out...we cant open the main door till we are done wearing our shoes and close the cabinet.

OVERALL - CARPENTRY

All thumbs up for the carpentry work from A & D.  We are NOT on Blum system, there's 2 adults and 2 young kids, so with all the opening/closing, slamming, banging and sliding... my cabinets are still in tip top condition.

But there are some issues,  I would really appreciate if the Designer and the Carpenter had listened to our views in the first place.  Having 2 young kids, their safety is our main concern and we would like to child-proof the place without compromising the design... but then, little details were left out.

The Pay Master got a nasty knock against the corner of this cabinet in the washroom while getting up from a squat position while cleaning the bathroom.

This is not a sea urchin!  It's a 2cm cut on my hb's head!!  

We requested for a full-length cabinet...but A&D said this way nicer and cleaning the bathroom floor is easier.  OK, so we requested rounded edges... again A&D said at this height and length accidents are rare!! RARE DOES NOT EQUAL ZERO!

Ugly sight, but after the accident we put on a corner guard.

Since the entrance to the kitchen is not as BIG as we used to have in our previous flat, they forgotten to 'round' the edges for this cabinet and the work top... it's a trap waiting for accident to happen.

The bottom cabinet is culprit of most my bruises on my thighs and equally often, I knocked myself on the upper cabinet while cleaning the counter top 

I requested for ROUNDED edges!!!

Counter top granite cant be rounded...so got to be careful .  So used to knocking against it!

I can bear with the pain from all sort of knocks but this!!!  I spent so many hours in the kitchen and this is one corner I hate!!  It's right-angled!! It's sharp!! IT'S LETHAL!!!!

This piece of divider here between the dish rack and cabinet,  I have lost counts on how many times I've knocked myself into... thankfully nothing serious.  The one in my previous flat was rounded and I really missed that design.

Probably got to click to see an enlarged pix.  This is my previous kitchen in Pasir Ris... see how nice and smooth the curve is.

I MISS MY BRIGHT AND SPACIOUS KITCHEN!!!

OVERALL - LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL WORK

If your designer recommends a shop, there's no harm going for a see-look.  Let the fellow earn a bit of commission and all is smooth sailing.

The light in our kitchen blew itself in June 2012,  since it's with 1 year warranty, the shop replaces the ballast free of charge.  Service is prompt ...why... because we bought the light at the shop our designer recommended.

When we blew another light a month later, it's a totally different scenario.  So think, think, think carefully...  from whom you are purchasing from.

So, here we have learnt - NEVER BUY LIGHTS OPERATING ON BALLAST!  Best get those Philips bulbs, no ballast, no starter, just turn and switch 'on'.

Overall, I would appreciate if there's more electrical sockets around the house...not as if I'm not paying for it...zzz.

Well, for a small pigeon hole... that's about all the review I have.