FAQs

You should test your speed by connecting a device to your router with an Ethernet cable, such as the one supplied with the Call Flow router. All other wired, ‘extender’ and wireless devices must be disconnected at the time of testing.

If you need assistance with this, or if the problems persist after testing with the wired connection, then please call our Helpdesk team on 0800 280 0590.

Call Flow will request that further testing is undertaken after the router has been reset to the configuration with which it was supplied. All such testing is designed to identify which side of the service demarcation point the issue lies i.e. the Customer side or Call Flow side.

It is likely to be down to one of these two factors:

Device compatibility. Your laptop or other device may not be capable of supporting the download speed that is being delivered to your router. The general rule of thumb is the older your device the slower speeds you will see. To test your device speed connect it directly to the router using the Ethernet cable and run a speed test. Alternatively, you can ask your device manufacturer about the maximum speed capability for your particular device.

Wi-Fi constraints. The only way of guaranteeing the full potential broadband speed to is to use a wired connection between your router and the device. Any device that is connected wirelessly will be using Wi-Fi technology. Wi-Fi has limitations that affect the speed of the connection and these limitations exist for any wireless router on the market.

We want you to experience the best possible connection quality for devices from your broadband service and we regularly test our wireless routers against other routers on the market. Call Flow only selects equipment that has comparable performance to the most popular routers but does not guarantee the performance is greater or equal to all routers on the market, and Call Flow will not be responsible for wireless coverage from the router.

Radio waves can be blocked by walls and floors. Other objects and devices can interfere with the signal, including the likes of LED lights, microwaves and cordless phones, as well as nearby routers using the same wireless channel. Even the atmosphere can cause issues.  As you move around your home, you can see the strength of your Wi-Fi network connection fall and rise, affecting the speed accordingly. You may even have blackspots in your home where the Wi-Fi signal doesn’t reach at all.

You can extend coverage using a variety of devices such as ‘powerline’ and ‘Wi-Fi extenders’, but Call Flow cannot offer any advice or support as to what might be the most suitable for individual circumstances.

Please note that in many cases Wi-Fi bandwidth is shared, this means the more devices you have using the same wireless signal, the slower all will perform. You can minimise this by ensuring your router is placed in the optimum position in your home, but it’s highly unlikely that you will achieve the same levels of stable performance that you will get from using a wired connection.

VoIP

If you opt to switch off your traditional telephony services you can instead use a service that provides telephony over the internet, such as VoIP. There are many suppliers of VoIP services, many of which are free of charge. You will save between £16 and £18 per month on line rental if you cancel your traditional telephony service.

Wi-Fi calling (mobile phones)

Wi-Fi calling is a service found on many Apple and Android phones, which allows you to make and receive phone calls over your broadband connection while you are in range of a Wi-Fi network. Wi-Fi calling is usually free to use. To find out if your mobile provider and device supports this service, and how to set it up, please follow the links to their website provided below:

• EE
• O2
• Three
• Vodafone

Power outage information

It is very important to note that internet voice services rely on a power supply. The service will not continue to work indefinitely if there is a power outage. If you are using telephony over your Call Flow broadband connection and the power outage is within the Call Flow network, you will usually be able to make and receive calls using the voice port for at least one hour. After this, you won’t be able to make or receive calls until Call Flow has restored the power. If there is a power outage within your premises you will not be able to make and receive calls until your energy provider has restored power to your premises, unless you implement your own temporary power arrangements.

You will need to be in one of our completed areas to order a service now. You can check if your postcode is covered, or due for completion soon, using our checker. Call Flow is rapidly expanding its network so if your postcode is not yet listed, then please speak to our Sales team to find out when we will be covering your area, or to register your interest. If you live very close to our coverage area we may be able to organise an extension of our network to provide a service.

If you are within our coverage area and order a service, we will need to complete an initial survey to confirm that we are able to bring a new fibre optic cable from our nearest Fibre Distribution Point into your premises.

Yes. We have produced this video for guidance on how to install the outside-to-inside fibre kit.

If you require additional cabling work, such as alternate external wall entry, or additional internal cabling greater than 5m, we will need to carry out a site survey. If the request is viable, there is an additional charge per metre as set out in our Price Guide. All cabling work will be surface mounted on the most appropriate surface, typically a skirting board.

A broadband service delivered by Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) uses only fibre optic cables all the way to your premises. It means that the entire connection between your premises and the internet uses new fibre optic technology and does not use the old copper telephone line at any point. FTTP is also known as ‘Pure Fibre’, or ‘Gigabit Internet’, because it supports truly ultrafast broadband speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s (or 1000 Mbit/s). The infrastructure can support even higher speeds, so Call Flow is confident that its network can meet the demands of the future too.

As your new FTTP internet connection is fed via a new cable (not over your telephone line), you will need to cancel your current broadband with your service provider if it is no longer needed. Call Flow will not be able to do this for you. We advise that you do not cancel until our broadband is live and you are happy with the service.

A Call Flow technician will connect the modem and router and commission your FTTP service. It is very important that the fibre strands are handled correctly because any dust or dirt that enters the fibre strands can cause a loss of broadband speed. In addition, the equipment is costly and we want to minimise the risk of our customers being liable for any accidental damage to the boxes.

You will not be able to use your new FTTP broadband until the commissioning is complete and the Call Flow technician has activated your service, so please do not attempt to connect the boxes yourself!

Commissioning appointment

If you have opted for a Call Flow approved internal installation, the commissioning will take place on the same day as this installation.

If you have opted for Independent internal installation, you will need to call our Service Activation Team to book an appointment. You will not be able to use your new FTTP broadband until the commissioning is complete.

The entire process from order to installation to the external wall of your premises typically takes 4 weeks.

Your new fibre optic connection will be built in two stages: the External Installation and the Internal Installation. You can download a guide to the installation process here.

Stage 1: The The External Installation

The External Installation is completed by Call Flow. This brings the fibre optic cable up to the outside of your premises (what we call the ‘External Demarcation Point’). It will be adjacent to the location that your current copper telephone cable enters your premises. We install a small box onto your external wall, and our fibre optic cable is connected into this box.

The box will look similar the image below. The dimensions of the box are: Width: 125mm Height: 180mm Depth: 40mm.

Stage 2: The Internal Installation

The Internal Installation extends the fibre optic cable to a suitable location for your optical terminating equipment (modem) and router.

A hole will be drilled through your external wall next to the small box that was installed during Stage 1, and an internal fibre optic cable (provided by Call Flow) is routed from the outside box to the internal equipment location.  You have two options to perform this Internal Installation:

• Option 1: Independent Internal Installation
• Option 2: Call Flow Approved Internal Installation.

Please refer to our FTTP Installation Guide for information on these two options. Pricing for the Call Flow Approved Internal Installation is set out in our Price Guide.

Yes, of course you can. Contact us on [email protected] quoting your account number and the number you would like to transfer. The transfer will take up to 10 working days.