Ignite TV Self Installation Options

[slagheap]

i am a existing rogers customer and as  have  coda modem and older rogers tv boxes was looking to switch packages. was looking at ignite popular bundle. i contacted  rogers and inquired about  doing a self install to save on the 150 install fee. the rep knew nothing about that and  and he had me share the  rogers webpage link showing  that it said self install was available. buti was told that with  that package as it  has home phone i  could not do self install and would have to pay the installation fee.

is this right? as all the bundles that inclde the home phone  say  they have self install as a option.

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[RogersTony]

Hello, @slagheap

Thank you for your post in our Community!

I can completely understand your desire to install your Ignite TV service on your own and avoid the installation fees involved.

This is now an option available for TV/Internet-only customers but the installation of the Home Phone service requires the Home Phone number to be bound to the modem using specific tools that require special access to our provisioning system that cannot be granted to customers.

I know this my not be the ideal response you were hoping to hear. Feel free to reach out to us via a Private message to @CommunityHelps so we can take a look at your file and see if there are any promotions you'd be eligible for that could help reduce the installation fee.

Not familiar with our private messaging system? No worries, Click Here.

RogersTony

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@slagheap wrote:

is this right? as all the bundles that inclde the home phone  say  they have self install as a option.

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This is might be the wrong place to ask because an Ignite TV self-install probably was not an option for anybody here.

What you saw was likely an error on the web site.  Rogers may have initially planned to allow customers to perform a self-install for all services and then reconsidered.  In the past, Ignite TV customers, who previously declined the home phone service, had to pay an additional install fee to get the service activated at a later date.  We have also seen reports here of some Rogers installation techs who have failed horribly when installing home phone, especially when they did not have the proper tools or training on how to properly connect a phone service (from a new provider) to the in-home wiring.

Doing a self-install with home phone is riskier.  Technically, it's not much different than switching your existing phone service to a VoIP provider (such as voip.ms) but it is still either risky or a very daunting task for the average person, especially if some of the following apply to you:

• you previously had home service from Bell
• you want to connect the Rogers home phone service to your in-home telephone wiring
• you have a monitored home alarm system
• you want to keep your previous telephone number.

Even if you are savvy enough to deal with the complexities of in-home telephone phone wiring, you still would not want to complete the port of you old phone number until you were certain the new Ignite system was working.  I also don't know how Rogers would deal with the logistics of porting an existing phone number.  Install techs have access to all of the provisioning tools.  Self-installed equipment would either have to be provisioned prior to shipment or provisioned by a Rogers Store employee at the time of pick-up.

If you ran into technical difficulties and something didn't work, or the modem failed, or you accidentally damaged it, you could be without a phone service for quite a while until the problems get resolved, and that could involve dispatching a technician.

[Pauly]

Just a note to point out, Almost every phone company or re-seller does NOT guarantee connecting a new phone service to inside wiring, or to an alarm system or keeping your existing number, so this is not really not specific to Rogers.

Yes they Can do it if
A) you get a professional/full install
B) if its feasible to do the installation, ie not complex.

A LOT and I mean a LOT of phone providers out there simply send you the phone adapter and your on your own, you have no guidance hooking it up, have to probably watch a youtube video, and some DON'T even have technicians to send if your having trouble or idfficulty, its basically "watch the YouTube video again until you figure it out"

So yes be kind to Rogers they are going above and beyond what other providers are offering.

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@Pauly wrote:
Just a note to point out, Almost every phone company or re-seller does NOT guarantee connecting a new phone service to inside wiring, or to an alarm system or keeping your existing number, so this is not really not specific to Rogers.

So yes be kind to Rogers they are going above and beyond what other providers are offering.

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I totally agree.  In my previous post, I was mainly trying to point out that a home phone service installation can be very tricky and complex.  In some cases, even trained technicians can run into trouble.

@slagheap  For Ignite TV to work well, your Internet service needs to work well and your home network (and Wi-Fi) needs to work well.  It is definitely well worth it to get Rogers to perform the full Ignite TV installation.  The installation will be done according to Rogers' standards and it will simplify problem resolution later on if you should ever run into technical problems with the service sometime in the future.

[B-a-n-e]

Ignite TV Self Install - not allowed for existing customers

Rogers has moved to a self install model to help protect the health of their workers and customers.  However, I've been told Rogers will not allow self install for existing customers.  It only  applies to new customers.  Is that everyone's experience?

I was planning to switch from my existing digital package (including TV, Internet and Home Phone) to an Ignite TV package (also with TV, Internet and Home Phone).  Then I learned Rogers was not doing any installs for the duration of the pandemic but that I could do a self install instead. 

I was in chat with Rogers for approximately 6 hours (yes, 6 hours) to try and get that setup.  The only problem seemed to be the home phone but one of the tech support people in the chat indicated the tech could provision the new modem in their truck (so no coming into the house or personal contact) and leave it for me to basically just plug in.  So there seems to be a clear work around in place to account for the complexities of transferring your phone over. 

I was then transferred back to the Ignite TV care team to schedule the appointment.  For some reason the next tech on the chat was with wireless support and they transferred me to the management office.  At that point I was told that a memo had come out in the past day or two confirming that Rogers will only allow self install for new users.  They will not allow self install for existing users and it could take up to 60 days (or longer) to implement a solution for existing customers.

I was not able to get any explanation for treating new and existing customers differently (particularly if there is apparently a solution to the home phone issue).  The original notice around self installing also doesn't say anything about existing customers being excluded.  It seems like this is more of a resourcing issue than a technical issue and like usual new customers get the support and existing customers are just expected to wait. 

I asked the agent to escalate the ticket and someone from the office of the President is supposed to call me back in 3-5 days.  I thought I would check here as well to see if anyone else has encountered this. 

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@B-a-n-e  Self installation for Ignite TV equipment is still new but the "SHOP" page says that self-installation is only available for the Internet or the TV + Internet bundle.  There are a bunch of reasons why Rogers is hesitant to allow for a Home Phone self-install.  On challenging aspect would be the connection of the telephone port on the XB6 to your existing in-home telephone wiring.  If you transferring from an existing Bell service, you need to disconnect the incoming Bell circuit from your in-home wiring before connecting the Rogers service.  If you have a monitored alarm service, the phone service also needs to be installed in such a way that the alarm system can seize the line when it called the central station.  The best place to connect to the telephone service is in the basement but the best place to place the XB6 gateway is in the living space to allow for optimal Wi-Fi connectivity.  Given all of these complexities, an Ignite Home Phone self-installation is not available.  Some Ignite Home Phone installations are simple and risk-free but the Rogers processes need to handle the worst-case situations as well.

However, your situation is also a bit different given that you have the legacy Rogers Home Phone service.  The system probably does not allow that service to co-exist with the new Ignite TV + Internet bundle and the Rogers systems do not currently allow for the Ignite Home Phone to be self-installed, so you're in a "Catch-22" situation.  This is all a pure guess on my part but I think it's a plausible and the most probable explanation.

[B-a-n-e]

Thanks.  That would make sense except that I already have Rogers Home Phone.  So none of the issues around transitioning from a Bell system apply (wiring etc.) nor does the question of the location of the new Home Phone (which I think is maybe not a separate device but built into the router).  It is either going exactly where there existing Home Phone is now (if it is a separate device) or is going in my office which is where the current router sits (someone else rents the basement so it is not going there).  

Also the tech rep who was on the call before I got transferred said the Rogers tech could provision my phone services from the truck on delivery.  So it seems like they are capable of making this work, they just aren't doing it.  

Finally, I even offered to drop my existing Home Phone service and then get it reinstalled later once they sort out self install or once a tech is allowed to come into my house and do the install.  I would just move my service and number over to Vonage or some other provider for a few months and then switch back in due course given the Home Phone is basically free with the Ignite packages.  If I dropped the Home Phone service with Rogers that would put me  in exactly the same situation as a new install - just TV and Internet.  

If I do get a call back I'm going to raise that again.  Or maybe I'll just go ahead and do it which will take the "Home Phone" issue off the table as a reason to bar my self install.  

To be fair, I should note that the last rep on the chat did reduce my monthly bill to match what I would be paying under the Ignite plan that I want.  Not the outcome I want but credit where credit is due. 

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@B-a-n-e  Sorry, I should have been more clear.  I was just trying to explain why Rogers does not allow Home Phone to be self-installed. Your situation is different.  I would send a PM to @CommunityHelps  to see if they can find out exactly what it is about their systems or processes that is preventing your order from going through. (The big sticky issue for Home Phone is that they still need a tech to make the necessary changes in their provisioning systems.)  Since you already have all of your services with Rogers, hopefully they can work with you to find a creative solution.

[MarcPareR]

I bought the ignite package and a Rogers techie came and set up the internet and tv in February. He also prepped the phone and said that we would only  have to plug in our phone once our phone number was ported to the ignite plan.

I received an email yesterday saying that a techie has been booked for June 1st for the setup, and, after calling 3 departments at Rogers, they tell me that a tech person has to be in the house to setup the phone on the ignite modem.

Does anyone know why a tech person needs to be on the spot in the house when, all it seems to me, is that my phone number should only be ported  and then, my phone would either work or not. It doesn't seem to make much sense that the phone porting itself would be a step where a person would have to be in a physical place for this to happen.

If there are some particular parameters to enter in the modem, then why would a client not be able to set these him/herself?

Thanks for any explanation.

Marc

[MarcPareR]

I am in the same situation where all that needs to be done is the provisioning of my phone number. I am not using our home's phone wiring at all but using a wireless homephone system. The base is installed on the back of the modem and ready to go.

I am not sure why there is a problem with provisioning from the street. No need to come into the home.

Marc

[MarcPareR]

Just to add that I am not even using our home phone wired system. I am using a wireless phone where the base is plugged into the back of the modem.

I am not sure why provisioning from the street would not be an option. There is no need to access the home.

Marc

[TeDD13]

Nope, self-install option for existing customers works fine (this is actually the only option since March 25).

I just switched to Ignite bundle so can share the experience:

1. I ordered Ignite bundle (Internet + TV) over the Live Chat. Agent processed the order with self-install.

2. Purolator delivered equipment 2 days after.
3. I have unplugged my existing Coda-4582 and connected new CGM4141 (Technicolor Docsis 3.1 application gateway).

4. Now when I logged in through my laptop connected to the gateway via ethernet cable I was only given a single option to setup a Wi-Fi network. At this point I pulled instructions from the box and found out that in order to activate the new gateway I need to download an Ignite Wi-Fi Hub app on Google Play or Apple App Store. Did that, logged in and saw a message "Activating gateway". Internet was setup.

5. Setting up TV was even easier. Took out tiny box, connected HDMI cable, powered on and in 2 minutes it worked fine.

Note: I prefer to use ethernet cable, not a fan of wireless. However, numerous posts on this forum mention that Ignite TV is meant to run on wireless connection, so I did not connect prepared ethernet cable and left it on wireless. Still an excellent signal from the basement but if wireless signal wilk ever become an issue I have an access point nearby. Keep in mind that Technicolor 4141 runs warmer than Coda 4582, has much less ventilation and needs to be in a cool place.

6. I did not activate a home phone as I already have one, but you cannot self-install a home phone. A tech needs to come to your house, check your phone cable and provision the home phone service. All this can be done without entering your home.

Another note, Technicolor 4141 seems to run fine. Speedtest shows 585/22 although my upstream channel signal is out of spec.

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@MarcPareR   The techs don't enter any settings into the XB6 gateway other than the initial settings for Wi-Fi.  Every aspect of the on-site service provisioning is done centrally using tools that are only available to techs.

Keep in mind that the self-install option for Ignite is still a new thing, for everybody.  I also don't think that Rogers even meant to roll out self-install just yet but the COVID-19 situation accelerated their plans.  I think that it would also make sense for Rogers to offer a Home Phone self-install option for simple installations AND a professional installation for a nominal fee.  However, they are not at that stage yet, and the reality is that Rogers has a different service delivery and support model than organizations like https://voip.ms or ISPs that offer a "digital phone" VoIP service.

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@TeDD13  Do you get your home phone service from Bell or do you use a VoIP provider?  If you are using VoIP, make sure that your ATA does not lose its registration after a few hours.

[TeDD13]

I have voip.ms through Cisco SPA112. Just had to switch IP address. But what did you mean by ATA losing registration?

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@TeDD13 wrote:
I have voip.ms through Cisco SPA112. Just had to switch IP address. But what did you mean by ATA losing registration?

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With VoIP, you can run into various NAT traversal issues.  The ATA might connect to the voip.ms server just fine when it powers up but if (for example) keep-alive packets stop flowing, you will disconnect from the service unexpectedly after a period of time.  I only mentioned it because the firewall on the XB6 is different from the one on the CODA gateway so you just need to double-check that the registration still works and remains active.  If you are still able to make and receive calls the next day, you're fine.

[MarcPareR]

I wonder if you could tell me if Rogers techies roam these forums and if there would be someone that I could appeal to just activate (provision) the phone number. I have spoken to a couple of customer reps, but not sure if they realize that the only step left in for my phone is to activate it as there is no implication of using any telephone wire in the house.

Marc

[B-a-n-e]

I got a call back from the Office of the President.  The person was very pleasant to deal with but confirmed 3 things: 1) transferring Home Phone from my Digital system to an Ignite system requires a tech in the house; I noted that one of the techs in my original chat said the router could be provisioned from the truck so it's not clear why they would have to come into the house particularly in my situation where there are no wiring or location issues; nevertheless, that is there position; 2) the Home Phone issue is a red herring (my term not hers); she confirmed that even if I cancelled my Home Phone Rogers would still not do a self install for just Internet and TV for existing customers; again, not clear how this would be different from a new install of Internet and TV so I'm assuming it is a resource issue as they do send techs out to drop off equipment and measure the line outside; 3) they are not releasing the new pods or the eero mesh (for digital) for existing users. 

The person was perfectly pleasant to deal with and offered me a further credit but no substantive resolution to my problem of wanting to migrate from an existing Rogers Digital setup to Ignite. 

She suggested calling in to tech support everyone once in a while to see if things have changed as a lot of stuff is in flux right now given the pandemic.  While I'm not happy with the outcome (and I really don't understand distinguishing b/w existing and new customers - particularly if you take the Home Phone out of the equation) I do accept that these are difficult times so maybe they just need some time to sort things out. 

[TeDD13]

1) Tech needs access to your gateway in order to complete activation of the Home Phone. Yes, provisioning can be done from the truck outside, but after before provisioning tech needs to connect a tool to your master telephone cabke to make sure there is no existing service and after provisioning a Rogers Home phone, a tech needs to plugin the same tool in your gateway to confirm that your Home Phone works.

2) This is simply not true. I am an existing Rogers customer for 16 years. I just self-installed Ignite internet and activated two TV boxes myself. No tech came in. Equipment was delivered by Purolator.

[Pauly]

It would be really rough and tough for someone like myself to do a Self Install for any rogers services in my house. It seems there were absolutely NO Coax Cable wires or outlets run anywhere in my house from the previous home owner. The tech was even surprised that there was no wire going from the pedestal to the side of my house.

Imagine if i ordered internet and did a self install how much frustration I would have,

Yeah I ordered ignite internet a while ago and im glad I had a professional install, the tech had to run all kinds of temp wires outside with my neighbors house, then bring wires into my family room from the outside box because no such wire existed and he was busy working away to run such wires and connect my service it took like 2-3 hours or so but in the end it was a success.