Fiber optic cable broken? Here's what you can do

You are just beating your friends in an online game... and your internet goes down. Or you are in an important video call and suddenly everything cuts out. Then there might be something wrong with your fiber optic cable. But how do you know that? And what can you do if the fiber optic cable is broken? We asked Jeroen Dangremond, manager of customer operations at Open Dutch Fiber. He explains what to look out for and who you can turn to for help.

How do you know if your fiber optic cable is broken? 

A fiber optic cable is made of thin glass. If the cable is damaged, your internet will not work anymore and the light on the fiber optic point will remain off. "A green light on the fiber optic point means that there is light on the line," explains Jeroen. "If the light is red or completely off, there is often something wrong with the cable."

Even if your internet suddenly goes out completely, something may be broken. Especially if you have just dug, renovated, or moved cables.

What should you do in case of a broken fiber optic cable?

If you think the fiber optic cable is broken, always contact your provider. They can remotely test whether the problem is in the cable or elsewhere. "If it really is the cable, the provider will report it to us," says Jeroen. "Then we will send a technician who can repair the cable."

Please note: Never try to repair the cable yourself. Fiber optic is fragile and must be welded with special equipment.

Did you know that you can also extend a fiber optic cable? You can read more about it in the article.Do you want to extend a fiber optic cable? This is what you need to know according to an expert.  

How do you prevent damage to the cable? 

The fiber optic cable is usually neatly concealed. However, things can go wrong, for example during gardening, renovation, or moving equipment. "We sometimes see residents trying to relocate the cable themselves or accidentally drilling into it," says Jeroen. "That's when it goes wrong."

Tips to prevent damage to the fiber optic cable:  

• Always leave connecting, moving, or extending the cable to experts.

• Never drill into walls or floors without knowing where the cable runs.

• When in doubt, ask for advice from customer service.

Curious about how to connect fiber optic to your router? Then read the article.How to connect fiber optic to your router? An expert explainsI'm sorry, but I need a text to translate. Please provide me with the text you would like me to translate into English.

Do the postcode check.

Do you want to know if your home is eligible for fiber optic from Open Dutch Fiber?postcodecheck You can quickly and easily see if your address is already on the schedule. You will immediately see if the installation has already started, or if we will contact you soon. This way, you know exactly what to expect.