The BT Old Socket

[monkey_spanker]

Damn, wish I'd read this about 2 hours ago.

I've just sent BT an email request for fitting a NTE5 master socket AND told them the reason is that we keep getting disconnected from the internet when the phone rings. Bugger. Oh well here's hoping they change it anyway, wish me luck.

I've hardwired my extension into the old socket will BT execute me for it?

[Aletank]

Originally Posted by monkey_spanker

Damn, wish I'd read this about 2 hours ago.

I've just sent BT an email request for fitting a NTE5 master socket AND told them the reason is that we keep getting disconnected from the internet when the phone rings. Bugger. Oh well here's hoping they change it anyway, wish me luck.

I've hardwired my extension into the old socket will BT execute me for it?

How did you get on ?

[JaXanim]

I just checked my old BT Master Box. It's also the ancient version without a test socket. There are four wires coming in. Black, white, orange and green. The white and orange are connected to terminals 2 and 5. The other wires aren't connected.
Since the wires are just plain colours, I'm wondering if this cable is just old fashioned 4-core stuff and not CAT5 or similar. Is it likely that wiring from the BT pole to my house is just 'ordinary' wiring to go with the 'ordinary' master box? It was all installed around 1984, so it preceeds the NTE5 era.
If this is so, what's the point in my trying to wire my ADSL extension in CAT5 from a new NTE5 faceplate if the outside BT wiring is way below current specs?

JaX

[Isitme]

HERE is some useful info on phone socket boxes.

The 'new' type box actually came into use in 1979, but I think some parts were slow to adopt. You will only have two wires going into the box from outside. If there are more than 2, you may have the wrong box, or there is another junction outside.

[JaXanim]

Originally Posted by Isitme

- - - - The 'new' type box actually came into use in 1979, but I think some parts were slow to adopt. You will only have two wires going into the box from outside. If there are more than 2, you may have the wrong box, or there is another junction outside.

The 4-core cable coming into the house definitely goes all the way to the BT pole without any intermediate box. This line was installed by BT when we moved into the house (new) in 1984. Is is wrong/bodged or what?

EDIT: The Box is the 68mm square LJU2/1A type with resister, capacitor and surge arrestor fitted. Four wires coming in with only orange and white connected (to 2 and 5). Could this cable be two twisted pairs? Did they use that in 1984?

JaX

[jayhab]

Sounds as though it was the same as mine before I installed an NTE5 - I wouldn't worry about it.
Besides the drop cable should be much better quality than standard 'indoor' telephone extansion cable. If you plug your router directly into your current master socket, is the performance any better? If so, then it probably is worth sorting out your internal wiring.

[JaXanim]

Originally Posted by jayhab

- - - - - Besides the drop cable should be much better quality than standard 'indoor' telephone extansion cable.

That's my basic query, is this 4-core drop cable likely to be a twisted pair type? Was it used in 1984?

If you plug your router directly into your current master socket, is the performance any better? If so, then it probably is worth sorting out your internal wiring.

It's not easy to do the test. All my kit is too far away to move to the master socket. I do have several extensions, from one of which I'm running the router. My plan is to install an NTE-2005 faceplate to a new NTE5 socket and hard wire to my modem in CAT5. I was concerned that the drop cable was substandard because it's not 2-core

JaX

[Isitme]

It looks like your set up is similar to the first diagram in the phone socket page I linked to. I don't think it will make much difference plugging into this socket as it is carrying extensions to the other sockets. To do a proper test you need a test socket. This would involve replacing the first socket with a NTE5 box, which strictly speaking is a BT job. If you wanted to test without fitting an NTE5 box you would have to disconnect the downstream wires in the existing master box, to get a true reflection of your lines capabilities.

However, there is nothing to stop you fitting a NTE5 socket with an ADSL faceplate immediately downstream from the BT Master socket. If you have modern phones you do not need to connect the bell wire, which simplifies things, and is known to cause problems in some installations. You can then use a Cat5e cable to connect your router, or if you prefer, hardwire a dedicated extension into the back of the ADSL faceplate.

[JaXanim]

I intend fitting an NTE5/NTE-2005 box to run everything from. That's not a problem.
My question is will the BT 4-core down cable be twisted pair? Having looked a bit deaper, I see there's the CAT1 specification for telephone cables. Am I correct in assuming the down cable will be CAT1?

JaX

[Isitme]

Sorry for the delay in replying, other duties called. I don't think you have much to worry about, the cable coming into your house will be twisted pair, which is the standard for connecting to most of the exchanges in UK. Sometimes the last few metres of a connection are in parallel copper, but if you have twisted pair all the way, this should be better. Parallel copper can act like an aerial and pick up all sorts of interference. Even if there are four wires on the cable, only two will be used, connected to terminals 2 and 5.