Faceplace replacement/extension

[Stumpy]

Currently I have a master socket just next to the front door, with an extension from that to my computer room. I realise thats "bad" but it was something I discovered well after joining Sky and didn't know there was a problem with it before then.

Up til now ... well over a year, I've not had any major problems with it ... I've tried it both on the extension and, with various wires trailing everywhere in a temporary set-up, on the master socket as well, with no difference in speed.

Recently I started getting slower and slower speeds, and disconnections and, after several hours on the phone to Sky, a lot of frustration and quite a bit of misguided advice from Sky customer support, I've finally discovered that it seems my face plate is broken. Despite having checked the test socket previously and finding no difference in (slow) speeds, today when I checked, after a bit of fiddling from the Sky guy, I got a huge speed boost (double what I've ever had before).

Sooo ... my question is, what is the best, cost effective way to go? I'm guessing I'll need a new faceplate, and am waiting for an electrical engineer to get back to me with a quote, but I noticed there are several different faceplates possible. Also, as I will still be wanting to use my extension, is it worth at the same time doing something to make the extension "acceptable" to Sky? Would I be able to create an extension to the master socket that would do the same job?

Sorry -no idea really how these work, but it just really isn't feasible to install the router near the master socket. Its a cramped hallway with no useable close-by power source and it is too far away from my network to cable it. One of my PC's isn't mine, but a loan, on a VPN, and I don't want to muck about with it adding wireless.

[nodrog]

try going to ADSL Nation - XTE-2005 - Filtered Master Faceplate
a new face plate with built in splitter/filter fits directly onto Bt mastersocket wiring instructions come with it and if you are not using a hardwired extention then no wireing is required, this also eliminates the plug in dongle type filters as supplied by sky wich leaves a much more neater and trip free area around socket in hallway cost is around £15 including p&p

how far away from socket is your room with the pc because it may be worthwhile looking at placing router at master socket for higher sync speed, if you use wireless you will lose most of the speed gained by doing this but if its within 100m then lan cables can be purchased which will give around 90% of any speed achieved by router not sync speed but actual speed recieved

[Stumpy]

There isn't a lot of distance as such between the master socket and the room with the computers. Unfortunately, the master socket is, if looking at the house from the front, on the right hand side wall of the hall. The nearest power socket is on a wall opposite, across the doorway to the lounge, and the computers are installed on the left hand wall in a room opposite the master socket ... basically, the hallway is a small square box with front door, living room and PC room right and left respectively, and staircase directly in front. No spare wall space and any wires, including power and/or phone would need to be installed either over doors or under fitted carpets. To LAN connect the network (4 PC's) would then require 4 long cables.

I could in theory do wireless, but as you mentioned, I would then be loosing the speed and would need to "wireless" all the PC's. I'd also prefer the router near the computers so that I can see what is going on with it, and keep it out of the way ... there is no doubt it will get knocked occasionally in such a small hallway.

So my question stands ... would I be able to create an "acceptable" extension?

[Stumpy]

After browsing various cabling sites, etc ... I hit upon a theory. Can i simply have the router where it normally sits, plugged into its usual place, wired to the computers, but have a very long cable between it and the master BT socket? Can you get such cables? If so, is there a deterioration?

If Sky are always insisting that I should only plug into the master socket, this seems my best (and probably cheapest) option.

Also, I have noticed since my large jump in speed, that my ping rate has gone up rather a lot too ... from around 60ms to 115ms - what does this mean?

[nodrog]

long cables of the type you talking about are available some loss of speed will be noticed but that cannot be helped the adsl nation faceplate will help with this because it filters at source and filters out any interference that may be around with bell wires etc

the only other option is get BT to move your master socket at around £140, i moved mine my self but it was a simple cut wire going into rear of house upstairs room and now reentering house at rear downstair room now getting 14mb on max when router was on an extension wire could only get 5mb i mamaged to get rid of 40 meteres of internal wire to mastersocket which was always downstairs but at opposite corner of house from where it is now

[Stumpy]

Okay, I've had a call back from the engineer who I was hoping would sort this for me, and since he repaired my extension last year, he's no longer working with anything to do with computers ... telephone lines only.

He did say that he could get a faceplate, but that it would cost me £35, plus £35 for him to fit it. When I asked him about the faceplate, he quoted adslnation as the type and I said that I had looked at their website and there were none there for that price - in fact they were about a third of that price.

He also said that there was no way of telling if it was a faulty faceplate over the phone (referring to Sky diagnosing this as the fault). I told him that I had come to the same conclusion, simply by seeing the difference in speed between plugging into the faceplate, and plugging into the test socket. But he was still adamant that it may not be the faceplate.

I have kind of lost faith in this guy now, and asked for recommendations for someone who DID deal with computer related installations, but the only suggestion he could make was a company who charged £75 to come out.

So I'm considering having a go myself.

As far as I can tell, the wires are simply replaced like for like - so if it is in slot 2 at the moment, it just goes in slot 2 on the adslnation faceplate?

In the socket I have:

3 red wires in slot 2
3 yellow wires in slot 3
no wires in slot 4
3 blue wires in slot 5

(I can't see a slot 1?)

I have been looking at their website and I guess I need:

ADSL Nation - XTE-2005 - Filtered Master Faceplate

I had seen people talking about needing the idc tool, however:

ADSL Nation LTD.

I also noticed this:

ADSL Nation - XTF-68/85 - Pre-filtered Telephone Socket

How would this work? Would I again just replace my current extension box like for like? And would this make Sky "like" my extension? Or, if not, would I get the same speed at the extension that I would get if I plugged the router into the master socket?

Sorry for all the questions ... I'm a complete newbie at this sort of thing, but I'm also skint, and a bit wary of all these "professionals" giving me different advice.

[Stumpy]

I have since seen info on another thread that says the plastic tool is no good for any more that 2 wires, so I've had to lump out and buy the "professional" one, which I really hope comes with instructions, as it looks rather technical!

I have also seen, on the same thread, that quite a few people in my situation have simply gone for the faceplate and a 10m long rj11 cable, so I've done that (keeping fingers crossed that 10m is long enough ... its slightly borderline, but I didn't see any other cables of the same type any longer).

However, I may be tempted down the second telephone socket route in the future.

[eyemdee]

Originally Posted by Stumpy

In the socket I have:

3 red wires in slot 2
3 yellow wires in slot 3
no wires in slot 4
3 blue wires in slot 5

Try disconnecting the all the wires in slot 3. As long as you have ADSL filters in your extensions, they serve no useful purpose and can act as a noise aerial for broadband. Your faceplate may not be the problem after all.

[Stumpy]

What are the yellow wires there for then? I don't want to unplug them until my pluggy back in thing arrives, just in case it turns out I really DO need them

[eyemdee]

^^^ They are used to distribute a ringing signal on very old style telephones but this function is replicated by the ADSL filter. The only wires needed are those on 2 & 5. There are numerous posts on this subject in the cabling and faceplate forum.