Moved into new house but have no Master NTE5 Socket

[ayates]

Hi,

I've just moved into a new house and I'm in the process of getting Sky TV and Broadband. I need to make a new extension near the TV for the Sky box and I want to make sure I've got decent line quality for the Broadband, however one of the first things I noticed is that the house has no Master NTE5 Socket.
I've looked at the where the main phone line comes into the house and it appears that the existing extensions just all split off directly from the main external cable underneath a plastic cover on the outside of the house.

Should I tell BT and ask them to install a Master Socket? Will the charge me loads to do it?

[Brian69]

Hi Ayates.
What this sounds like is a star wired set-up.
One of the sockets that you have will be a master but they all look the same.
As you have not got a NTE-5 master, you have no demarcation point and therefore cannot fit any hard wired extensions.
But all is not lost, you need to contact BT and explane that you would like to fit an extension, but as you have no NTE_5 master you cannot hard wire it in. They will fit one for you and it should be free.

The wiring system you have is also very poor from a BB point of view, so you need a NTE-5 master socket and a filter faceplate to isolate this wireing. You then connect the router at the faceplate, so give some throught as to where you want the master socket.

[dms05]

Brian69 - I'm in a similar position, my recently renovated apartment has two sockets and neither are apparent master sockets. Is their any way I can (a) tell which would be the master (b) then fit an NTE-5 myself?

I had a choice of two, so 50% chance of picking the correct one for connecting my router. I'm on Mid MM and achieve 6Mb/sec on larger downloads so it seems to be OK (even when the router is on the end of a 10m extension cord). Would this indicate I might have the correct socket?

[dms05]

Sorry, Mid MM should be Sky Mid BB!

[Brian69]

Hi Dms05.
As you say, first of all you need to find out which is the master. As you only have two sockets, unscrew both and look at the back. The one which has components (a capacitor, yellow or white, is the biggest) is the master.
You could fit a NTE-5 master yourself, but this is very much against BT's T&C, and if you mess it up, or affect someone else's line (not very likely but possible) They will get very upset!!. Also without more details as to where your line enters, it may go to a box and then split to both sockets, I can't help.

All is not lost though, when you find the master, remove the wire or wires connected to "3". This is the ring wire and removing it may well help you.

[adslnation]

Phone BT and say you have just moved in but there does not appear to be a master socket for you to connect new extensions to. They may offer to put it right.

[dms05]

Thanks. I've taken a look and can't find a master socket, both sockets are free of components. So I guess I need to talk to BT.

[Brian69]

Well there will be one somewhere, Is there a blank plate with a line across the centre anywhere?

[dms05]

Hi Brian69 - no other socket or anything looking faintly telecom related. There are 3 incoming lines into the build and all 3 were connected by BT (in my presence) to three wire sets in the Utility Locker (Electric, Phone, Security Entry phone etc). No sign of any sockets there either, just three cable sets that the BT guy identified individually for each apartment. He didn't mention a master socket, but there again he didn't come into the apartment either as I took out our DECT phone which was already connected.

So no obvious Master Socket - and I assume I must have one for the phone to work?

[Brian69]

Right you need to contact BT to get a proper master fitted. You existing phones will work without a master, but you need one to see if you can improve your BB