Master socket problems!

[marley]

Came home yesterday night to find my broadband was not working, picked up my phone and no dialing tone.

Both the broadband router and phone are plugged into a bt socket by my front door using an external filter. The socket is the bt type with removable front panel.

Called bt's automated helpline which did a line test and said all is ok + suggested a few things to check.

They said to check that none of the extention sockets are at fault by disconnecting them from the master. Well it's a new build flat and the extra sockets have never been connected which rules that out and removing the front of the master socket confirms this as there are no wires connected to it.

Bt also said to remove the front panel and try my phone in the test socket, tryed this with both the phone and router but no joy.

I removed the rear section of the box and there are two wires (blue/White and White/blue) connected to screw down teminals a and b, I double checed these conections and they were fine.

To me this suggests that either the master sockect is faulty or there is no signal coming in to the wires connected to a and b.
Is there any way to test these wires as I don't want to replace the master socket if it's not at fault and don't really want to call bt out and be charged a fortune.

Any advice welcome, thanks Andy

[skypaulusplus]

1 taking the plate off is ilegal.. apparantly. but touch them together and see if you get a small spark. dont be frightened its just small spark

also it could be the wire between the junction box and the master broken

[marley]

1 taking the plate off is ilegal.. apparantly. but touch them together and see if you get a small spark. dont be frightened its just small spark

also it could be the wire between the junction box and the master broken

Ok Thanks, I will try that,if there is a spark does that mean the wires are ok if so would putting a voltmeter on the wires indicate if they are working?

I presume checking the wire to the junction box is a bt job?

[skypaulusplus]

if there is a spark that means that there is a connection to the exchange, that is live, but do it a few times say 20 times in dfferent positions to be certain ther is not a connecton.

also as you sai new build i presume your wires are hidden in the walls.

if not do you have pets

[reddwarfcrew]

When dealing with Electrics (which includes BT phone lines), I would not recommend crossing wires. Any spark can be dangerous both to yourself and to the actual electrics (it may short something, maybe even at the exchange).

CROSSING WIRES TO ATTEMPT TO GET A SPARK IS NOT RECOMMENDED BY SKYUSER AND WE TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ABOVE ADVICE.

[marley]

Yes wires are in the Walls, master socket in hall is the only one that works but there is a bundle of cable behind every socket so I will try to connect them all up at some point but not until the master is working.

[skypaulusplus]

yes my view only, but its what i do.

but thinking a bit more for it to be broken like you have discribed. maybe bt have been doing something in the exchange or cabinet, and knocked yours off, because bt can still say its ok if that has happened

[bertiep]

try a look here may be of help.
Telephones UK - Wiring Information

[Brian69]

1 taking the plate off is ilegal.. apparantly. but touch them together and see if you get a small spark. dont be frightened its just small spark

also it could be the wire between the junction box and the master broken

Dont go shorting A and B together. This is a bodge which used to be used when you were stuck up a pole with no test phone. If you do it on a modern DTMF exchange and get it wrong the exchange will close the line down and flag it as defective.

[skypaulusplus]

in the first diagram, i think the master refers to the junction box