Extension, Sky splitter and microfilter set up?

[richsky]

Here's the problem:

I have master telephone socket downstairs to which I have my microfiltered telephone, Sky and a cable extended filtered router connected. The other day our phone lost its dial tone, so (after a BT line test) I pulled out the plugs, removed the faceplate and tried my test socket. The microfiltered telephone alone worked fine, as did the cable extension for my wireless router (which runs through to the room with the filter at that end for the router).

The tests also worked fine through the main socket in the faceplate.

The issue appears to be isolated to the phone splitter that is fitted to the telephone cable for my Sky HD box. Sky installed this, its a little two socket splitter with a third connection inside its box for the sky cable (the wire is kind of clamped down by two little plastic hinges inside the splitter case). So I can plug and unplug the telephone and cable extension from the two sockets on the splitter but the Sky cable runs inside it and is clamped firm (I guess it makes it a 3-way splitter but the Sky one is fixed).

When I fit this splitter to the main, or the test socket, then plug the microfiltered phone into either socket in the splitter, the dial tone on the phone drops in volume before disappearing completely. What's interesting is that if I disconnect the sky cable wires from the splitter completely, the phone dial tone/signal is fine, as is my broadband signal through to the router. So it seems like the Sky cable wires (or the signal in them) is causing my phone signal problem.

I don't think anything has changed. All I can think is that wear and tear may have damaged the Sky cable wires where they connect, or the contacts they connect to. I know it seems like an odd set up but I'm sure it was done this way when the engineer installed Sky for us.

I have a feeling I should be running a microfilter out of the main socket first before anything else, then splitting the telephone signal for Sky and phone line and connecting the router to the ADSL port as normal. This would mean moving the router near to the main socket and going wireless (the reason it's not there already). I'd also like to add a phone plug to the end of the Sky cable so I don't have to clamp the wires into that splitter.

At the minute I have the splitter in the main socket without the Sky cable clamped in at all and just the telephone and cable extension for the router (both filtered).

Also, a local Sky/phone engineer suggested wiring the Sky cable into the back of the faceplate of my main socket and that Sky often use that 3-way '2-socket 1 clamped' splitter. I have an upstairs socket (never used) wired in to the main, so that can be disconnected if needed. I have no ring wires connected.

I hope this makes some sense. Thanks.

[RUNITDIRECT]

Yes you should be running the splitter through a micro filter. Is the main socket an NTE5? If it is why not hard wire via a filtered faceplate?(or hard wire to the NTE5 and use filters at the far end).

[neilmcl]

When I fit this splitter to the main, or the test socket, then plug the microfiltered phone into either socket in the splitter, the dial tone on the phone drops in volume before disappearing completely.

It no longer surprises me that the Sky installers cannot get this right. As in the previous post, the microfilter should be the only thing plugged into the socket, the splitter and any other cables should be plugged into the filter, not the other way round.

[RUNITDIRECT]

The only time it shouldn't be is if the router is on the extension, in that case plug the splitter(as in double adaptor/break in adaptor) into the master socket, you will need an ADSL filter plugged into the splitter IF you plan to plug a phone in there, at the other end plug a second filter into the BT female fly lead plug that sky provide.

[richsky]

The only time it shouldn't be is if the router is on the extension, in that case plug the splitter(as in double adaptor/break in adaptor) into the master socket, you will need an ADSL filter plugged into the splitter IF you plan to plug a phone in there, at the other end plug a second filter into the BT female fly lead plug that sky provide.

That makes sense. I have the master socket, to which I need to connect my phone, Sky box and a phone extension cable for a router in another room. Filtering at the main socket would take out the ADSL from the phone extension cable. So I plug the break-in adaptor into the main box, filter the phone connection, Sky runs out from the snap down block (should this be filtered at the other end?) and my phone extension cable will be filtered as normal at the router end.

I think I had it like this originally when the phone signal went, but I'll try it later and see what happens. Thanks.

[Isitme]

Running a router through a standard telephone extension is never a good idea. If you have to use an extension for the router, get a proper twisted pair cable and hardwire it to your master socket. RunitDirect can supply all the parts you need to do the job properly.

[RUNITDIRECT]

That makes sense. I have the master socket, to which I need to connect my phone, Sky box and a phone extension cable for a router in another room. Filtering at the main socket would take out the ADSL from the phone extension cable. So I plug the break-in adaptor into the main box, filter the phone connection, Sky runs out from the snap down block (should this be filtered at the other end?) and my phone extension cable will be filtered as normal at the router end.

I think I had it like this originally when the phone signal went, but I'll try it later and see what happens. Thanks.

If the router is on a plug in extension(BT not RJ11) then you can't plug the filter in first. You will need a filter AFTER the break in adaptor(plug the filter into the break in adaptors BT socket IF you plug any phones in there, if you don't plug any phones into the break in adaptors ports then no need for a filter), the sky box will also need a filter as will the far end of the phone extension. As above though it would be better to get it all sorted via hard wiring, in this case get a 6 way faceplate, the front has both filtered & unfiltered ports, the sky box would connect to the filtered connection(front or rear-doesn;t matter) & the extension for the router would connect to the unfiltered connection. If you don't need a phone where the router is then this is the best kit, if you do then use CW1308 cable and this socket at the other end. Hope i've got this right as doing ten things at once!!!!

[richsky]

Thanks all for the replies ... thinking of getting a local engineer to come and fit new faceplate and check everything out. We also get intermittent bursts of electronic 'squeal' noise on the phone line (but no crackling or constant noise). Must have a fault with the hardware somewhere, we have changed the phones for new ones of the same model, so it's not likely them.

[Isitme]

We also get intermittent bursts of electronic 'squeal' noise on the phone line

This is the symptom of a fault filter. Fitting a filtered faceplate should fix it.