Why does my speed halve when I connect an extension socket to master socket ?

[RUNITDIRECT]

Chopping spare pairs back should not make any difference unless they were touching the pair in use. The faceplate WILL affect speed IF you have extensions in the house as it isolates extensions from the ADSL signal. It can NOT however improve on what you get via the test socket. Chopping spare pairs back is always a bad idea-those spare pairs can come in handy!

[Isitme]

If you have extensions a filtered faceplate will isolate your internal wiring, provided you plug into it. This cuts out interference and will improve your speed and stability.

[JamieBee]

Chopping spare pairs back should not make any difference unless they were touching the pair in use. The faceplate WILL affect speed IF you have extensions in the house as it isolates extensions from the ADSL signal. It can NOT however improve on what you get via the test socket. Chopping spare pairs back is always a bad idea-those spare pairs can come in handy!

It looks the mass of wires behind the faceplate were interfering with the 2 in use then. If I am only ever going to need the 2 and 5 cables it does not matter how long the others are does it ?

I will look into buying a filtered faceplate shortly.

[RUNITDIRECT]

It looks the mass of wires behind the faceplate were interfering with the 2 in use then. If I am only ever going to need the 2 and 5 cables it does not matter how long the others are does it ?

I will look into buying a filtered faceplate shortly.

Not at the moment no, but if a pair fails you then have no spares to fall back on. EVERY house in the UK has spare pairs not in use (minimum pair count is two so ALWAYS a spare paid from BT unless very OLD twin cable in use), if they aren't connected they can make no difference.

[JamieBee]

Not at the moment no, but if a pair fails you then have no spares to fall back on. EVERY house in the UK has spare pairs not in use (minimum pair count is two so ALWAYS a spare paid from BT unless very OLD twin cable in use), if they aren't connected they can make no difference.

But are they not all different colours for a reason ? Surely it is only the blue/white and white/blue ones that I need ? All of the other colours are not needed so how would I use them for spare ?

[George Looney]

Not at the moment no, but if a pair fails you then have no spares to fall back on. EVERY house in the UK has spare pairs not in use (minimum pair count is two so ALWAYS a spare paid from BT unless very OLD twin cable in use), if they aren't connected they can make no difference.

Don't want to disagree with you but, what about houses served by 2 pair cable which have a BT66 to distribute one to each side. Many houses are fed by one pair armoured cable, also forgot it's correct BT name but their is a high poundage dropwire which is only 1 pair.

[RUNITDIRECT]

Don't want to disagree with you but, what about houses served by 2 pair cable which have a BT66 to distribute one to each side. Many houses are fed by one pair armoured cable, also forgot it's correct BT name but their is a high poundage dropwire which is only 1 pair.

I can't say i've ever come across that setup, would you say it is the majority? Armoured would be underground?

[George Looney]

I can't say i've ever come across that setup, would you say it is the majority? Armoured would be underground?

Armoured cable is cable that is usually dropped direct in the ground (no duct) some estates are completley served by this, these estates tend to have alot of faults. It's mainly usef these days for rural runs or over farmer fields where duct and aerial cable can't be user or aren't viable.

Many houses in the patch I work are only provisioned on 1 pair.

It's not the majority but then it's not uncommon

[RUNITDIRECT]

The point i was (badly!) trying to make was the OP's problem should not be caused by unused spare pairs

[George Looney]

The point i was (badly!) trying to make was the OP's problem should not be caused by unused spare pairs

It's unlikely but not impossible, one of the spares could have a fault condition (battery, earth or even be live) and if in contact with his working pair could cause problems. TBH it's pretty rare but It has happened.