Face Plate Wiring

[fatfewl]

Hello everyone, I need some help.

Essentially I have broken this myself but it should be easy to fix but I am really struggling. Yesterday I was trying my rooter in different telephone sockets around the house and then compared the speed I got with the master (test) socket. I have done this before with no problems but yesterday when removing the faceplate I pulled the wires out from the IDC connectors by mistake (wasn’t hard to do). So essentially the faceplate is completely removed but of course the master socket works fine along with the secondary socket on the external side of the faceplate (not sure what this one is called).

After researching online I have tried to rewire it and it really shouldn’t be so difficult but it is just not working. I have to admit I tried some combinations of rewiring before researching properly passing wires into the wrong pin shouldn’t cause any problems should it?

Anyway here is what I have done now. I have 4 wires as expected which are coloured as followed:

Orange/white
White/orange
Blue/white
White/blue

This would appear to be standard and I have now connected the blue/white wire into pin 2 and the white/blue wire into pin 5 which I believe is the correct combination. I have left pin 4 unconnected because I am under the impression it is not used and only connected usually for neatness. I have also left pin 3 unconnected because I understand this is just the bell/ring and is no longer used/not needed for modern telephones and leaving it unconnected and even improve the internal single.

Now when I connected a phone into any telephone socket around the house the phone appears to get power and you can hear the button tones when they are pressed. They behave similar to devices which are running on dying batteries. It’s quite strange. Cannot make or receive calls from them and I have not tried plugging in my rooter as it seems obvious it will not work either. All phones are working so it’s not a phone OR a filter issue.

I’m sure the problem lies with either the faceplate or my wiring. I understand it’s possible that it could be other wires are the a/b combo and not the ones I have used but if so they how do I tell? Leaving pin 3 and pin 4 unconnected should not make a difference and there should be no need to reconnect these? Is it possible the faceplate is dead? If so where should I get a new one?

Before I ran out of wire so soldered new wire on to extend it but I’m right in saying this should not have done anything if done correctly? I have since switch to a terminal block as shown in image.

Please also note that before when trying different combinations of wire connections I managed to get the phones working but the rooter would not dsl sync and I have rewired again (and can’t remember the combination I used). Also managed to get all the phones to ring once connected . I guess powered the bell some.

My master socket is the older version of the NTE 5 A and is not an ADSL plate. Also I do not wish to purchase an ADSL filter faceplate. Please see the images below.






Any ideas or suggestions on what I can do or what the problem is? At the moment I am thinking of just trying a new faceplate but don’t know where I can buy one from that will fit my model (buying online is an option but slow).

Thanks in advance guys. Help a n00b out.

[AndyJG]

How are your other sockets wired?
It is possible someone has used a non-standard wiring convention.

You are using an IDC/Krone tool to reconnect you wires to the faceplate aren't you?
The wire ends should not be stripped as the insulation forms a seal between the wire and the jaws of the IDC termination.

Andy

[Giskard]

.. and I have now connected the blue/white wire into pin 2 and the white/blue wire into pin 5 which I believe is the correct combination.

Using your 1st picture: If you remove those two screws and then look behind that plate you should see 'A' and 'B' connection points. Blue/white to 'A' and White/blue to 'B'. the other pair (O/W & W/O) are not required.

Hope I have followed this right.

If I have misunderstood, or am in error, please advise.

Edit: Incoming pair not mistakenly wired as though extension and vice-versa?
As in: If you had re-connected 2 sets of B/W & W/B pairs, with one pair connected to A & B, and the other pair connected to 2 & 5 with no other wires connected. If so, and if they are properly attached, then perhaps you could try and confirm that the extension pair come from 2 & 5 and that incoming pair go to A & B?

[Giskard]

Sorry, read through a little too quickly, so might be better to ingore my post.

[fatfewl]

Thanks guys. Looked at the other sockets and now I have got it wired up and the phones work. Had to go through a few extensions though as they are all wired different from one another but I found one with the same wire and used that as the example and now the phones can make calls and I am assuming they can receive them also.

However now when I plug in my rooter it won’t connect. It can’t sync the DSL (don’t know if that is the right term of not). Light flashes as it tries to connect then stop as it has failed. Tried in multiple extensions but non work. Any reason for this? I have left pin 4 and 3 unconnected.

Also I am not using an IDC/Krone tool to reconnect the wires to the faceplate becuase I don't have one. Seems to have worked ok?

[fatfewl]

Ok nevermind. Its all working now! Thank you all for your help.

[Giskard]

Looked at the other sockets and now I have got it wired up and the phones work.

What changes did you need to make?

Had to go through a few extensions though as they are all wired different from one another but I found one with the same wire and used that as the example....

What was that example? Regardless of any colour scheme difference between extensions (and provided they had not been disturbed), then you would only need to trace back from the 1st extension and check that it led to 2 & 5 at the master.

However now when I plug in my rooter it won’t connect. It can’t sync the DSL (don’t know if that is the right term of not). Light flashes as it tries to connect then stop as it has failed. Tried in multiple extensions but non work.

Well, your router test should initially only be from the test position of the master - and then work backwards as required.

Also I am not using an IDC/Krone tool to reconnect the wires to the faceplate becuase I don't have one. Seems to have worked ok?

What have you used instead? Do you have any pics of the completed work?

[Scubbie]

For future reference, there is some lovely pictures and a guide here:

::. Kitz - Improve your adsl connection speed .::

But you should only need to connect wires 2 & 5. Wire 3 is also known as the the ring wire and isn't required anymore on most modern telephones.

1, 4 & 6 aren't used anymore.

[fatfewl]

Thanks for the link Scubbie but I have seen it before. I did do quite extensive research but like I said the a/b wire combination was not the colours you might expect. To find out the right combination I looked at 3 different extension sockets around my house.

Two sockets had different wire than the wire used for the faceplate but the third plate located upstairs used the same wire. Using it as a guide and example I rewired the faceplate and then tried the phone in the extension and it worked. The rooter did not initially work but after making more solid connections to the IDC block it then worked without a problem (phones too). Because I don’t have an IDC/Krone tool I used a screwdriver to push the wires down and I always test the connection with a multimeter so not having the correct tool shouldn’t make a real difference (and it does not appear it has). The wire connection with the IDC block is as far as I’m a where exactly how it should be with the wire insulation left on for a tight connection.

For those interested for me the correct wire combination was as follows.

Orange/white to pin 5
White/blue to pin 2

I have left both pin 3 and 4 unconnected. I did not take any pictures of the finished work and I just want to let it sit now.

Thanks for your help.

[Scubbie]

Thanks for the link Scubbie but I have seen it before. I did do quite extensive research but like I said the a/b wire combination was not the colours you might expect. To find out the right combination I looked at 3 different extension sockets around my house.

No problem.

Two sockets had different wire than the wire used for the faceplate but the third plate located upstairs used the same wire. Using it as a guide and example I rewired the faceplate and then tried the phone in the extension and it worked. The rooter did not initially work but after making more solid connections to the IDC block it then worked without a problem (phones too). Because I don’t have an IDC/Krone tool I used a screwdriver to push the wires down and I always test the connection with a multimeter so not having the correct tool shouldn’t make a real difference (and it does not appear it has). The wire connection with the IDC block is as far as I’m a where exactly how it should be with the wire insulation left on for a tight connection.

eeeekkkk!!!! Please do not ever use a screwdriver on an IDC connection. You will damage it unless you are extremely careful. The best solution would be to use an old credit card if you don't have an IDC tool.

For those interested for me the correct wire combination was as follows.

Orange/white to pin 5
White/blue to pin 2

I have left both pin 3 and 4 unconnected. I did not take any pictures of the finished work and I just want to let it sit now.

Thanks for your help.

Whilst the colour coding is supposed to be standardised, in fairness it does not actually matter. The important things are:

• that you use the same wires on pins 2 & 5 on the faceplate as on any extension
• that you use wires in pairs (twisted pairs) (this would normally be orange/white & white/orange for example)
• that the connection is good and the wire is not broken or damaged