no master socket

[steve0161]

Hi All,

ive read the sticky at the top of this page and i saw this

Q: What if I don't have a master socket, can I fit one ?

A: You should have a standard master socket if your wiring has been installed or updated since the late 80's. Sometimes you will find you have one in the loft, especially if you live in a bungalow. If you don't have a proper master socket then you should have a junction box, usually on a window sill. There is no official statement from BT as to what you can do in this situation. It seems that officially you are supposed to have BT install a standard NTE-5 mater socket but in reality it would seem that the junction box is the demarcation point. So it would seem that you can change your sockets as long as you leave the junction box in place and do not interfere with the wire that comes from the pole to the box.

the wiring in this house has definately not had any wiring work done since 1980, the last owner was here from 1972 till we bought the house in 84 and he says there was no work done. apart from what he did. he remembers a grey box with the phone socket on it, this is what he used to extend the phone points from.

i do have a junction box, bit bigger than a matchbox with 4 wires going into it just above my front door. could this be my demarcation point? if so can i open the box and refit a new wire leading to a new master socket legally ?

[Saturday]

i do have a junction box, bit bigger than a matchbox with 4 wires going into it just above my front door. could this be my demarcation point? if so can i open the box and refit a new wire leading to a new master socket legally ?

I would say so but as the post you quoted points out it's a bit of a grey area.

[steve0161]

Thanks saturday,

i cant see any diagrams of this setup, and i havnt opened the junction box yet, if there are four wires going in do you know how id wire the master socket by any chance, or the likely config ?

they are yellow, green, red, and blue (possibly black).

[Gaztops]

Is it possible for you to take the junction box cover off and take a photo of the connections.

If your junction box has a single screw in the centre, usually the middle two wires is the phone line coming in to your home.

It would be easier if we could see what you have above the door.

[steve0161]

Is it possible for you to take the junction box cover off and take a photo of the connections.

If your junction box has a single screw in the centre, usually the middle two wires is the phone line coming in to your home.

It would be easier if we could see what you have above the door.

Hi, sorry about the dirty photos looks like its just 2 wires inside the box does it matter how these are wired ? i read something about polarity, dont have any fax machines or anything though...

[Gaztops]

I know that the way the wires are connected looks untidy but connection looks solid. The connectors used are called crimps and are mainly used for underground jointing. (connecting underground cables together).

The orange and white wires is the telephone line coming into your home. The blue with white bands and the white with blue bands is your internal line which will go to a socket for your phone.

You can change this socket for a master NTE5.

The new master socket needs to be dismantled into its three parts.

If you look at the base/ box part of the NTE%, this the part that you will actually screw to the wall, you will notice some circular indentations, there are four all together, one on each side of the box.

With a screw driver make a hole in one of these indentations, (preferabley the bottom one.

Push the cable through this hole then fix it to the wall.

Next get the largest of the two pieces you have left . On the back you should see three screw terminals, we are only interested in the terminals named A and B.

Now go back to your cable and pick out the Blue with white bands and the white with blue bands.

Strip approx seven millimetres of insulation off these two wires.

Connect the Blue with white bands to terminal A, then connect the white with blue bands to terminal B.

Screw this section to the base block attached to the wall.

At this point you can plug a telephone into the test socket and see if you have dial tone.

The face plate, which is the last piece you should have left, this piece is for connecting your extensions to.

Again the extension cables must be thread into the base box and out the front.

For extensions use the same two wire (Blue with white bands/ white with blue bands) for your feed to your extension block.

The terminal used are numbers 5 and 2, if you need the bell circiut/ring wire, this is orange with white bands wire and connect to terminal three.

The wires that you have used for your extension within the NTE5 must be duplicated exactly the same inside the extension socket.

It's a bit difficult to explain, so if you have any problems just ask.

[steve0161]

Thankyou very much gaztops, really appreciated, Im pretty sure i understand everything you said, im going to rewire this mess at the weekend, ill let you know how i get on.

Saturday and jaytc2003 and flange87 , thankyou very much as well, all your help and time is really appreciated and ill try the new nte5 away from the electric cables and next to them and let you know if i see any differences.


Top forum, and thanks again for the help.

Steve

[Gaztops]

No problems Steve, let us know how you get on and if in doubt just shout.