Dedicated master socket required?

[Stumpy]

I'm currently on connect, getting about the same speed as I was with plusnet previously, ie, around 1.5-2Mb. I'm using the router wired, with wireless switched off, and plugged into a telephone extension point in our study (via a filter of course), which is only a few metres away from the main BT socket, but due to locations, the actual extension cable is a lot longer, chased into walls, through ceilings and hard wired into the BT socket.

Anyway, the extension recently died a death - possibly, I suspect, due to a BT engineer trying to fix a different fault on another incoming line - but as it is an "internal" fault they would charge us the earth to get it fixed.

So, getting to the point - I sent an e-mail to a firm of telephone engineers last night, and this is an extract of the response:

Thank you for your enquiry. Firstly, you should not be using a Telephone Extension point to connect to your Broadband Service. Extension Telephone points are exactly what they say "Extensions for Telephones" Not Extensions for Telephones and ADSL Data feeds.

You should have your telephone line upgraded to carry the Data feed directly to your ADSL Modem or Router, by way of an additional Master point, the cost to professionally install an additional Primary Master point including parts and labour is £105.00 with additional points fully installed for either £52.50 for an Extension point or £60.00 for a Master Primary point.

Is this correct? I've never had any problems before using the extension and, whilst trying to sort out what was causing this, I took the opportunity of doing a speed test with the router plugged directly into the test socket, which showed no notable change in speed. No-one has ever mentioned before, in several years of using broadband through several different companies, that I would have to use a certain type of socket?

[Saturday]

The advice you've been given is slightly confusing.

ADSL is very sensitive to electrical noise and noise is often generated or exacerbated by internal household phone wiring.

Connecting a router via an extension is very likely to add to this problem as you are adding in additional connections, the wire may be of the incorrect impedance, it may be kinked or damaged. I assume when you were advised to "upgrade" your extension, in effect it was suggested that a quality cable, sockets and connections be supplied.

Ideally, for the most stable connection at the highest possible speed your router should be connected directly to the master socket, not another socket added elsewhere, preferably with a quality filtered faceplate. Any additional wiring can only degrade things, though the better the quality the less the impact.

I assume your existing extension "died" when the BT engineer disconnected it (presumably for a reason).

You haven't posted your connection stats so it is impossible to comment on your speed or your findings with the test socket.

[Stumpy]

I assume your existing extension "died" when the BT engineer disconnected it (presumably for a reason).

No - the BT guy was round about 2 weeks ago for a couple of days - it has been working since then, it just seemed a strange coincidence (going from past experience with BT engineers!) that's all.

My line speed has consistently been in the same range both on the extension and on the test socket, although I must admit I didn't check the other stats - personally, as long as I'm getting a consistent connection at a fairly decent speed, then I'm not really worried. Plus, of course, I can no longer test what I was getting on the extension.

I had noticed that others on here had referred to a special faceplace, some reporting a huge jump in speed, so I'm wondering if it's worth getting that done at the same time and if it would work with my setup, in that it isn't feasible to have the router connected to the main incoming socket unless I completely "wireless" my network of 4 PC's, none of which have wireless at the mo.

[Saturday]

I had noticed that others on here had referred to a special faceplace, some reporting a huge jump in speed, so I'm wondering if it's worth getting that done

You haven't posted your connection stats so it is impossible to comment on your speed or your findings with the test socket.

If you must have an extension then you will probably benefit by fitting a filtered faceplate to your master socket and running an unfiltered extension from it to your router.

All the information you need is in the cabling and faceplate forum.

[snake]

I'm currently on connect, getting about the same speed as I was with plusnet previously, ie, around 1.5-2Mb. I'm using the router wired, with wireless switched off, and plugged into a telephone extension point in our study (via a filter of course), which is only a few metres away from the main BT socket, but due to locations, the actual extension cable is a lot longer, chased into walls, through ceilings and hard wired into the BT socket.

Anyway, the extension recently died a death - possibly, I suspect, due to a BT engineer trying to fix a different fault on another incoming line - but as it is an "internal" fault they would charge us the earth to get it fixed.

So, getting to the point - I sent an e-mail to a firm of telephone engineers last night, and this is an extract of the response:



Is this correct? I've never had any problems before using the extension and, whilst trying to sort out what was causing this, I took the opportunity of doing a speed test with the router plugged directly into the test socket, which showed no notable change in speed. No-one has ever mentioned before, in several years of using broadband through several different companies, that I would have to use a certain type of socket?

Well to answer your question it is simple. Yes telephone extension cables do cause you problems with ur broadband connection speed and BT are correct in what they are saying. Extensions not only cause slow speeds but they could also drop out your connection. Basically the shorter your RJ11 cable is the better your broadband service is as far as speed is concerned into your home and not speed from the exchange to your home. However to solve this problem there is 3 ways you can go about. 1) go wireless 2)get a longer ethernet cable which can be up to 325 feet 3) have your master socket moved. You stated you had 4 computers well 3 of them are going to have to go wireless so the closet computer to your master socket use that one with a longer ethernet cable. You will find that any other isp out there other than BT are unable to use extension cables for the BB service thats only cause BT hold the key to allowing the correct profile to be set in the exchange so customers can use extensions on there service. This is why you pay more for BT cause your paying for these kind of things that u are able to do. If your with talk talk,orange,pipex,ukonline or any other isp that pays BT for the use of there exchanges you won't beable to run your Broadband service through an extension of the master or just a normal telephone extension cable. As far as your speed being the same in the test socket aswell as on the extension well yes this is going to be the same because there mighten have been enough time for the speed to decrease and the stats to change in your router settings page for you to see the difference. If you had of left your setup like that over a period of time your speed would of gotten slower and slower then dropped out because it would of been nakered by the time it has went through ur master socket then through your extension to your broadband box. So basically my answer to that question is yes extension leads cause alot of problems and i would recommend ppl on sky do not use them but use a longer ethernet cable or go wireless.