no nte5 master socket and ADSL troubleshooting

When life is simple, and a customer has a line sync problem, the isolation
of the household phone wiring in most cases solves the problem. With an NTE5
master socket, this is simplicity in itself (to test), and quite simple to
fit a faceplate over the socket.

What about older systems without the master socket?

I have come across a few properties with nothing more then a small rounded
rectangular box above the front door, connecting the bt wire to the house.
In this situation it is, without getting in to deep, possible to isolate the
internal wiring, and it makes troubleshooting with the customer support
neigh on impossible.

'Peter' with the suspicious indian accent does not seem to comprehend the
situation where no master socket is available to plug into.

In the scenario of no master socket, what is the best (path of least
resistance) way of getting BT out to come and install one?? If you pester
the isp enough they will send BT out, but it is hard work, will BT came out
from a residential faults complaint about a master socket??? In this
situation, is it chargable?

Gaz

"Gaz" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
"When life is simple, and a customer has a line sync What about older
systems without the master socket?"

There are relatively few 'hardwired' installations left as you describe. 99%
Will have some form of plug type master socket. The plug socket has been
around for the last 25 or so years. THe excpetion to this is the old lady
with the bell phone. However as she is not likely to be woried about the
internet, modems and broadband she ain't to worried about and NTE5!

It's not as easy to work with a hardwired master socket as an NTE5 but you
are still entitled to enter it if it has extensions coming off of it. In
such a case you remove the extensions and test to the socket.

I think you can ask your service provider (BT) to change the socket to an
NTE5 and they should send open reach in to do it. However make sure they
don't try and charge for it as a 'conversion' which they often do.

Sucuba Dude wrote:
> "Gaz" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "When life is simple, and a customer has a line sync What about older
> systems without the master socket?"
>
> There are relatively few 'hardwired' installations left as you describe.
> 99%
> Will have some form of plug type master socket. The plug socket has been
> around for the last 25 or so years. THe excpetion to this is the old lady
> with the bell phone. However as she is not likely to be woried about the
> internet, modems and broadband she ain't to worried about and NTE5!
>
> It's not as easy to work with a hardwired master socket as an NTE5 but you
> are still entitled to enter it if it has extensions coming off of it. In
> such a case you remove the extensions and test to the socket.
>
> I think you can ask your service provider (BT) to change the socket to an
> NTE5 and they should send open reach in to do it. However make sure they
> don't try and charge for it as a 'conversion' which they often do.

I have come across two households in the last couple of weeks with old style
sockets. How can I verify that is not a charged for service? Should the
customer 'complain' about the line quality, the old classic intermittent
fault?

Gaz

Gaz wrote:
> When life is simple, and a customer has a line sync problem, the
> isolation of the household phone wiring in most cases solves the
> problem. With an NTE5 master socket, this is simplicity in itself (to
> test), and quite simple to fit a faceplate over the socket.
>
> What about older systems without the master socket?
>
> I have come across a few properties with nothing more then a small
> rounded rectangular box above the front door, connecting the bt wire
> to the house. In this situation it is, without getting in to deep,
> possible to isolate the internal wiring, and it makes troubleshooting
> with the customer support neigh on impossible.
>
> 'Peter' with the suspicious indian accent does not seem to comprehend
> the situation where no master socket is available to plug into.
>
> In the scenario of no master socket, what is the best (path of least
> resistance) way of getting BT out to come and install one?? If you
> pester the isp enough they will send BT out, but it is hard work,
> will BT came out from a residential faults complaint about a master
> socket??? In this situation, is it chargable?
>
> Gaz

In this situation I assume the subscriber is still renting their phone from
BT, maybe if they asked to have the phone taken out and a socket fitted it
could be done at no cost. I don't know if this could be done or not, but
it's probaly worth a phone call to find out.
--
Adrian A

Adrian wrote:
> Gaz wrote:
>> When life is simple, and a customer has a line sync problem, the
>> isolation of the household phone wiring in most cases solves the
>> problem. With an NTE5 master socket, this is simplicity in itself (to
>> test), and quite simple to fit a faceplate over the socket.
>>
>> What about older systems without the master socket?
>>
>> I have come across a few properties with nothing more then a small
>> rounded rectangular box above the front door, connecting the bt wire
>> to the house. In this situation it is, without getting in to deep,
>> possible to isolate the internal wiring, and it makes troubleshooting
>> with the customer support neigh on impossible.
>>
>> 'Peter' with the suspicious indian accent does not seem to comprehend
>> the situation where no master socket is available to plug into.
>>
>> In the scenario of no master socket, what is the best (path of least
>> resistance) way of getting BT out to come and install one?? If you
>> pester the isp enough they will send BT out, but it is hard work,
>> will BT came out from a residential faults complaint about a master
>> socket??? In this situation, is it chargable?
>>
>> Gaz
>
> In this situation I assume the subscriber is still renting their phone
> from
> BT, maybe if they asked to have the phone taken out and a socket fitted it
> could be done at no cost. I don't know if this could be done or not, but
> it's probaly worth a phone call to find out.

The phones themselves are not hard wired, ie, they have regular extensions
coming from the master..... So are usuable for all regular phones....

Gaz

"Gaz" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
"The phones themselves are not hard wired, ie, they have regular extensions
> coming from the master..... So are usuable for all regular phones...."

In that case in all probability what you have is a star wired set up and
yes, this would be chareable to resolve. Faking an intermittant fault will
get you a charge and your extensions disconnected. Thats the company line on
it. Fault not found = charge customer. Non standard extensions, disconnect
them, fit one master and charge.

Can you not get a box of NTE5's off a willing engineer and just sort these
yourself?

Gaz wrote:

> When life is simple, and a customer has a line sync problem, the
> isolation of the household phone wiring in most cases solves the
> problem. With an NTE5 master socket, this is simplicity in itself (to
> test), and quite simple to fit a faceplate over the socket.
>
> What about older systems without the master socket?
>
> I have come across a few properties with nothing more then a small
> rounded rectangular box above the front door, connecting the bt wire
> to the house. In this situation it is, without getting in to deep,
> possible to isolate the internal wiring, and it makes troubleshooting
> with the customer support neigh on impossible.
>
> 'Peter' with the suspicious indian accent does not seem to comprehend
> the situation where no master socket is available to plug into.
>
> In the scenario of no master socket, what is the best (path of least
> resistance) way of getting BT out to come and install one?? If you
> pester the isp enough they will send BT out, but it is hard work,
> will BT came out from a residential faults complaint about a master
> socket??? In this situation, is it chargable?
>
> Gaz

I have just moved house and the new house has no master socket, just
the ols style rounded oblong junction box. The BT engineer came round
to connect our phone and I asked if he would install a modern master
socket as I was about to request ADSL and I thought it might be
advisable for that.

He didn't, which surprised me as I had assumed BT would want to upgrade
if it had the opportunity.

If an engineer has to make a home visit anyway surely it is worth
upgrading to a modern master socket, while they are there?

Andrew

--

On Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:05:34 +0000 (UTC), in uk.telecom.broadband ,
"Sucuba Dude" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Can you not get a box of NTE5's off a willing engineer and just sort these
>yourself?

One can buy NTE5 units from most electrical retailers. Fitting it is a
doddle especially if you have a voltmeter. Wiring diagrams abound.
Mark McIntyre
--

"Mark McIntyre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
"One can buy NTE5 units from most electrical retailers. Fitting it is a
doddle especially if you have a voltmeter. Wiring diagrams abound. "

I don't think you can. I think you can get master sockets but I've not seen
anyone selling NTE5's (As BT call them). I imagine the post will now be
flooded with links for them!.......

As for wiring an NTE5. I don't recall needing anything other than a small
Phillips screwdriver as they are not polarity conscious and it either works
or does not work.

Sucuba Dude wrote:
> "Gaz" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "The phones themselves are not hard wired, ie, they have regular
> extensions
>> coming from the master..... So are usuable for all regular
>> phones...."
>
> In that case in all probability what you have is a star wired set up
> and yes, this would be chareable to resolve. Faking an intermittant
> fault will get you a charge and your extensions disconnected. Thats
> the company line on it. Fault not found = charge customer. Non
> standard extensions, disconnect them, fit one master and charge.
>

I don't know which part of the country you come from but in the
Midlands what you have said is not true. If an Openreach engineer
goes out on any fault & finds that the internal wiring is old plan 1A
or such they are supposed to bring the wiring up to standard, i.e fit
a NTE5 at no extra charge but it has to be at the first logical place,
not at the customers whim...

After that any internal wiring problems are chargeable but first the
line has to be brought up to standard....