A relative is looking in to broadband again after a gap of using 3G mobile WiFi dongles.
She had a bad experience with Sky with dropouts and slow speeds 2Mbps.
Looking at the socket, I'm not sure if this photo I've linked is teh master socket and where the wire is going. I think its an extension upstairs as the router was previously upstairs. May explain why she was getting slow speeds?
It doesn't look like a typical NTE master socket with the split lower half.
Any idea and also is this repairable with out running a new cable?
drive.google.com/open?id=0B4osoGJ0yqJeWndpUzRONzBmbE0
Last edited by: nice but dim on Thu 25 Aug 16 at 22:03
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Just to add this socket is in the kitchen, an odd place for a master socket round the back of the house?
Looked all over nothing under the front window or behind the TV.
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Where does the phone line enter the property? Look for that and then work out where the master socket really is.
We have the old style BT junction box in the cellar! Off which is then a new style master socket with the xDSL filter.
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I cannot look at your image of the socket at present but
It might be the " master" socket if it is an older ordinary socket.
Can you see where the BT cable enters the property as that is usually the pointer to the " first" socket. What you have might predate the master socket era.
Not sure if you are aware of the reason for the introduction of what you know as the split master socket. Folks were introducing further sockets around their homes themselves. this made it a mess for the BT guys to deal with. BT introduced their master socket so that two things could happen.
!/ All diy extensions were wired to the lift off part of the master socket.
2/ The BT guy can simply disconnect all diy stuff by lifting off the half and thus exposing the
"naked line to the outside world and test it.
I stripped out BT type sockets from every room in my daughters flat., five in total.
There was no split master socket
I bought a BT ancient small oval cable box and that was all that was left.
It was on a window frame in bed 2 where the cable came through the window frame.
When my daughter called in BT for broadband... "Where is the master socket? "
As instructed she pointed to my little box. A grumble followed by a master socket being installed close by.
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rtj is right; the first thing is to work out where the wire comes into the property. That should point you to whichever is the master socket.
The master socket only needs to be the first socket in the house and is simplicity itself to install.
Master sockets only become important when people start using data over the phone line in the house or when they make changes to their installation badly.
Given your relatives previous difficulties, and given that she has not been using it recently, then it might be that this socket is the issue.
Theoretically everything up to and including that master socket is BT's problem unless it has been previous changed. And given that socket is a double, it probably has been.
1) Find where the wire comes in to the home
2) Find the first socket in the circuit
3) make sure that is a modern master socket.
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A master socket and the tool to plug the wires in cost about £5 on line but as I posted above BT fitted one for free.
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" everything up to and including that master socket is BT's problem unless it has been previously changed"
Last edited by: No FM2R on Thu 25 Aug 16 at 23:30
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If the socket is the 'master' (which is not a BT Master Socket as they install these days) then the wires will come through the wall or door/window frame to it from the telegraph pole.
Looking at the extension that goes upstairs with poor wiring.... if that had an ADSL modem/router attached, it's hardly surprising they had poor broadband speeds. They might also have an issue with the connection to the exchange.
If that's the master socket then get it swapped for a proper one. Who are they thinking of getting a broadband service from?
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My point being that if they come out to fix it and it turns out to be your fault, then it costs about £100. (IIRC)
'Course, that depends how long you've lived there, how old any changes are, how well you can bluff, etc.
Just be a bit aware and careful.
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As I understand it, this is the very latest BT Master Socket:
www.run-it-direct.co.uk/btvdslfaceplate.html
tinyurl.com/zyvahq4
Last edited by: Stuartli on Fri 26 Aug 16 at 01:02
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Thanks for all replies, to try and answer your multiple questions.
I'm there tomorrow will try and router the BT line down the walls and see where it enters.
She is looking at Plusnet, and is keen to jump on a deal of just line rental only (free broadband for 12 months) as the Three 3G dongle regularly dies (its 4 years old) and is capped at 15GB per month from what I can see. Speeds likely to similar to 3G but more stable.
She hasn't has phone or BB service for 4 years and was told she would need a new line? Not sure if BT knock you off the list "linewise" if you haven't had an active line for a number of years? Its just been mobiles and 3G dongle in that time.
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>>She hasn't has phone or BB service for 4 years and was told she would need a new line?
That does not make sense. Do the wires perish ?
>>Not sure if BT knock you off the list "linewise" if you haven't had an active line for a number of years?
>>
There had been no phones in my daughter's flat for at least eight years and BT just connected her Broadband.
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I recently changed to Plusnet unlimited BB from Sky, had a few niggles, they changed my Phone No when I specifically asked before I signed up if I could keep my existing No. It took them Three weeks to correct it, gave me some excuse that Sky had Quarantined it! - they hadn't. My initial speed was only 4Mb, on a 17Mb package, when I was regularly getting 15Mb with Sky. A Phone call to Customer services saw them tweak my speed profile and I was instantly getting the full 17Mb. I have been back down to 8Mb for the last week now, so I think it's time for another phone call.
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I changed the antique master socket in the new place when I moved in to the new Openreach version. You'll want to order the MK3 VDSL faceplace to go with it and try to find one that has a pushdown tool included.
Got it on eBay, loads of unscrupulous Openreach technicians are flogging the contents of their vans online.
It's probably the best £15 you can spend making your broadband work properly.
(oh yes, Plusnet here, very happy with the service)
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In the hallway we've still got the original brown coloured oval GPO junction box. A lead from that then connects to a standard BT box. All installed back in 1984 when we moved in. More recently (around 1998) I wanted another phone socket in the bedroom for an internet connection so I tapped into the GPO junction box and run some multicore phone wire to a standard BT box into the bedroom, using the connections to the other box as a guide as to what wires went where. Obviously I've got the ADSL filters in place too.
It all works fine, and I get the speed that BT say I should be getting (35 Mbps)
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For folk with a more recent master socket, no need to mess about with special tools, just buy a BT I plate and pop it in. Only needs a screwdriver to get the faceplate screws off.
Adds a capacitor, and does some isolation, and works. Sure it's a bit overpriced at £5 or more but so simple, not worth worrying about.
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You don't see much mention these days of that useful product.
Always found this company top notch for products, service and (if needed) advice:
www.solwise.co.uk/adsl_splitters.htm
Last edited by: Stuartli on Thu 1 Sep 16 at 11:22
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>> In the hallway we've still got the original brown coloured oval GPO junction box.
I changed the tatty old box for a nice new white one. Very cheap, a pound or so online.
>> More recently (around 1998) I wanted another phone socket in the
>> bedroom for an internet connection so I tapped into the GPO junction box
>>
DIY wiring is supposed to radiate from the master socket :-(
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>> DIY wiring is supposed to radiate from the master socket :-(
I consider the GPO junction box to be the master socket. Plus it was easier to tap into that as it was hid behind the curtain at the top of the hallway door which meant I could run the cable from that straight up into the loft and back down into the bedroom (bungalow dwelling btw), than tap into the phone socket at the bottom of the door which is visible.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 1 Sep 16 at 12:51
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Last house I had three sockets. One failed, so I called BT and they said they only supported the Master Socket. Aha, said I, they're all Master Sockets as they're all wired into the junction box on the outside of the front of the house.
He came and fixed it, and left them all as Master Sockets.
Must say I wouldn't bother these days, seeing quite how easy it is to rewire them.
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Hi all, just to close this thread.
I never got to the bottom of it however she has opted for Talk Talk BB and as part of the deal the will send round a BT engineer to make all good (for free I'm told) - they must want the business.
BB to be installed at the end of the month.
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>> I never got to the bottom of it however she has opted for Talk Talk
>> BB
I hope you are happy with Talk Talk.
I was with them some time ago. In the end I couldn't wait to get rid of them.
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>> I hope you are happy with Talk Talk.
>> I was with them some time ago. In the end I couldn't wait to get
>> rid of them.
I was in the same position with BT over their overseas telephone (so called) helplines, then I moved to Virgin and promptly departed after a year.
I've been with Plusnet for a couple of years, but after my speed dropped to below 0.1Mbps this afternoon and hanging on hold for three quarters of an hour and then spending another half an hour talking to them to no avail, I may well be looking to move again
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I'm with an outfit called www.thephone.coop/home/ I have my line rental + calls wivvem too.
They are a Talk Talk reseller but I've had no problems with them whatsoever. I get a constant 5.5Mbps download day or night, even though I live in an isolated area 2 miles from the exchange and 1 mile from the cabinet.
I've been with many ISP's before including PlusNet / Xilo / Zen /Green isp. Even AOHell at one time :(
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Been with TalkTalk for 10 years (after it took over Tiscali and WorldOnLine) and had very few problems.
Been on 38Mb fibre for at least two years and that's the speed I get or even two or three Mb more depending on the time of day.
Always haggle when each 18 month contract is up and currently pay £27.70 for fibre broadband, Anytime phone calls and landline, the TV service (although I don't use it due to already having everything I require in this area) and line rental.
You can't get broadband without the TV service (Essentials in my case), which is a bit of a pain, but the TV box has never been unboxed....:-)
Last edited by: Stuartli on Wed 14 Sep 16 at 00:40
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>> You can't get broadband without the TV service (Essentials in my case),
>>
I think you can. It is called "simply broadband".
TalkTalk SimplyBroadband
£7.50/month plus £17.70/month line rental. 18 months min. term, a £6.75 router delivery charge applies.
You can add "boosts" for calls, mobile phones and tv.
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Yes, that's correct. Simply Broadband is what I've got. We don't watch TV much at all so I wouldn't pay to watch extra!
Pat
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>>>> Yes, that's correct. Simply Broadband is what I've got. We don't watch TV much at all so I wouldn't pay to watch extra!>>
I already had TalkTalk ADSL2+ broadband and AnyTime UK and International phone calls on a legacy package dating back to 2006.
But I couldn't change the broadband to fibre without taking a TV service as well at the time (some two and a half years ago), even though I didn't need it (already had Now TV, Smart TV, various television and film apps).
Hence the need to take out a TV package rather than just Simply Broadband...:-)
In fact because of the half-price offers I've enjoyed so far I pay just £27.70 a month including line rental which is, in fact, a much lower cost than I was paying previously for less (i.e without the unused TV service). To add fibre to Simply Broadband bumps up the cost sharply with little or no gain.
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>> I was with them some time ago. In the end I couldn't wait to get
>> rid of them.
>>
Time moves on. Companies improve or get worse.
media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2016/telecoms-pay-TV-complaints/
Look at the figures and when you bear in mind that the complaints quoted are per 100,000 customers, it is obvious that the differences between suppliers are pretty much insignificant.
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When the BT man came to fit our master socket(old type-not the split one)he found that our connection was by an old-type rectangular box(not the one with rounded corners) and cotton-covered wiring but we have no complaints about speed.
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BT Master Socket Confusion - nice but dim
