BT Sockets

[Hitch]

Id like a BT socket moved down the wall about 800mm.and across 200mm. I believe there is a charge of about £150 for this...

Its currently an old 80 style single socketplonked right in the middle of a kitchen wall, so would be good to move and upgrade the socket too.... no need for an adsl socket there.
Looks like there might well be enough wire floating about in the loft to allow this.

I also need to put another point elsewhere (behind tv area), which I want for plugging in the Router etc. So it would be good if that one was a dual socket- phone and adsl.
The only thing we ever plug into the router is the smart tv, everything else is wifi, so makes sense to just put it there.

It would be nice if both were flush mounted in boxes..are all the openreach sockets surface mount?
Should i just buy an openreach NTE5 socket? Or will this do the same job..?
If I use the screwfix one, then wire a dual phone/adsl point elsewhere, will I need them dangling filter things...?

 

[WorkshopChris]

Should i just buy an openreach NTE5 socket? Or will this do the same job..?

The good feature of the NTE5 Sockets is the fact that the BT wire goes into the back of the box then the outgoing wire is connected to the front part.
If looking for a fault or testing for line noise you can remove the front part to isolate the rest of the internal house wires and sockets, giving you direct access to just the incoming BT line.

 

[Hitch]

But no real requirement...? Theyll only be the one extension, so shouldnt take much to eliminate any problem I imagine...

 

[wookie]

Its currently an old 80 style single socketplonked right in the middle of a kitchen wall, so would be good to move and upgrade the socket too.... no need for an adsl socket there.
Looks like there might well be enough wire floating about in the loft to allow this.

I also need to put another point elsewhere (behind tv area), which I want for plugging in the Router etc. So it would be good if that one was a dual socket- phone and adsl.

Is there enough cable to re-route it to behind the TV ? if there is I'd do that and then run an extension from the filtered side to where you want your phone socket.

The BT wiring only uses 2 cores and it's low voltage so it is safe enough for you to disconnect the wires and tape 'em up so they don't short out whilst you re-routing. I've never had a problem with BT noticing I've moved their socket.

 

[grim_d]

I moved a my BT socket a couple weeks back. I couldn't of cared less about it being 'their' cable. Well it's my house and I didn't like the cable or their junction box clipped to the skirting.

Screwfix was doing 100m of cable for about £12 if you run out.

If the only reason you want a socket behind the TV is for an ethernet cable for the router, Consider powerline ethernet?

 

[angellonewolf]

i think if you get problems in the future they do charge you even if you have not caused the fault i belive you can change any thing after the main box but extending it is so say a no no

if you got the cable in the loft move it as long as you dont splice it before the box as bt use there own boxes for joints and i have not found them for sale as of yet and it will stick out a sore thumb

 

[armalites]

I'm about to get fibre and from what I've read it can be more sensitive to wiring issues. I'm going to get an Openreach like this https://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/adsl-vdsl-faceplates/mk4btopenreachvdslsocket/

It looks like it improves the filtering/splitting on the line.

As we all know when most phone lines were installed nobody had broadband or internet so it didn't matter where the socket was as long as the phone can reach it.

Our cable comes into one of the original single screw hard wired boxes then goes to a socket so it should be easy swap for me. As long as you don't touch/short the wires incoming you'll be fine

 

[wookie]

I moved a my BT socket a couple weeks back. I couldn't of cared less about it being 'their' cable. Well it's my house and I didn't like the cable or their junction box clipped to the skirting.

That's my attitude as well, as long as you don't join their cable and it terminates correctly in the correct type of box how will they know you have been messing ? the simple answer is they don't.

i think if you get problems in the future they do charge you even if you have not caused the fault i belive you can change any thing after the main box but extending it is so say a no no

The whole point of their master socket is they are responsible for everything up to it, if the fault is in their wiring it's their problem and you don't get charged.

If you call them out and the fault is in your wiring that is plugged into their master socket then you pay but it's very easy to determine that, just unplug your extension and if the fault disappears then it's your wiring and you don't call out BT unless you like paying bills, however if you unplug your extension and the fault persists then you call BT and get it fixed for free.

 

[grim_d]

That's my attitude as well, as long as you don't join their cable and it terminates correctly in the correct type of box how will they know you have been messing ? the simple answer is they don't.


The whole point of their master socket is they are responsible for everything up to it, if the fault is in their wiring it's their problem and you don't get charged.

If you call them out and the fault is in your wiring that is plugged into their master socket then you pay but it's very easy to determine that, just unplug your extension and if the fault disappears then it's your wiring and you don't call out BT unless you like paying bills, however if you unplug your extension and the fault persists then you call BT and get it fixed for free.

My cable already had a join in a junction box so it makes no difference really.

If you got a little BT junction box and a couple jelly connectors they would never know.

It's not in your interest to mess up their wiring anyway.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

i think if you get problems in the future they do charge you even if you have not caused the fault i belive you can change any thing after the main box but extending it is so say a no no

if you got the cable in the loft move it as long as you dont splice it before the box as bt use there own boxes for joints and i have not found them for sale as of yet and it will stick out a sore thumb

What a load of tosh, I move Openreach, or who ever the line providers are, master sockets on a weekly basis for the NHS and Openreach aren't at all interested. Everything required is easily available to buy, BT 6 way connector blocks are known as 84A's.

When the line provider provides a new line to one of our sites the Openreach engineers will provide the line to the local DP (distribution point), tag it with a label and leave an NTE on site for us to fit where it's required.
Trying to get the Openreach engineer to fit the NTE where it's actually required is like pulling teeth.

I would fit the latest Openreach NTE (Network Termination Equipment) which is the Mk4 NTE5C combined faceplate which has the added advantage of not needing a Krone tool to fit.

 

[Hitch]

Will that fit with a standard metal box, or is it surface mount only?

 

[brightspark]

Will that fit with a standard metal box, or is it surface mount only?

that's just surface mount

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Will that fit with a standard metal box, or is it surface mount only?

The hole centres are the same as a metal back box so it will flush mount.
It's in two parts, the back plate has the A and B connection on the back for the incoming line and screws to a surface or flush mount back box...

On the front of the back plate are the 2,3,5* connections for slave (extension) sockets, this is now filtered so no need for filters in the slave sockets...

Then the front plate clips onto the back plate, this has another set of A and B connectors on if you need to extend the unfiltered line to elsewhere...

Finally a picture of the front of the faceplate...

*Unless you have a very old phone in your slave sockets you only need to connect pins 2 and 5, pin 3 is for the ringer but modern phones don't require this.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Just to add we have been fitting the Mk4 sockets for about a year now and we havent had to change one out yet but in that same amount of time I have had to change about 12 ADSL filter dongles.

 

[Johnseat]

Does anyone know of any fake mk4 face plates as eBay seems to be the cheapest place by far, £10 delivered to your door seems suspicious compared to the link further up this page.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Does anyone know of any fake mk4 face plates as eBay seems to be the cheapest place by far, £10 delivered to your door seems suspicious compared to the link further up this page.

eBay is where we get ours from, £10 a pop sounds right.

 

[Hitch]

Socket and cable and backbox ordered... cheers chaps