Looks like mine is drop wire 10
- Thread starter Bornfree
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is it not zip tied to some steel wire ?
Onoff
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A bit of an aside but the several metre long cable from my GPO box (yes GPO) to the BT socket inside is this:
Isolating both ends and continuity is good on each core but the IR between the two was circa 250MOhm. The cable is dead old and I'm assuming braking down / a bit damp.
Wondering if replacing it would 1) cure the hum on the landline we sometimes get and 2) improve our internet speed / quality.
But with what, a bit of similar CSA t&e?
Isolating both ends and continuity is good on each core but the IR between the two was circa 250MOhm. The cable is dead old and I'm assuming braking down / a bit damp.
Wondering if replacing it would 1) cure the hum on the landline we sometimes get and 2) improve our internet speed / quality.
But with what, a bit of similar CSA t&e?
qwakers
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probably yes to both.
and as usual, google would be your friend
and as usual, google would be your friend
Ubique
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The induction noise is due to it not being a twisted pair, replacing for a modern, twisted pair will improve the internet speed and reduce the background / induction noise
Onoff
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Ubique
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It's twisted pair, but only one pair - good practice is to have required pairs +25% in whole numbers (obviously!). It's also expensive.
Personally, if it's the external cable I'd be reporting noise on the line / dropouts when windy/wet/cold weather, that usually provokes a drop wire change. if it's on your side of the socket, why do you need dropwire? there's lots of options - even CAT5+ would be better than what you have.
Personally, if it's the external cable I'd be reporting noise on the line / dropouts when windy/wet/cold weather, that usually provokes a drop wire change. if it's on your side of the socket, why do you need dropwire? there's lots of options - even CAT5+ would be better than what you have.
Onoff
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Dropwire comes from the pole, across the garden to the plastic box high on the wall. It's then the figure of 8 cable above, runs along the wall tucked up under the eaves, covered in paint and through to the BT socket. Afaic then it's "their" cable.
Onoff
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Ubique
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Yep, anything on the 'supply' side of the socket is their responsibility. If you get them out to replace it, the best you can hope for is a complete new dropwire from pole to socket, tea & biscuits will massively help there.... worst case would be new joint inline joint as surface mount boxes are not used anymore externally (unless serious multipairs) and a new dropwire to the socket, along with a new faceplate. The trigger words you need are as above.
Ubique
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Yep, that's it - but why do you want to replace it yourself when it's Openreach that have the responsibility? Honestly, they'd take one look at the Fig.8 and have the drum of 1308 out of the van before you'd found the hobnobs....
Onoff
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Thanks am I correct in thinking what I have is "Drop Cable No1"?
The are cheeky gits, BT, twice before when there has been an exchange fault (nothing to do with the cable I'm on about) their goto stance when I report a fault is that their tests suggest it is in or within my property and that they'll only come out if I agree to pay £X should a fault be found. I always counter saying I've checked continuity and IR of the incoming cable so they can basically FO and I suggest they look further afield. Both times they've found a fault a couple of miles away. In the bottom of a valley here we often get the boxes on the roadside flooded.
Ubique
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You're getting to techy with them, keep it simple, report a poorly-defined fault, always on the voice line, along the lines of noise / crackling/ humming sporadically in wet / windy / cold weather, that'll get 'em out!
Broadband faults generally go to the 'boost team' who will find no fault - remotely, and generally not bother to test your doorbell. Always, always, report as a phone fault - they're legally obliged (for now) to resolve that, even one that the line tests cannot identify, the minimum charge of £xx is just to cover them for a fault on your side of the socket.
ajlelectronics
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The blue pair is conventional for the line. Orange for the ring circuit and the other colours can be used for additional lines or other circuits.
Onoff
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Ta, this is to replace the incoming 2-core, fig of 8 cable that's breaking down.
So I've four cores on this new stuff which I figure I should double up.
ajlelectronics
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Just use the blue pair then, saves any confusion.
Dave-sparks
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Strip it back a bit and work out which colours are twisted together as a pair within the cable and use one of those pairs. The twists in BT cable are quite long and slow compared to tight twists in something like cat 5.
Don't double up on cores, it uses the twisted pair to help reject noise.
Dave-sparks
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It doesn't have a blue pair, it's a BT dropwire, 4 core cable with a blue, brown, orange and green core.
ajlelectronics
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Ah, beg puddin'. Got confused with standard wiring cable!
