topic Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket? in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

VileReynard — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 14:23:35 GMT

I have a funny BT master socket that has a small socket for VDSL and a normal phone socket for the phone.

So I can't plug anything into the test socket without disabling my internet.

The VDSL socket is so small I didn't even recognise it as a socket

Picture below...

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

198kHz — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 14:47:14 GMT

Looks like a standard Mk3 faceplate.

Unless I'm misunderstanding the question...

Surely with any faceplate you'll lose internet temporarily if you have to remove it to access the test socket.

Once accessed, you can then connect a phone, or a microfilter for phone + internet.

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

VileReynard — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 15:01:19 GMT

I appreciate the temporary disconnection - but this causes a permanent disconnection. I think that there must be an internal filter?

https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Infinity-Speed-Connection/Mk3-faceplate-problem/td-p/1484884

this indicates that the Mk3 had the same problem 2015...

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

Arthur2 — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 16:41:39 GMT

I would suggest that the test socket is behind the lower cover with the two screws, but, I ain't seen anything like that before, looks a tad antiquated.

I've just had two new BT sockets and they're totally different. One even has a built in ADSL filter.

If you'd like photos let me know.

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

VileReynard — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 17:07:10 GMT

It is indeed!

Now knowing that it is a Mk 3 tells me that it is old...

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

Browni — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 17:08:23 GMT

@VileReynard wrote:

So I can't plug anything into the test socket without disabling my internet.

Use one of these so you can connect your internet to the test socket

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

Arthur2 — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 17:13:50 GMT

If you catch any BT 'pole' lads out and about, they'll usually do foreigners!

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 17:20:49 GMT

@VileReynard wrote:

I think that there must be an internal filter?

There is NO filter in the faceplate DSL socket ! - It should be a straight through connection to the external landline.

Only the faceplate telephone outlet is filtered to prevent noise from any phones or extension wiring interfering with the DSL.

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

ejs — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 18:55:59 GMT

It may actually be a MK1 - the MK2 and MK3 have MK2 or MK3 printed on the top right corner.

To get to the test socket, you remove the part with the DSL socket as well as the lower front part with the telephone socket.

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

198kHz — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 22:22:35 GMT

@ejs wrote:

It may actually be a MK1 - the MK2 and MK3 have MK2 or MK3 printed on the top right corner.

I stand corrected - I blame advancing years.

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

Mustrum — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 22:39:35 GMT

@ejs wrote:

It may actually be a MK1 - the MK2 and MK3 have MK2 or MK3 printed on the top right corner.

For what it is worth, I concur.

I have a MK3 and the writing is there, but helped a mate the other day sort out his fibre, which also did not have markings on the socket. Should be an easy update to replace the faceplate with an MK3 or 4 faceplate. But the MK5 is a bit different, not quite worked out how they work, meant to be tool-less! But I still have my krone tool, nowt wrong with them 😉

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

VileReynard — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 13:21:16 GMT

It's a Mk 1 then - no Mark printed on it.

It's so old that that they didn't use Mark numbers!

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

Jaggies — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 23:40:55 GMT

Don't think it's a Mark 1 - that had a different layout with the PSTN and ADSL sockets side by side. Later ones have the same layout as your photo, with the DSL port at the top.

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

VileReynard — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 17:45:32 GMT

I was shocked, astonished, amazed and extremely pleased to receive an unsolicited phone call from Plusnet, yesterday at about 6pm. regarding line speed issues on this old socket of mine.

It was just like the Plusnet of old - proper customer service; they have arranged for a BT engineer to come out and look into things.

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

ejs — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 19:06:17 GMT

@Jaggies

Perhaps you are thinking of the older ADSL faceplates. There are pictures of some the old ones, (no longer available to buy), here: https://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/adsl-vdsl-faceplates

@VileReynard

It's not that old, it probably dates from the early days of FTTC.

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

VileReynard — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 21:15:06 GMT

It's quite old - I took part in the trial run of FTTC.

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

Jaggies — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 00:00:31 GMT

@ejs
You're right - I was somehow confusing the first post with ADSL rather than VDSL.
I'll just get my coat...

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

VileReynard — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 20:30:30 GMT

The BT engineer arrived today as promised and he spent about an hour checking copper connections & FTTC speeds. Fixed a connector in the downlead and installed a Mk 4 socket that looks similar (but slightly different) to this:-

BT Mk 4

Turns out my FTTC only runs at 30Mb/sec due to a cabinet fault - which a second engineer will have to fix.

He said that I only lose about 2Mb/sec due to being 150m from the cabinet - but that sounds too good to be true.

Re: Does anybody recognise this BT master socket?

VileReynard — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 23:47:17 GMT

I noticed a couple of Openreach vans camped out next to my green box, all weekend.

Whilst, I don't believe this was solely for me:-

My download speeds used to be about 65 Mbits/sec and has recently been about 25Mbits/sec

It's recently achieved about 78Mbits/sec (reproducibly), so I downloaded a 100GByte file from a ftp site and everything seems fine.

Since I'm about 160m from the green box, 78MBits/sec seems rather good.