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Clarify cabling for sockets

burrows17
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎24-01-2008

Clarify cabling for sockets

Dear all,
just moved to plusnet, after a shocking service with Tiscali.. - long story there..
From this article:
http://adsl24.co.uk/faq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=8&id=48&artlang=en
- I want to clarify on the sockets around the house, only cables 2 and 5 should be connect and NO others.. (to improve signal)
plus, is this the case on the master block also from BT (the first phone point into the house)
thanks in advance,
want to double check this with someone first..
14 REPLIES 14
Nick_Russell
Grafter
Posts: 562
Registered: ‎10-05-2007

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

Yes that is correct.  The bell wire is sometimes connected to socket 3 but this only necessary for very old telephones.  Remone connection from both ends of the cable run. Almost certainly any phone purchased in the last 5 years or more will not need this.  Others report better ADSL speed with bell wire disconnected but I haven't noticed a great improvement.
Lots of helpful information on Clarity website...
http://www.clarity.it/telecoms/adsl_articles.htm
See this thread as well...
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?topic=57491.0
Gel
Aspiring Champion
Posts: 2,332
Thanks: 299
Fixes: 29
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

burrows17
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎24-01-2008

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

excellent replies guys,
thanks ever so much - i will re-wire and get back to you..
our profile sits on 2328 to 4678, our line is incredibly noisy too..
will re-post when this is done, may be at the end of the weekend..
runhare
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 556
Thanks: 69
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎09-10-2007

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

don't bother with fiddly extension wires; get a solwise homeplug router and a homeplug adaptor. replace the faceplate on your BT master socket with an NTE updated filtered plate and plug the router into the ADSL side. Then you can put the extension homeplug anywhere you wish in the house and run a short ethernet link to your PC.  This works up to 200m from the router.
Graham
dougrice
Rising Star
Posts: 218
Thanks: 1
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

The micro filter does not filter the ADSL signal. Have a look at the circuits at ADSL nation.

I have been told the power plugs are excellent and better than wireless. However at £50 ish they are a lot more expensive than pulling off the bell wire from the master socket.
Well I had to try it out. so here are the results from my Bell Laboratory.
Consider my wiring is:
http://www.dougrice.plus.com/Erlangs/adsl_Wire003.gif

I replaced a Solwise two wire micro filter with a the four wire CE marked 4 wire micro filter and plugged a phone into the front of the filter.
As I have removed the bell wire at the master socket, I expect the  phone plugged directly into the master socket should ring, as the bell wire is still connected to the faceplate telephone socket.
If I plug a phone into a 4 wire micro filter plugged into an extension, the phone  should not ring as the as the bell wire is disconnected at the master socket.
So what are the results for my telephones from my bell lab tests.
I rang home on the mobile:
Converse 300: 
    rings when using master socket via 4 wire microfilter.
    does not ring when using extension socket via 4 wire microfilter.
Diverse 4010: 
    rings when using master socket via 4 wire microfilter.
    rings when using extension socket via 4 wire microfilter.
BT Decor 310:
    rings when using master socket via 4 wire microfilter.
    rings when using extension socket via 4 wire microfilter.
BT Paragon 550:
    rings when using master socket via 4 wire microfilter.
    rings when using extension socket via 4 wire microfilter.

Only my old Converse 300 actually requires the Bell wire!
All my more modern phones rang without the bell wire connected.
So why is the advice from my ISP lacking in even hinting that people have found that removing the bell wire may improve Broadband service.
paulby
Grafter
Posts: 1,619
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

One of these modified NTE5 filtered faceplates from Clarity is also worth considering if you're going to be rewiring things.
It's got a set of terminals inside which basically allows direct connection to the ADSL side of things (exactly what appears on the ADSL outlet on the front) so that you can wire up a dedicated ADSL extension point (they also supply RJ11 wall outlets).
The remaining terminals are filtered for standard phone extensions.
I previously did what dougrice did (disconnected the bell wire and had dangly filters on the extensions) but replaced that set up with one of these modified plates (and reconnected the bellwire).  My line stats give me a sync of 8128 at an SNR of 10dB and an attenuation of 18.5db.  These figures are the same as I was achieving by removing the bell wire. (My SNR with the standard config was down at 6dB).
The advantage of using the faceplate with the ADSL extension terminals is that the phone side of things is "standard" - I had a phone that wouldn't ring (BT Diverse 2010 DECT) with the bell wire removed - and you've no dangly filters floating about your extension sockets (which my 18 month old toddler loved to yank out!).
dougrice
Rising Star
Posts: 218
Thanks: 1
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

Paul_B,
I tried to buy one at our local hardware shops and DIY sheds, but failed to buy one.
A chap at works said "fit a filtered faceplate, it worked for me."
Our local Maplins do not sell them off the self. I have been told they sell them off their web site.
cajef
Grafter
Posts: 208
Registered: ‎20-07-2007

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

ADSLnation also do filtered faceplates online.

http://www.adslnation.com/products/xte2005.php
paulby
Grafter
Posts: 1,619
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

@dougrice
You can't buy them at the likes of B & Q.  However, you can buy them if you go here or scroll to the bottom of the page in the link in my previous post.
The filtered faceplates work well - the downside is you've to know where to buy them as you can only get them online AFAIK.
Alternative suppliers are Solwise and ADSL Nation
burrows17
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎24-01-2008

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

OK...
Tried the new cabling setup and things are no different:
From house socket: straight to router --> laptop (wired)
SP: 3392kbs / 448kbs
LA: 30db / 8db
NM: 12db / 21db
From Bt Master socket: bypass cabling (main plug) --> straight to router --> laptop (wired)
SP: 3712kbs / 448kbs
LA: 28db / 7.5db
NM: 14db / 22db
Tested on a Netgear DG834G (wired)
From what i see, the specs are not bad, with v.little deteriation inside the houses cabling (old house mind you..)
http://www.dslzoneuk.net/maxspeed.php
We are approx 1330 Meters (1.33km) from the exchange (as the crow flies), we should recieve between 3.4 to 4.1mbs.. - i know we can get this at least, BT wholesale confirms this also.
Its puzzling as when we were with tiscali (who we are in the process of moving from..) we joined the "max service" and got a sync speed of 6089. our d/l rate was excellent  - in the 500kbs's, sometimes 600 (using DAP) - either way it was great. No noise on the line, no drop outs and router re-syncs. then things deteriated over time. now we operate and have done for the last 5months on an average of anywhere between 12 - 37kbs download rate (one machine, downloading one file at any given time)
I do hope things can improve with plusnet - i was a customer with them before in leicester, so know what to expect..
I will re-post with details once joined maybe.
I would be very interested in understanding more about having BT do some checks their end - ie, the noise on our line (huge crackle during voice calls), increasing our "gain" to improve things etc etc, possibly checking we are not being re-routed from the exchange the "long" way round the block etc etc..
thanks again guys..
paulby
Grafter
Posts: 1,619
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

Quote from: burrows17
I would be very interested in understanding more about having BT do some checks their end - ie, the noise on our line (huge crackle during voice calls)

I'd definitely phone BT faults (assuming they're your landline provider) and get the crackling reported as a voice fault (not a broadband fault). 
Getting crackling on the line fixed can improve your brodband!
burrows17
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎24-01-2008

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

thanks for the info Paul..
I would get in contact with them, but they do not "provide our landline" as we have a current service through Tiscali who we have for voice calls too..
We are being switched over on the 1st Feb, so prehaps I should await that and then get PLusnet the details, or would ringing BT now just start a merry-go-round that I do not want to be on...?
- Thanks again..
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

Hi there,
I'd certainly wait until your switch has occurred so that we can then investigate the fault for you.
Given how close the 1st is, the fault may not have been resolved by the time you moved over to us meaning we'd just need to start all over again.
burrows17
Dabbler
Posts: 15
Registered: ‎24-01-2008

Re: Clarify cabling for sockets

Hi there James,
thanks for the reply - I just tried phoning BT, but they would not touch anything as they do not "provide the line".. tbh, didnt really want to spend any more time with me as to what it took to say that over the phone..
I will wait till the 1st, I guess no doubt I will be in touch again! lol
thanks for your help..