Figuring out my internal wiring and "Who's responsibility is it anyway?"

[#1]

Hi all,

Tl;dr - Frequent disconnects with new service, suspect it's a cable running from where I think the line enters my house to the Master Socket - would it be worth replacing / upgrading, do Plusnet or I pay for it, how do I arrange? 

I've recently bought my first house and signed up with Plusnet for FTTC, unfortunately I've ended up having difficulty with connection dropouts (Couple of times a day).

I've called up the CSC analyst team a couple of times and in both cases they told me my line had failed tests, so sent an engineer for external maintenance. In both instances I got a text after to say the issue had been fixed. While this feels like it's improved the situation, it's sadly not eliminated the problem.

So I've been trying to figure out if it's something to do with the wiring in my house, and started by plugging into the test socket of my master socket (No real success). I then started doing some visual sleuthing - The line to my house enters via a cable on a telephone pole but, from what I can figure out without unscrewing anything, then gets inside through an unfamiliar old box separate from the master socket (see pictures 1+2). It's been painted over but it feels almost wooden?

A cable then comes out of this mystery box, going over the door frame for the living room ( Picture 3) before entering what I believe to be the master socket (Picture 4). [Edit]: This is the only socket of its kind in the house.

I've been told the last house owner never used a broadband service in their five years here, so I suspect this cable setup has been untouched in several years other than being painted over. I'm also able to semi-reliably cut out the service by opening / closing the door it loops around, so I suspect a cable could be loose/frayed somewhere (The door is not pinching the cable though).

So with that, a few questions:

1) Out of interest, what might the mystery box be?

2) Is that box, the master socket and/or the cable something that might be worth upgrading / replacing, since I can cut out my service if I open / close the door it is wrapped around?

3) Does responsibility for any upgrades / repairs / replacements to that setup lie with me or Plusnet/Openreach? I've heard some accounts saying that indoor repairs are my responsibility and some saying that it's anything AFTER the master socket that's my responsibility.

4) In either case, who's it best to contact to arrange this?

More than happy to provide any extra info that might help fix

[#2]

@Cameronal1 

I believe you can get your Master socket "moved" to a new location which would almost certainly involve re-wiring the connection.

However this costs money - from memory it might well be around £160 for OpenReach to do the work.

Brian

[#3]

@Cameronal1   Welcome to the Plusnet Community Fora.

For a start the rules say that only Openreach should touch wiring upstream of the Master socket, which as you say, is photo 4.

I would say that the BT cable comes into your property to the old BT junction box. I'm guessing that then, against the rules, an extension has been teed off to the living room. another cable goes to the master socket. If you can demonstrate that opening the door or wiggling the cable causes the broadband to drop out then you need to report this to Plusnet and they should get Openreach to renew this for you free of charge. You need to get the extension disconnected and a filtered faceplate fitted, which will mean that you no longer need to use plug in filters. Any extension cables you need should then be connected to the Master socket filtered output

[#4]

Out of interest, what might the mystery box be?

Its just a VERY old BT junction box.

@Cameronal1 if the connection is still dropping or is below the guaranteed speed then continue reporting the fault.

Eventually an Openreach engineer will check the master socket and the wiring thereto. They'll take one look at that junction box and replace the wiring to the master socket ( or even move the master socket if you're happy for them to do that )

[#5]

Thanks all for getting back so quickly, especially on a Saturday!

I ended up hearing back from the CSC analysts and told them my suspicions that it's a problem with the wiring downstream of the master socket. They've put the query back with Openreach, finger's crossed they come round to check the house over this time

[#6]

Thanks @MisterW , will keep trying! I heard back from the CSC team and they've passed it back to OR, hopefully OR come and visit this time but they'll check in this coming week

[#7]

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@Cameronal1 wrote:

... and told them my suspicions that it's a problem with the wiring downstream of the master socket. 

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@Cameronal1 

Surely it's upstream from the master socket?

[#8]

@RobPN Ah yes, you're probably right, but my wording to the team was Before the master socket so I think I've got the right message across. Well spotted though