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When BT installed the extensions ...

ReedRichards
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When BT installed the extensions ...

Once in a blue moon I come across a house with no master socket and the telephone extension boxes marked with some sort of historic BT logo.  There was a time, long ago, when if you wanted to get telephone extensions you had to get BT to install them for you.  But now it if you are trying to debug poor broadband performance this type of set-up is less then ideal.  Is there any way of persuading BT to rationalize their old wiring?   
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dvorak
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

I believe you can pay them lots of money to install a master socket..
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ReedRichards
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

Yes, sorry, I meant without slipping them a bung.
itsme
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

What you mean there is no 2 part master socket one of the extension will be a master socket and have the ring and protection circuitry I would find which off the old sockets is the master socket and replace it with a 2 part master socket which are easily available.
One of the reasons that BT use to do the wiring for the extensions before the new style sockets was the phones and the wall sockets had to be modified and this was not something that the average householder was competent to do.
ReedRichards
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

Quote from: itsme
What you mean there is no 2 part master socket one of the extension will be a master socket and have the ring and protection circuitry

I did not realise that is what I meant!  Is this circuitry easily recognisable if I remove the socker cover? 
itsme
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

Master

Extension

This http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/line_jacks.htm is a good reference for all sockets.
penfold
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

Quote from: itsme
I would find which off the old sockets is the master socket and replace it with a 2 part master socket which are easily available.

I still dont think you can touch this socket, or any others that have been installed by BT, if its a very old setup.  As far as I could see, these are still classed as the property of BT.  I have had this at the inlaws, where they still have 2 BT supplied extensions, off a very old green box, on the window sill.
you can install an NTE5 as a direct extension from the older master socket, and then run all extensions from there, as per this guide on claritys site.. http://clarity.it/telecoms/nte5.htm
This is all in my humble opinion, and what I have read, and I may be incorrect... 
ReedRichards
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

Quote from: penfold
I still dont think you can touch this socket, or any others that have been installed by BT, if its a very old setup.  As far as I could see, these are still classed as the property of BT. 

See where?  In the particular instance I had in mind, I could not get BT to acknowledge any responsibility for them; at least not their broadband arm.  The lady on the £90 per hour BT support line told me quite explicitly that I could fit a new master socket myself - not that I believe she really knew what she was talking about.  If I could cite some online document that confirms what Penfold thinks that might be quite useful.   
itsme
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

You are not allowed to open up a single part master socket so replacing or doing what Clarity suggest is a no no. But Openreach records are not that good and I have not heard of any action being taken against anyone changing the master socket themselves.
ReedRichards
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

Quote from: itsme
You are not allowed to open up a single part master socket ...

Well everybody says this but nobody (yet) can cite the rules.  So for the present I think this is an urban myth.
HPsauce
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

Quote from: ReedRichards
I think this is an urban myth.

And I think you're probably wrong.......
Well I have some very old British Telecom information relating to "self-install" extension kits. These became legal on 1st December 1986 (it says - exact wording).
This makes it quite clear that you do not open up the sockets, you plug in the initial take-off, though after that they're your sockets and you can do what you like as long as you wire it as described.
Of course things may have changed since then.  Cool
The document I have PHME 2137/6/89 describes how to plug extension wiring into a (now old type) Master Socket and how to connect to the removable lower faceplate on a Linebox (NTE5).
It also illustrates a direct junction box (phone point) and says you need to PAY BT to convert that before doing anything.
penfold
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

Quote from: penfold
Quote from: itsme
I would find which off the old sockets is the master socket and replace it with a 2 part master socket which are easily available.

As far as I could see,

Its just a way of speaking where I am from......
Anyhow, although I cannot find any actual  (legal) evidence, I have been a googling, and there are a few posts originating from the BT community forums about this, and it appears nobody seems to know whats legal and whats not, with regards to replacing kit or master sockets on older setups like this.
Personally..  I would leave them alone, it all seems a bit smoke and mirrors.....  If there is an actual fault, I would be surprised if the openreach guy didnt replace with an NTE socket as a matter of course....
vetterlein
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

The requirement not to tinker with the BT side comes from:
1: You unplug their wire , and (in error) touch it main voltage
2: A BT guy working up the road receives an electric shock ... and a trip throws in the green box at the end of the road
... you bet , they take the trouble to track down where that came from !
penfold
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

I think the question really is.....  Where is the demarkation point to the BT network in these kind of setups where there is an entry point to the property terminated in a form of junction box, and then varios extensions run from there is CW1308 cable, and no NTE master.....  and what can we legally do with this kind of setup..... I doubt touching this CW1308 cable together would cause a shock, as its the same cable used on new installations. Never had a look inside one of the old junction terminal boxes though.  The inlaws have one, and I have left well alone, when sorting out their internal phone wiring.
HPsauce
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Re: When BT installed the extensions ...

Simple, that all belongs to BT.