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help me find my master socket...

coople
Grafter
Posts: 43
Registered: ‎15-04-2014

help me find my master socket...

... please  Smiley
Just moved into a new house and broadband is 5mb vs 10mb expected. Done the basics re is phone line bad etc - seems ok to me.
I cannot find master socket. House has been refurbished prior to our purchase, maybe 5 years ago or so.
Previous occupants to our seller (so last but one residents) used to live on 1st floor (ground was a shop).
The BT line appears to be to the 1st floor. In the corresponding room on the 1st floor there is a a BT box which inside has a mass of wires and on the inside of the front plate it is labelled with extension numbers.
So does this help anyone to advise me where I might find the master socket? Do I necessarily have one? I wonder  if when the house was refurbed and the trendy brushed alu sockets installed the master socket was lost forever...?

thanks for any help
Paul
63 REPLIES 63
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: help me find my master socket...

I don't know for sure but my initial reaction is Oh Heck (that is the polite version) as it appears that the property has been star wired which is a bit of a disaster for broadband and I very much doubt that you have a master socket unless there is one upstream of that junction box which is unlikely although the white incoming cable looks a bit new so it may be worth trying to trace it back as there should be a joint between that white cable and the BT incomer which would normally be black or similar
MauriceC
Resting Legend
Posts: 4,085
Thanks: 929
Fixes: 17
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: help me find my master socket...

Beat me to it Oldjim!
Looks a bit of a star wired rats nest to me.  If that is an orange sheathed cable top right of the picture, I'd hazard a guess that this the incoming line (or lines as it was originally)
As Oldjim states not good for broadband in that state, so you may need to look at getting the installation rewired and regularised.  BTOR can be reasonable about doing this.
M

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

coople
Grafter
Posts: 43
Registered: ‎15-04-2014

Re: help me find my master socket...

Thanks so much folks!
Very glad I posted here. Coming from Virgin with 30mb down and 5mb up to 5mb down and 0.5 up is a culture shock. So I'm pleased to hear I could maybe improve things.
So can you help an ADSL noob please with my next step(s)?
Should I be calling BT direct? Is there a specific number or department I should be looking for?
Thanks
Paul
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,923
Thanks: 9,542
Fixes: 159
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: help me find my master socket...

Paul,
You speak to whom ever you pay your phone bill to.
I suggest you state that the service wiring is not terminated on a standard nte5 socket.  That the wiring appears to be configured for multiple lines (all those different numbers).
The problem is that the phone is working fine, but as soon as you state its is impacting your broadband, you might get bounced to your ISP.
If though PN also supply the phone service, it is up to them to get the line correctly terminated and to sort out any residual ADSL issues.

Kevin.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

coople
Grafter
Posts: 43
Registered: ‎15-04-2014

Re: help me find my master socket...

Perfect, just what I was looking for, thank you. I'm with plus net for both. Will give them a bell.
coople
Grafter
Posts: 43
Registered: ‎15-04-2014

Re: help me find my master socket...

Thanks folks, Plusnet arranged for BT to come and check out my wiring.
As a result one of my sockets was converted to a master socket and I'm seeing improved performance*.
*I'll report back on performance later.... The engineer got 15Mb at the test socket this morning but I'm consistently only seeing 7Mb down (and 0.3 up!). I understand I have to sit back and wait for the automated traffic management at the exchange to stabilise before I jump to any conclusions.
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,923
Thanks: 9,542
Fixes: 159
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: help me find my master socket...

Can you do a BTw speed test (with further diagnostics) and check your "current speed" on the PlusNET portal.
Details can be found in the "speed problem" thread at the top of this forum.
The BT profile and the PN current speed figures should be the same.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: help me find my master socket...

and you need the upstream uncapping as well
Pettitto
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 6,346
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎26-11-2011

Re: help me find my master socket...

coople
Grafter
Posts: 43
Registered: ‎15-04-2014

Re: help me find my master socket...

I would like to close this thread, I'm the proud owner of a new style master socket and c 12Mb down / 1Mb up.
But..... There's always a but and in this case it is that the connection is very unstable 😞
Has been up and down like crazy since 11 this morning. Had a bad couple of hours yesterday and Monday as well.
I have updated Plusnet by phone, but I'm told I have to wait 72 hours for the faults team to investigate and get in touch.
All4One
Grafter
Posts: 289
Registered: ‎17-03-2013

Re: help me find my master socket...

Switched filter, into test point to rule out equipment issues?
Other than than, give it some time to see if it settles?
How is the phone line? Any noise? 17070 option 2
coople
Grafter
Posts: 43
Registered: ‎15-04-2014

Re: help me find my master socket...

Thanks sir. I am using the test socket in the master now, will see how that is - stable for an hour so far. Not had a chance to check the phone line so far.
chrispurvey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 5,369
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: help me find my master socket...

You've been connected for 18 hours now;
<img src="http://community.plus.net/visualradius/generated/image14001477689778.png"/>
Let's see how it goes for the rest of today.
coople
Grafter
Posts: 43
Registered: ‎15-04-2014

Re: help me find my master socket...

Hi Chris,
I have had 3 disconnections since 11am. Still hanging off of the test socket.  Sad
Any chance we can get this expedited? Has been 24 hours already without any word from the faults team.
thanks, Paul