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NTE5C irritation

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Riscy
Dabbler
Posts: 20
Registered: ‎24-03-2010

NTE5C irritation

How on earth do I get a VDSL faceplate for an NTE5C socket?

Having moved from a house which had a proper VDSL faceplate, we've moved into a house which PlusNet / Openreach have installed a brand new NTE5C socket... And no VDSL faceplate.

Yes, I know I could use a microfilter dongle; but my CLID never worked properly (FritzBox) on microfilters until I went FTTC and the VDSL faceplate was put on.

PlusNet now insist that I can't have a VDSL faceplate on the NTE5C socket and that I'll have to make do. I'd happily buy a VDSL faceplate, but the only suppliers are on eBay and I suspect they're probably fake or nefarious...

Any advice how I can persuade PlusNet / Openreach to give me the correct faceplate?!

Tags (3)
11 REPLIES 11
ejs
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 5,442
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Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: NTE5C irritation

You can buy the MK4 faceplate, which is sold with an NTE5C:

https://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/adsl-vdsl-faceplates/mk4btopenreachvdslsocket/

If you don't have any extension sockets, then there shouldn't be much difference between a faceplate and a good quality plug-in microfilter.

SteveA
Pro
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Registered: ‎17-06-2007

Re: NTE5C irritation

So there's no face plate at all?  I guess if there are problems with the line then you could raise a fault and BTOR might put one on for you?

ejs
Aspiring Hero
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Re: NTE5C irritation

Or you could talk to the next Openreach person you see working locally and see if you can persuade them to hand you a MK4 faceplate.

Or sign up with an ISP that offers a "managed" FTTC installation that includes a home visit.

SteveA
Pro
Posts: 1,847
Thanks: 106
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Registered: ‎17-06-2007

Re: NTE5C irritation

I'm on my third front plate since the new master socket was put in - each engineer seems to have swapped it out... the last one told me that they'd had quite a few problems with faulty plates.

ejs
Aspiring Hero
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Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: NTE5C irritation

If you've had numerous Openreach fault visits, then yes of course your master socket and faceplate will have been replaced a few times, mostly being done even though there was nothing wrong with the old one.

FTTC self-install does not include a visit for them to fit a SSFP.

Or I suppose you could run at least 50 speedtests a day, and you'll probably be able to post a few speedtest results that aren't absolutely perfect. Keep that up for a few months until Plusnet send out Openreach.

Riscy
Dabbler
Posts: 20
Registered: ‎24-03-2010

Re: NTE5C irritation

@ejs - thanks for the link to the NTE5c & VDSL source. Ideally I don't want to buy a full NTE5c with it, as I've already got that on the wall, so I'd just be buying it to throw away and retain the VDSL plate. But it's certainly an option.

 

@SteveA - no, there is a faceplate on the newly fitted NTE5c, but it's a single POTS one rather than a dual VDSL & POTS one which would have the filter in-built.

 

Still annoyed because there was a mess up between Plusnet and Openreach for the initial install, and the engineer wasn't given the SIM2 instruction to install the NTE5c and make the line live for VDSL (or even ADSL!).

 

Consequently he just struck a new line, installed the NTE5c, and said he couldn't fit a VDSL faceplate because it was a line-only install. I reckon I would have been able to get a VDSL faceplate if his job had been (correctly) assigned as a SIM2 one..?!

Gandalf
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Re: NTE5C irritation


@Riscy wrote:
Still annoyed because there was a mess up between Plusnet and Openreach for the initial install, and the engineer wasn't given the SIM2 instruction to install the NTE5c and make the line live for VDSL (or even ADSL!).

 

Consequently he just struck a new line, installed the NTE5c, and said he couldn't fit a VDSL faceplate because it was a line-only install. I reckon I would have been able to get a VDSL faceplate if his job had been (correctly) assigned as a SIM2 one..?!


 

We placed a SIM2 provide.

By arranging an engineer now to fit a new faceplate, will likely incur a heavy call out charge (£65 of which would be passed on to you). If using a microfilter causes problems, the possibly cheapest way is to purchase your own faceplate.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
RealAleMadrid
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Registered: ‎07-07-2009

Re: NTE5C irritation

@Gandalf That is a completely unacceptable response. If Plusnet placed a SIM2 provide then surely Openreach should have been aware that a VDSL2 service was being installed so it is their error that the correct faceplate was not provided. Once again Openreach seem to be a law unto themselves and get away with poor service. PlusNet should be demanding that they return and fit the correct faceplate with no charge to the OP, somehow I feel that is not going to happen.Angry

Riscy
Dabbler
Posts: 20
Registered: ‎24-03-2010

Re: NTE5C irritation

Can I temper this by saying I do think Plusnet provide an excellent service in general, and that the support is certainly better than most. But that's not to say it's perfect...

For it to be true that Plusnet sent a SIM2 instruction from the outset, then the following wouldn't make sense:

  • I would have had DSL immediately following the line installation. I didn't.
  • Plusnet wouldn't have bothered arranging a second (actually technically a 3rd) engineer appointment in order to enable DSL 2 weeks later.
  • The DSL wouldn't have suddenly become active following the above - or it would be an incredible coincidence.
  • The engineer that struck the line showed me the job list on the PDA; and showed me that my job didn't have a linked task for DSL. Most of the other jobs on that day did have a linked task, shown with a different icon. He explained the concept of SIM2 to me, and apologised but said he didn't have the DSL activation on his task list.

 

I really don't want to sound awkward, but if it's true that Plusnet placed a SIM2 instruction, then either:

  • Openreach didn't receive that instruction. In which case my point stands: it was miscommunication between Plusnet and Openreach.
  • (background) There was a further mistake where Plusnet placed my original Openreach order on the wrong timeslot. Despite me correcting that via a Ticket more than 2 weeks in advance, and having written confirmation back on the ticket saying the timeslot was corrected, the engineer still came in the wrong timeslot and couldn't gain access. Therefore: it's possible that that original engineer visit was a SIM2, but Plusnet didn't arrange SIM2 for the subsequent return visit, but I'm speculating.

As stated earlier, I'm happy to buy my own faceplate but don't want to fit counterfeit equipment, so was asking if anybody can recommend a validated supplier.

And I thank people on this thread for having pointed me towards a supplier.

Gandalf
Community Gaffer
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Re: NTE5C irritation

Fix

I've taken the time to review your account and investigate this. Whilst this doesn't really bring us any further forward in regards to a specific explanation as to what's happened with the SIM2 provide we've placed, I hope it helps clarify things.

 

@Riscy wrote:
For it to be true that Plusnet sent a SIM2 instruction from the outset, then the following wouldn't make sense:
  • I would have had DSL immediately following the line installation. I didn't.

If the engineer didn't complete the work at the cab, it's unlikely you would have had a DSL light.

 

  • Plusnet wouldn't have bothered arranging a second (actually technically a 3rd) engineer appointment in order to enable DSL 2 weeks later.
  • The DSL wouldn't have suddenly become active following the above - or it would be an incredible coincidence.

  As above, an engineer would have been required to complete work at the cab.

 

  • The engineer that struck the line showed me the job list on the PDA; and showed me that my job didn't have a linked task for DSL. Most of the other jobs on that day did have a linked task, shown with a different icon. He explained the concept of SIM2 to me, and apologised but said he didn't have the DSL activation on his task list.
I really don't want to sound awkward, but if it's true that Plusnet placed a SIM2 instruction, then either:
  • Openreach didn't receive that instruction. In which case my point stands: it was miscommunication between Plusnet and Openreach.

Whilst I've not determined exactly what's happened, in my opinion, it's likely due to miscommunication after the order was placed. As far as I can see, we ticked the right boxes when we placed your fibre order with BT Wholesale.

Once an order is placed with BTW, its various systems automatically interact with the Openreach systems.

 

(background) There was a further mistake where Plusnet placed my original Openreach order on the wrong timeslot. Despite me correcting that via a Ticket more than 2 weeks in advance, and having written confirmation back on the ticket saying the timeslot was corrected, the engineer still came in the wrong timeslot and couldn't gain access. Therefore: it's possible that that original engineer visit was a SIM2, but Plusnet didn't arrange SIM2 for the subsequent return visit, but I'm speculating.

 Apologies that your engineer appointment was booked in for the AM slot instead of the requested PM. Rebooking the appt or amending an order shouldn't change the fact we initially placed this as SIM2.

 

As stated earlier, I'm happy to buy my own faceplate but don't want to fit counterfeit equipment, so was asking if anybody can recommend a validated supplier.

And I thank people on this thread for having pointed me towards a supplier.

Whilst I can't guarantee that is suggestion will be 100% genuinethis appears to be what you're looking for. It's sold by Amazon Prime, and they usually have good return policies.

 

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
jordanc1230
Rising Star
Posts: 89
Thanks: 31
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Registered: ‎05-09-2014

Re: NTE5C irritation

@Riscy if you haven't already ordered the one linked by Gandalf on amazon, they are aviliable on ebay for £10 with free postage http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Genuine-OpenReach-BT-Master-Socket-NTE5C-VDSL-MK4-New-2016-Faceplate-/1...