Advice welcomed: am I trying the correct cable?

[#1]

@BertCoules The retaining latch on the cable ensures it is inserted correctly in the centre of the socket.

Are you sure it's pushed fully home at each end? Also compare the plugs on the longer cable that fails to those on the shorter one that works. Take close-up photos and magnify them if necessary.

[#2]

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@HPsauce wrote:

@BertCoules The retaining latch on the cable ensures it is inserted correctly in the centre of the socket.

Are you sure it's pushed fully home at each end? Also compare the plugs on the longer cable that fails to those on the shorter one that works. Take close-up photos and magnify them if necessary.

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The plugs seemed to go home with a satisfying click but at the same time didn't feel particularly secure; I'll check again tomorrow. I'll also compare the plugs on the two cables. Thanks for the thought.

@2u2me  Apologies for my post above (message 14), which on rereading struck me as unnecessarily rude.

[#3]

No, what I am saying is you can insert a RJ11 plug into a RJ45 socket and vice versa, but the connections will not marry up.

For what it worth the Openreach MK4 and Hub two both have RJ11 sockets.

@BertCoules 

If you hold the old and new cables end to end; does the molding which holds the plug in position (the bit with the locking tab on) how do they compare in width, do the the wires line up? 

Do you still have the ADSL inline filter which came with the Hub Two? If you do maybe try removing the faceplate from the Openreach Master socket and use the test socket with the filter.

It might help towards finding where the issue is, it might work now or it might be still the same.

If you have any phone extensions connected to the master socket they will stop working with the faceplate removed.

[#4]

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@Dan_the_Van wrote:

If you hold the old and new cables end to end; does the molding which holds the plug in position (the bit with the locking tab on) how do they compare in width, do the the wires line up? 

 Yes, they do. But I've found what I think must be a significant clue to what's wrong: I've been able to borrow an RJ11/RJ45 cable tester and checked both the working and the non-working cables. These were the results:

The working cable lit up the following lights: on the main body of the tester, 3 then 4.  And on the remote unit,  4 then 3.  Both sets of lights continued to cycle, always in that order.

The non-working cable produced lights which cycled in this order: main body, 2, 3, 4, 5; remote, 2. 3. 4, 5. 

It seems to me that (quite apart from the number of wires, and I know that only 3 and 4 are vital in this instance) the two cables must be configured differently, which would presumably explain the problem. Am I correct? 

[#5]

@BertCoules 

A good idea to check the cables.

From what I understand the incoming phone line is not polarity sensitive, so it does not mater if the A and B connectors in the master socket are crossed, so the cross over cable should not be an issue.

Do you reboot the hub when you use the new cable?

I'm wondering if the contact pins in the RJ11 sockets have become compressed on the master socket or Hub, so the pins are not touching fully the contacts of the plug. That was my thinking behind trying a ADSL in-line filter in the test port, which is exposed when the faceplate is removed which is just clipped on.

As an experiment you could always swap over the A & B incoming copper line wires, MK4 should use cam-lock connectors which should require special tool, just a terminal screwdriver to gain access to the incoming cable.

[#6]

@Dan_the_Van 

The crossed cables don't matter?  There goes my "uncovering-the-cause" triumph!

Every time I've tried the new cable, I first powered down the Hub and then switched it back on; is that enough of a reboot or is there more I should do?

It's a good point about possible damage. I can try the test socket but is it essential to have the filter in place? I'm not sure that I still have it.

As an experiment you could always swap over the A & B incoming copper line wires...

Really? I thought there were always dire warnings about changing the BT wiring. But if it's that straightforward, I'll try it.

[#7]

Oh dear. Having  reconnected the original (working) cable, I just tested my broadband speeds. Up to now I was getting a pretty consistent 55 / 17 Mbps.

The new reading was 3.3 / 1.8.

Help!  What have I done and how can I fix it?

[#8]

I have a feeling that you may have bent some of the pins in the data port of the BT socket, as  previously been mentioned if you still have the filter, remove the front part of the socket and plug the filter into the test point then try both old and new cables and run a speed test, Looking at your image of the new cable plug the part where it is fitted onto the outer part of the cable it looks longer than the original cable plug and maybe the shutter on the data port is pushing on it and stopping the connection, that is why I tried to show the better type of plug in the link I posted.

[#9]

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@2u2me wrote:

I have a feeling that you may have bent some of the pins in the data port of the BT socket, as  previously been mentioned if you still have the filter, remove the front part of the socket and plug the filter into the test point then try both old and new cables and run a speed test, Looking at your image of the new cable plug the part where it is fitted onto the outer part of the cable it looks longer than the original cable plug and maybe the shutter on the data port is pushing on it and stopping the connection, that is why I tried to show the better type of plug in the link I posted.

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Thanks for that; I agree that damage is probable. Is the test socket RJ11 or telephone style? I could remove the front and check, but to be honest, I'm chary about breaking the connection in case next time it doesn't come back at all. I'll Google BT wall box Mk4 test socket and see if I can find the information.

I don't think I have the filter that came with the Hub 2, but I do have what I believe is an older one, marked ADSL Filter, with the attached Line lead ending in a telephone plug. If that is the right type for the test socket, I'll give it a go.

[#10]

My Googling suggests that the test socket is a telephone-type, so I'm going to try the filter I have, reconnect the Hub 2, and see what happens...

LATER

Result! With the filter in the test socket and the original cable connecting it to the Hub 2, my speeds are back up to 56.2 / 17.1 Mbps.

So clearly the fault lies in the front-plate connector. Should I replace it, or is it OK simply to leave everything as it is for now?

[#11]

@BertCoules 

That filter will work as the test socket is a telephone one.

Did you try swapping over the A & B connectors at all or did you give it a miss?

Problem with repeated disconnections the DLM may think you have a fault, with your connection being banded for stability.

The Hub >Home >Advanced settings >Technical log page has the line stats and sync speed.

[#12]

@Dan_the_Van wrote: That filter will work as the test socket is a telephone one.

Your question overlapped with my edit to my previous post: with the filter in the test socket and the original cable, my speeds are back up to normal.

It seems certain that the fault lies in the front-panel socket: possibly it was damaged with all the plugging and unplugging.

Can I simply leave things as they are? Or should I replace the front panel (assuming that's possible)?

Oh, and - for now at least - I don't intend to tempt fate by trying the new cable again. The gods are clearly telling me to leave the router exactly where it is.

[#13]

@BertCoules 

It might not look good, but it will work.

If you have a landline phone then any extensions will no longer work if hardwired to master socket.

Edit: faceplates are available on-line if you want to buy one or just leave it as is, your choice.

[#14]

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@Dan_the_Van wrote:

@BertCoules 

It might not look good, but it will work.

If you have a landline phone then any extensions will no longer work if hardwired to master socket.

Edit: faceplates are available on-line if you want to buy one or just leave it as is, your choice.

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Thanks. I'm not concerned about looks, but as you say, my one phone (which is hardwired as an extension, not connected via the front socket) is now dead, so I should fit a new faceplate, even though the phone is hardly ever used these days. I'll look around for a replacement, thanks for the hint.

Incidentally, I can't see any visible damage to the RJ11 socket, but much of it is out of sight, of course.

[#15]

@BertCoules 

Sometimes the faceplate does not always click securely into place which causes a poor connection between the two, resulting in a drop in speed.

You can buy new ones on amazon or ebay if you want.