Got a couple of questions, anyone know the answer?

What is classed as ‘the master’ socket?

they say the hub has to plug into the master socket because internal phone/extension cable will not work. My query is I have an external BT junction/connection box on the front of the house, from there it runs in normal phone cable (white) to a socket in the hall, then on to an additional phone socket in the bedroom.

From the external box to the first socket is the same cable as that used to go to the other socket in the bedroom so does it mean

a) I dont have a ‘master’ socket
b) the cable used from the BT ext box to the first socket is wrong so i can not get fibre
c)no one knows the answer but wants me to know BT are rubbish.

master socket is normally bigger google nte5 you could have the old style master socket which is same size as an extension socket id guess one in the hall is master socket

Sounds like the hallway will be the master socket.

BT will fit a new master socket in the hall if you have the old style when they come out to for the installation. All included.

well that gives me the other problem that the hub cant really go in the hall….no where near power

I have an external BT junction/connection box on the front of the house

That could be a DACS box, in which case you’ve got problems. It’s basically a splitter / doubler to push two phone lines down one wire, fine for the phone system but useless for DSL. Openreach should remove it, but it’ll add complexity (and therefore, time) to the install.

i’ve got the adsl & router etc in the bedroom extension at the moment

well that gives me the other problem that the hub cant really go in the hall….no where near power

It doesn’t have to go next to the master socket, rather that it’s a really good idea because most internal home wiring extensions are, to give them their correct technical term, shit.

What are you using currently?

I’ve got my openreach fibre box on a 10m extention hasn’t made a difference

Obvious question, is it self install or engineer install? They changed over quite recently, but you may be able to ask for one or the other.

They can connect it to a none master socket, they just crimp together the wires in the existing master and switch it over.

Is what self install? What we have now? It was done when we had the house rewired. What I want to avoid is a bt engineer turning up saying it won’t work unless he does x y or z then wanting to surface fix cables etc inside the house. If I know before hand it could run a new cable from the bt box on the outside of the house and pop through the bedroom wall and make that into the master socket.

Can you get a bt engineer to do an inspection before you order?

I agree, I wouldn’t let some BT guy surface mount cables around skirting boards and door frames either.

Right, The fibre hub has to be plugged into the main socket (NTE5) so that internal wiring doesn’t degrade the signal and slow it down. It might be fine but BT don’t know the quality of it. It will not be a DACS unit on the side of your house so don’t worry about that. On a FTTC install you should be able to have the NTE shifted to where ever you like. Without pictures or descriptions it is hard to say what you currently have and where your master socket is but if you have a socket, regardless if it is an extension or not, in a suitable place then the exitsing wiring could be used to take a direct route to this.

John

^^^ the box outside will just be a cover for the connection from the underground cable feed to internal cable,some new properties do have the nte/master socket outside but this will/should be by-passed to bring up to engineering standards,the installer should site the nte5 where best for you/them,cat5 cable can be used to wire extensions.