Old style master socket

Bull1tt

I told my parents about the master socket tutorial, however it seems they have an old type of m,socket, its like oblong shaped type i havn't seen it yet, but can the same methods be used as with the usual type or do they need bt to put a new type m.socket in ?

Btw i just did mine today i went from 4.6mb/s ish to 6.4mb/s, also i have my router in the master socket

Thanks.

macman

BT will charge you an arm and a leg to put in a new master socket unless there is actually a fault with the existing one (sounds like one of the old hard-wired ones which are now obsolete). However it's perfectly legal to install a NTE5 master socket downstream next to the original master, as this is part of your own wiring and therefore your responsibility. Any local sparky or telecoms engineer should be able to do this for you much cheaper than BT. Or if you can do it yourself the sockets themselves only cost about a tenner.

dieselglider

There is some thought that such a conversion would cost around £30, as this post suggests.

Although you would need clarification from BT about this, which may be easier said than done.

macman

I find it hard to believe that BT would even answer the phone for £30, let alone do a call out. If you call BT out for a repair and no fault is found, they will charge you around £130 plus VAT (£149.50). But I'll be delighted if someone can demonstrate otherwise.
I would guess that a local telecoms engineer would do this for maybe £40?

macman

Apologies, just found it, it's £99 +VAT for residential customers. See this link. http://www.serviceview.bt.com/list/public/current/Misc_boo/1393_d0e1.htm#1393-d0e5
But guessing they will charge £20 for the NTE5 box on top...

Bull1tt

So i won't be able to take out the wires i don't need on the old style m,socket then?
i don't know what speeds there getting yet but it can't be great, when you say get NTE socket downstream what do you mean ? extend it ?and would i be able to fit a national xte faceplate on it?

macman

No, you can't legally touch the old socket as that is BT's property. But you can install your own NTE5 next to it (on your side of the wiring) -or indeed anywhere you like on your side.
If the link below is correct then yes you can fit an XTE faceplate on the front of an NTE5 box as a direct replacement. However if you have an issue with the wiring in the original master socket then this won't solve it.
http://www.adslnation.com/products/xte2005.php.

Bull1tt

Thanks for help macman, i will report back when ive had a look and suggest what you said, although how do you wire up a box next to the hard wired box, surely then it would just be a telephone extension socket !
Is a xtf box just for your other phone sockets as opposed to xte for your master?

I have also ordered an XTE box for myself anyway see if i can squeeze some more speed out plus ive just signed up with BE, i only orederd last night and i will have the box by next wk, going live on 16th , going well so far.

Bull1tt

Ok, ive just fitted an xte faceplate on master socket, my noise margin went down a bit to 7.0 but my download speed also gone down is it because its in the daytime and its busy or have wired it wrong somehow ?i.e was i suppose to strip the wires a bit or just press them in ?