Using master socket - bb speed is almost double!why?

mutley74

My bb router is connect via hardwired extension into master socket. Speeds used to be around 5-6MB, but now decreased to about 3-4MB.
I am with TT and service varies a lot for me. i suffer from regular connection drops. But last night threatened to leave them, so after a few mins chap says he really wants to help and i was put thro with a UK callcentre technical chap.
He done some line tests and said i need to try master socket as additional test. tried this and straight away bb speed on my laptop was close to 7MB!
The TT chap thinks i can get higher speeds.
Any reason why this could be? (extension is hardwired to master box and only done last year).

(also TT told me they offer a new service for a fee of £29.99 someone will call into house and check all my phone lines and bb connections and change any for free..anyone heard of this??)

DatabaseError

most likely reasons would be poor quality wiring to the extension, or that wiring it picking up a lot of RF interference along its path somehow.
How fitted the extension?

mutley74

DatabaseError wrote: »

most likely reasons would be poor quality wiring to the extension, or that wiring it picking up a lot of RF interference along its path somehow.
How fitted the extension?

extension cable is fitted directly into master socket, and has its own socket at other side (was only fitted last year by electrician).

JasX

Basically there is 'something' dodgy about your internal wiring thats putting noise on the line and causing your speed to drop. This is not necessarrily on the direct line between the master socket and where you had your router before but something is connected/a dodgy wiring contact somewhere thats killing your speed internally.

You can try some fault finding yourself.

Firstly would be unplugging everything you have externally to your phone system -phones, fax machines, extension cables, sky boxes, filters and see what difference that makes.

Secondly if you have the 3rd 'bell' wire connected you should rip that out of the back of your master faceplate as its not necessary for modern digital phones and known to interfere with BB speeds (BT sell a £20 iplate that 'isolates' this for you but this is basically paying £20 for the doing the same thing disconnecting the cable achieves.)

if that doesn't help its something to do with the quality of your internal wiring and its connections -only option left there is to disconnect sections of it at a time until you identify what/where the problem is and then add everything back on piece by piece testing as you go to check you've not made a dodgy connection / added a dodgy lenght of cable somewhere thats caused the problem to come back.

Twoi caveats

1- you DO need the special tool to terminate phone wires to the back of sockets -bodging with a screwdriver will not work well, you can get the tool cheaply on ebay.

2-ALWAYS disconnect the power from your router BEFORE disconnecting / yanking out the phone line as if you cut the phone line with the BB connection active you can screw your profile at the exchange and will have slow speeds whatever you do for a week or two while things stabilise again.

scotsbob

JasX wrote: »

2-ALWAYS disconnect the power from your router BEFORE disconnecting / yanking out the phone line as if you cut the phone line with the BB connection active you can screw your profile at the exchange and will have slow speeds whatever you do for a week or two while things stabilise again.

That's a useful tip. I didn't know that thanks.

Enterprise_1701C

Your extension cable being fitted by an electrician might be the problem. To get good speed from the extension you would need to use cat 5 cabling, should imagine he probably only used phone cable (correct me if I am wrong - cat 5 cable has cat 5 written on it). Also, we had to certify a cat 5 installation that had been fitted by a company of electricians, one socket out of about 50 passed for full speed. What these electricians did is strip the cable right back in the socket, like you do in an electrical socket. Unfortunately that stripping removes the shielding that is needed for max speed. Cat 5/telephone cabling should only be stripped as little as you can get away with.

Sorry if I sound a bit foggy on this - my OH is the pro, I just run the cabling!

ukcarper

You don't need cat5 wiring for a telephone extenstion. or a phone line extenstion to router.

spike7451

ukcarper wrote: »

You don't need cat5 wiring for a telephone extenstion. or a phone line extenstion to router.

Yup,
Cheapo phone cable made from aluminium is the worst to use,you're much better with copper & have a proper LJU fitted at the other end instead of those boxes Sky use.

closed

disconnect the bell wire from the back of the master socket

http://www.jarviser.co.uk/jarviser/bellwirenutshell.html

James123_2

ukcarper wrote: »

You don't need cat5 wiring for a telephone extenstion. or a phone line extenstion to router.

Well, I'm far from techie myself but the BT bloke suggested Cat5e cable for an extension using a router simply because it's 'twisted core.' This helps to mitigate against interference. However, you can buy twisted core phone cable from a good supplier - not the usual thin stuff in your local DIY store. Cat5e is often cheaper!

spike7451

James123 wrote: »

Well, I'm far from techie myself but the BT bloke suggested Cat5e cable for an extension using a router simply because it's 'twisted core.' This helps to mitigate against interference. However, you can buy twisted core phone cable from a good supplier - not the usual thin stuff in your local DIY store. Cat5e is often cheaper!

Twisted core refers to all types of telephone cable.As long as you use a good quality of internal Phone cable you will be ok.I've been to many a phone & tv/broadband fault where the wiring is cheap n' nasty.