BT to Virgin Media phone sockett question

butterfly72

Hi,
we've thinking of getting a Virgin Media package including phone/cable and broadband. What does this involve in terms of changing the phone lines to Virgin from BT? Do we have to change the socketts? Would this be in the flat?

We currently rent and i wonder if this could be a problem?

thanks

Heinz

Virgin cable and any other telephony are completely different and separate systems. If you can get VM, new cabling will be required.

butterfly72

Heinz wrote: »

Virgin cable and any other telephony are completely different and separate systems. If you can get VM, new cabling will be required.

I know the flats downstairs have Virgin, so will all the flats in the building be plugged in already or will they need to actually change something inside my flat? Theres a box/cupboard thingy downstairs and outside my flat that I've seen the virgin man working in before.

Mark_In_Hampshire

If you have Virgin cable TV, phone and broadband, that's potentially 3 new sockets - co-ax for the TV and the broadband and a bit of naff old copper wire for the phone which plugs into a socket similar to BT's one. All the sockets are put in for you if they do not exist already e.g. the street is enabled for the service and it runs past the door but has never been supplied to that property. You don't do anything.

However getting cable in flats can be more tricky sometimes, especially if you live on a high up floor and can be subject to survey.

durelli_tyres

What happens if you have your extensions from around the house going into a BT master socket and you want to take these and feed them into a Virgin socket, which is right next to the BT socket?

Does anyone know of a kit such as a 6 inch extension lead, with the socket and plug at right angles, I could then plug the outside of the BT master socket into the extension lead socket inside the master socket box, have a lead coming out and plug the extension lead socket into the new virgin socket.

Anyone done anything like that?

butterfly72

We did move from BT to Virgin... what a nightmare!! they came and did something, disconnected us from BT and we were then left without a phone for 3 weeks!! We called and called them, they lied and said an engineer would be coming the next day 3 TIMES!!!!! OH took time off work on each occaision they said someone would come.

Also, the internet hub doesn't send out a signal to our PC just 10m away despite being 30mb. We've had to buy a gadget that plugs in the leccy. (I'm not sure.. so don't ask)

Virgin... the worst customer service I have ever experienced.

dave_dph

durelli_tyres wrote: »

What happens if you have your extensions from around the house going into a BT master socket and you want to take these and feed them into a Virgin socket, which is right next to the BT socket?

Does anyone know of a kit such as a 6 inch extension lead, with the socket and plug at right angles, I could then plug the outside of the BT master socket into the extension lead socket inside the master socket box, have a lead coming out and plug the extension lead socket into the new virgin socket.

Anyone done anything like that?

Can't quite get my head around your question. Is the wire that feeds the extensions from the BT main socket not long enough to feed into the VM socket instead? It's a very easy job to do, you would just need a connecting tool from a hardware shop which cost next to nothing.

macman

Or use DECT phones from your new VM master socket.
You are aware that VM telephony is the most expensive around though?

spike7451

butterfly72 wrote: »

Hi,
we've thinking of getting a Virgin Media package including phone/cable and broadband. What does this involve in terms of changing the phone lines to Virgin from BT? Do we have to change the socketts? Would this be in the flat?

We currently rent and i wonder if this could be a problem?

thanks

VM phone & cable TV/BBand comes from a small box in the street & does not go anywhere near the BT Network.The 2 man install crew will pull a cable from the street cab to the apartment.In some apartment blocks they are internally or externally prewired with the cabling to the street cabinet already in place or in larger modern builds,the street cabinet is in the apartment block with the internal wiring already in place in most cases.
If not,the install crew will bring the cabling into the flat in one place,mount a couple of boxes usually one for the TV point,known as an Isolator,& a 77A junction box.They are only allowed to run about 3 feet of the external cable in a internal dwelling so it has to be changed to internal cabling after entering.For the phone they can then run the cable & mount the CTE5 Master Socket wherever you want it,usually by the BT NTE5 Master Socket if the are extensions running off the BT one.
If you are in an upstairs flat & the cable has to be ran as above,you may need a 'Wayleave' permission slip from the person below IF they own their flat.If it's council & they don't own it,the is usually a blanket Wayleave in place.

durelli_tyres wrote: »

What happens if you have your extensions from around the house going into a BT master socket and you want to take these and feed them into a Virgin socket, which is right next to the BT socket?

Does anyone know of a kit such as a 6 inch extension lead, with the socket and plug at right angles, I could then plug the outside of the BT master socket into the extension lead socket inside the master socket box, have a lead coming out and plug the extension lead socket into the new virgin socket.

Anyone done anything like that?

No the isn't & such a thing would cause major problems.this is all you need to d;
If it's a NTE (BT) to CTE (VM) Master Socket,then all you have to do is remove the front faceplate from the BT socket & swap it with the VM one.I've done this countless times.