Will BT move main line/socket if in a stupid place?

jojo_pezza

Hi everyone,

We bought a house early this year and haven't got around to buying a phone yet but we did get Sky last month with their broadband offer so a BT engineer did come out and activate/check our line. Our broadband wouldn't work so I had a word with someone at Sky who ran some checks and it turned out that our extension boxes don't work but the main BT socket does. They said the only way we'll get broadband to work (because of the duff extension sockets) is to plug the router directly into the main box.

Problem is the main box is just under the coving in our hallway. It may as well be on the ceiling! There are no power sockets nearby so we'd have to have an extension cable running the length of the hall and up the wall to the ceiling. It's also above two doorways, which means there's no room to get a shelf fixed or any room for a little sidetable to even put a phone on, meaning the phone would have to sit on the floor.

We think it's just a really stupid place to have a main line fitted and I'm wondering if there's any merit in asking BT to move it somewhere more suitable for free? Sky say that BT own the main box, so we have to take it up with them.

I know that their call out fees as usually astronomical and as a new homeowner, we're trying to make sure we get every tiny freeby we may be entitled to.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Heinz

If the extension sockets just need connecting up again, you'd be better off getting a local electrician to do the work.

jojo_pezza

Heinz, do you mean to go down the road of getting the extension sockets working properly so broadband and phones will work in them? I thought of that too but didn't know who to ask, either electricians or phone engineers (who I suspect are more expensive).

jojo_pezza

Actually my boyfriend just told me that the phone will work in the extension sockets but broadband won't because it runs on something different, which I don't understand but basically, I think it means that the extension sockets are connected already and broadband still doesn't work in them.

asbokid

jojo_pezza wrote: »

Heinz, do you mean to go down the road of getting the extension sockets working properly so broadband and phones will work in them? I thought of that too but didn't know who to ask, either electricians or phone engineers (who I suspect are more expensive).

Yes, call in a man to fix it, or get that bone idle boyfriend to do the work. It's not rocket science.

http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Wiring/UK_telephone/uk_telephone.html

macman

jojo_pezza wrote: »

Actually my boyfriend just told me that the phone will work in the extension sockets but broadband won't because it runs on something different, which I don't understand but basically, I think it means that the extension sockets are connected already and broadband still doesn't work in them.

That does not make sense. If the extensions are wired correctly and filtered, and they work for voice calls, then you can plug your router in too (though it is always preferable to use the master socket when possible).

DVardysShadow

macman wrote: »

That does not make sense. If the extensions are wired correctly and filtered, and they work for voice calls, then you can plug your router in too (though it is always preferable to use the master socket when possible).

Depends what you mean by wired correctly. If burglar alarm cable is used, they will work well enough for voice, but ADSL will be pants.

iniltous

Do you pay your phone line rental to BT or Sky, if its Sky then it would be upto them to arrange to get your master socket moved, even if its BT/Openreach that would do the work....this wouldnt be done for free , even if its in a stupid place...as others have said, get your extensions reconnected in a broadband friendly way,and connect your router to one of those...getting extensions reconnected should be pretty easy.

chanz4

No an extention will work, it just has to have good quality cable thats all bt use. I used to work for them, a lot cheaper option also. Proper bt kit will cost about 20.00 , bt will cahrge you around 90 installed