We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
We're aware that dates on the Forum are not currently showing correctly. Please bear with us while we get this fixed, and see Site feedback for updates.

Damaged Cables

I have some damaged phone cables outside my house. The phone did stop working, but I've managed to bodge them back together and it works for now, but often cuts out.

BT Infinity is due to arrive in my area shortly, and looking at BT's guide it says the fix a box to the outside of the house, which is where the cable is damaged. If BT put the new box in will it replace the old box on the house which is where the damaged wire is.

What I'm asking is shall I get the cable replaced now (which I'll have to pay for - £99 call out plus how ever much a new cable is) or do I wait a few months and will they replace it all when I sign up for BT Infinity.
«1

Comments

  • Buzby
    Buzby Posts: 8,275 Forumite
    Depends how it was damaged and where. Up to the NTP (Network Termination Point) usually your Maser socket, anything downstream of this is yours, upstream is theirs. If the issue is with their side of the line, but the problem caused by the renter, a replacement dropwire would be chargeable.

    You may find Infinity will not change anything - you'll not be getting fibre, and they'll expect to use the same cabling, only resolving issues if you report a fault or similar line-affecting problems.
  • espresso
    espresso Posts: 16,448 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    tim9966 wrote: »
    I have some damaged phone cables outside my house. The phone did stop working, but I've managed to bodge them back together and it works for now, but often cuts out.

    BT Infinity is due to arrive in my area shortly, and looking at BT's guide it says the fix a box to the outside of the house, which is where the cable is damaged. If BT put the new box in will it replace the old box on the house which is where the damaged wire is.

    What I'm asking is shall I get the cable replaced now (which I'll have to pay for - £99 call out plus how ever much a new cable is) or do I wait a few months and will they replace it all when I sign up for BT Infinity.

    Do a proper repair - don't bodge!
    :doh: Blue text on this forum usually signifies hyperlinks, so click on them!..:wall:
  • There's nowt wrong with a good bodge - he just hasn't bodged it right . .
  • tim9966
    tim9966 Posts: 495 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    The phone cable goes into a little box on the edge of the house, then runs round the outside of the house, then the wire goes into the house to the phone socket, but sometime in the past 2 wires have been joined together which is where the cable has broken.

    All I've done so far is to strip the wires back then wrap the bare wire together to reconnect.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,128 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 19 August 2012 pm31 8:44PM
    This is BT OR's job to correct, not yours.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Sparx
    Sparx Posts: 909 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Undo your bodge work, call BT and report the fault.. (with your mobile phone of course) ;)
  • tim9966
    tim9966 Posts: 495 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    I did phone BT this morning from a payphone, and they rang back, then said they would ring back again in 15 minutes but didn't bother.

    At least I now have at working phone line and broadband.

    I try ringing them again but I can't get any time off work so it may be hard for them to come and fix it.
  • rich_jtg
    rich_jtg Posts: 316 Forumite
    *Hypothetically* If someone was thinking about replacing the phone cable that ran along the outside of their house, where would they get some from? Is it shielded?
  • Sorry to jump on to this, but thinking of having sky fibre fitted but the master socket is in a meter cupboard, would Bt openreach who I think do work for sky charge extra to move master socket. My router is other end of house it might be easier to move cable around externally of house than route cable in house. I have no electrical socket near meter box and I have a very thin cheap extension to router now which wouldnt cut it with fibre
  • rich_jtg wrote: »
    *Hypothetically* If someone was thinking about replacing the phone cable that ran along the outside of their house, where would they get some from? Is it shielded?

    It's probably wired in Dropwire No. 10 and joined using Jelly Crimps housed in a Block Terminal No. 66. That BT66 includes some jelly crimps.

    The Dropwire would be fixed with cleats into pin plugs in masonry.

    The outer sheath of dropwire is extremely tough.
    A kind word lasts a minute, a skelped erse is sair for a day.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 348.3K Banking & Borrowing
  • 252.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 452.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 240.9K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 617.2K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 175.7K Life & Family
  • 254.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.