BT Master Socket: a little accident

Sterlingtimes

A large painting slid down the wall this evening and smashed my BT Master Socket. It's the VDSL type with a telephone socket and a DSL socket.

I have removed it and taken away all of the broken plastic.

Sufficient remains to allow me to connect the male plug on the back of the socket into what is left of the BT assembly. However, I need to find out which wires are internal extension wires and where to connect them.

Unfortunately the socket is in an inaccessible spot.

Can I buy an entire BT Overreach assembly for self install without going back to BT?

grumbler

I am no expert, but I believe it's just an ordinary faceplate with a filter, although when I switched to the 'fibre' they replaced my faceplate (that I installed for ADSL) with their own.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=faceplate+filter

Crinkmeister

You can buy the whole thing and replace, although you are not supposed to mess with it as it is strictly speaking OpenReach's property. Can you post a pic?

kwikbreaks

The faceplate isn't a problem at all - you can just buy any filtered faceplate.

I'll quote the colours that are normally used. If it turns out different ones were actually used take off the extension faceplates and check which colour was used for each connector.

Ring wires are normally orange/white and go on terminal #3. Phone pairs are usually white/blue and blue/white and go on #2 and #5 there are probably others and they can be safely ignored.

If the main/back part of the master socket is damaged too badly for a new faceplate to fit correctly you should by rights report it to BT and take the (usually exhorbitant) price hit. You could, of course visit a well known auction site and buy a no doubt stolen genuine Openreach master and fit it yourself. The incoming phone pair carries about 50v. Not lethal but better to be avoided touching.

grumpycrab

Lots of info online. e.g. http://www.rob-r.co.uk/other/UKphonecatwiring.htm

stator

You can do it if you want, but BT say you shouldn't.
You could get an independent engineer to repair it for a call out charge, £50-£100.

Sterlingtimes

kwikbreaks wrote: »

The faceplate isn't a problem at all - you can just buy any filtered faceplate.

I'll quote the colours that are normally use ..

Thank you, kwikbreaks and others, for you valuable help. I have arranged the purchase of the fully master socket assembly for about £12. I will install over the weekend following your advice. I am a telecoms engineer but its about 40 year since I worked in a laboratory/field environment. Just out of date.

londonTiger

a filtered faceplate add really improved the internet connectivity at my brothers house. Well worth the £8 spent.

kwikbreaks

If the socket didn't come with a Krone tool then you should buy a cheap one. Do not push the wires in using a screwdriver or you may damage the connector blades. I've used a bit of old credit card in the past when caught out but it's not ideal.

londonTiger

Yeah, buy the cheapest on on ebay, only cvost £2, The cheap ones obviously cant dela with wear and tear from extended use so it's fine for one off job.

shaun_from_Africa

londonTiger wrote: »

Yeah, buy the cheapest on on ebay, only cvost £2, The cheap ones obviously cant dela with wear and tear from extended use so it's fine for one off job.

Or if you live close to a TLC electrical, get one from there:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GPTOOL.html