Confused - Router won’t connect via Master/Test socket

bagand96

Hi. I joined Sky broadband earlier in the year and have their new Sky Q hub router. Speeds have been good at 15Mbps +. However the last week or so my speeds have been down to less than 3Mb.

My router is usually connected via a phone extension that runs from the master socket in my hall, to my living room (no power near the master socket).

As part of the usual trouble shooting I connected the router to the master socket and test socket to see if it improved. Strange thing, at the master and test socket the router won’t connect at all?! But when I move the router back to the living room at the end end of the extension it connects no problem (although still at slow speed)

Seems very odd? Usually you would expect the opposite... worse connection on an extension, but better at the test socket. Find it very strange? Any ideas? I’d like to be armed when I phone sky support tomorrow... not looking forward to it!

bagand96

Here’s my stats by the way

AndyPK

If the person installing the master socket knew the router goes into the extension socket, maybe they wired it that way.

if you ring sky they should be able to reset the router and improve the speed.

[Deleted User]

When you take the front off the master socket, the wires for the extension should come with it. Have a look at the front (when detached) and see if it looks like it should. Post a pic if you're not sure. The pics on this site may help (or not). https://www.vmadmin.co.uk/other/357-moving-bt-infinity-dsl-from-master-socket-to-any-household-extension-socket

The idea is that when you take off the front, all extensions etc are removed from the system.

bagand96

Thanks. The master socket is quite an old one, with the old British Telecom logo on. There’s no additional wiring for the extension. The extension is a simple 10m extension kit like this one.

It runs from the master socket into my living room under laminate flooring. I did this myself when I bought the house. So there’s no additional wiring to or from the master socket.

This is why I’m so baffled by it. I unplug the 10m extension cable from the master socket and plug the router directly into it (via the micro filter). It won’t connect. Likewise in the test socket. Yet when I plug the 10m extension back into the master socket, and then the router into the other end of the extension it connects (albeit at the lower speeds which was my first problem).

Doesn’t seem to make any sense.

iniltous

Have you done any tests with a phone ?...if you haven't done so already, I would plug a known working (preferably corded) telephone into the master socket test port and check for dialtone, if you are just using the router and checking for sync at various points doesn't really confirm the integrity of the local loop....however it is strange that the router won't sync at the master socket, but will sync at the end of an extension lead that itself is plugged into the master socket but effectively increases the line length by 10m
It's possible that the reason why your speed is reduced is because it's working over 1 leg of the cable pair....ADSL will work over 1 leg but at a much reduced rate, telephony needs both legs of the cable pair

BorisThomson

I had exactly the same problem and a replacement master solved the problem. You'd expect that a fault there would affect everything after that point, somehow it didn't.

Good luck talking to Sky, it took three phone calls and three hours in total to get them to send an engineer. Because the problem doesn't match one of their scripts they kept asking me to do the same things (that I'd already done before calling) to try to get it to fit one of their scenarios!

JJ_Egan

That phone extension is not good enough for internet .

[Deleted User]

JJ_Egan wrote: »

That phone extension is not good enough for internet .

Why do you say that? I have a similar setup but with an even older master socket without the removable front. It works perfectly for me and has hit over 20Mbps on ADSL.

For the OP, it's sounding like a faulty BT master socket. You can pay BT/Openreach a large amount of money or just replace it yourself (never tell them this).

wongataa

If you have a faulty master socket Openreach will replace free of charge as it is their property responsibility to provide a working one.

JJ_Egan

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Why do you say that? I have a similar setup but with an even older master socket without the removable front. It works perfectly for me and has hit over 20Mbps on ADSL.

#Basically its a phone cable not ADSL and yes it often works but at other times gets cross talk/ interference .Its one of those it may be better or you may find no difference .

Ideally, your BT Hub or router should be positioned within easy reach of a telephone socket. If you need to use an extension lead, make sure that it is not made of aluminium and is no longer than 10 metres, as this may cause problems with your connection.