Help with Phone/Internet Master Socket

n0deity

Hi guys,

Moved into a house and the Phone/Internet Master Socket was missing a faceplate. Everything works but I want the correct socket fitted so it all looks tidy with nothing exposed.

(sorry I can't post an photo yet)

I have what I believe to be a cat5e cable (6 wires: green orange, blue and 3 white) wired into a free hanging cat5e chip. I also have a phone line + inc crimp plugs end coming out of the same hole as the cat5e.

Does anybody know the correct type of socket I need to purchase so I can rewire it correctly? muddled by the number of different BT and other brand versions of sockets.

Thanks,
Martin

Owain_Moneysaver

Put a clear image on eg tinypic and post the url with a space in it here - we can reassemble that into a linked picture.

onomatopoeia99

n0deity wrote: »

I have what I believe to be a cat5e cable (6 wires: green orange, blue and 3 white) wired into a free hanging cat5e chip. I also have a phone line + inc crimp plugs end coming out of the same hole as the cat5e.

Cat5e has eight wires, four of which are solid colours and the other four are the same colours with white stripes. Sounds like the wire you have is something different.


I can't know what a "Cat5e chip" is. A picture as suggested will help

n0deity

Picture below with space between.

Downstairs (what I think is the master and the one I want a faceplate on)
i65.tinypic.com /313rcpv.jpg

Upstairs (just for reference it's not in use)
i63.tinypic.com /dyloaq.jpg

onomatopoeia99 I have also attached a close up of the wires from downstairs, sounds like you may be right:
i66.tinypic.com /25a5h1j.jpg

Edit: Sorry I notice the brown wire is wrapped around and not in use, so think it may be a Cat5e?

Cheers,
Martin

Typhoon2000

That looks like an extension socket. Your main line into your house will have two wires, and the master socket will have a capacitor. From the master socket 4 wires ( or some times 3) will head out to the extension socket.

Heedtheadvice

If those are the only sockets then where is the master? As above non of those look like a master and unless someone has done a bodge or you have a very old line termination hidden somewhere you have yet to find it.
The wiring and the master are the property of the telecomms provider (most likely openreach on behalf of most companies or failing that possibly virgin for their own lines).


You need to locate the master. You should not tamper with the line connection to it. As above it also contains the bell capacitor for landline phones. Do you have a landline phone and does it work?


Modern master sockets (yours might not be!)usually have two part faceplates. The fixed part is for the incoming line termination and includes a test socket and capacitor. The removable part has connectors for wiring extensions and one or two sockets on it's face.


You can then organise, repair, install extensions ensuring any router is connected via a filter. These can be part of dual outlet faceplate or an addition......and make it all look tidy!

Owain_Moneysaver

That's a housebuilder bodge. The backbox labelled "BT" makes me think that's the incoming line. Do you have outside your house something like this or this?





The legal answer is to get your phone/broadband supplier to order a visit from BT Openreach to fit a new NTE. This will cost you, and you should recover that cost from whichever muppet put in that abomination of wiring.

Fancy brushed chrome faceplates are not accepted by BT as NTE. Only the white plastic Openreach NTEs are.

Or get a https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/182497181204?chn=ps

And someone who knows what they are doing to follow the instructions

https://www.davefrydoes.co.uk/install-an-new-style-nte5c-bt-openreach-etc-telephone-master-socket-replacing-nte5a/

onomatopoeia99

n0deity wrote: »

onomatopoeia99 I have also attached a close up of the wires from downstairs, sounds like you may be right:
i66.tinypic.com /25a5h1j.jpg

Edit: Sorry I notice the brown wire is wrapped around and not in use, so think it may be a Cat5e?

It is cat5e, you can just see the white wires each have blobs of colour on them indicating which pair they are part of. That just means the internal wiring is of higher quality than a phone line needs.

As others have said, you seem to be missing a master socket and the correct NTE. Owain Moneysaver's advice above is good.

stator

n0deity

Heedtheadvice wrote: »

If those are the only sockets then where is the master? As above non of those look like a master and unless someone has done a bodge or you have a very old line termination hidden somewhere you have yet to find it.
The wiring and the master are the property of the telecomms provider (most likely openreach on behalf of most companies or failing that possibly virgin for their own lines).


You need to locate the master. You should not tamper with the line connection to it. As above it also contains the bell capacitor for landline phones. Do you have a landline phone and does it work?


Modern master sockets (yours might not be!)usually have two part faceplates. The fixed part is for the incoming line termination and includes a test socket and capacitor. The removable part has connectors for wiring extensions and one or two sockets on it's face.


You can then organise, repair, install extensions ensuring any router is connected via a filter. These can be part of dual outlet faceplate or an addition......and make it all look tidy!

Honestly at this stage cannot see anything that would be the master. I am 99% sure these are the only two sockets I can see and I have lived here for two years.

We don't use a landline phone but if I plug a splitter + phone into the line pictured it does work.

When you say don't tamper with the kine connection to the master, do you mean don't touch any of the extensions?

Appreciate the help, thank you very much.

Thanks,
Martin

n0deity

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

That's a housebuilder bodge. The backbox labelled "BT" makes me think that's the incoming line. Do you have outside your house something like this or this?

[link]
[link]

The legal answer is to get your phone/broadband supplier to order a visit from BT Openreach to fit a new NTE. This will cost you, and you should recover that cost from whichever muppet put in that abomination of wiring.

Fancy brushed chrome faceplates are not accepted by BT as NTE. Only the white plastic Openreach NTEs are.

Or get a [link]

And someone who knows what they are doing to follow the instructions

[link]

No I don't see anything of that type on the exterior of the house. It's only a small terrace here are pictures.

Front: ibb.co/ [remove space] gJ7WQGH
Back: ibb.co/ [remove space] 0QTJSX2

There are black wires on the front although I think they're heading up to the neighbours chimney/aerial. The grey box near the dear is a light switch for outdoor lights. Presumably it would be near the ground level and I cannot see anything.

Can the incoming line come through at roof height or is it ground only?

Thanks for the links and suggestions disappointed there is a potential botch, this was done prior to use purchasing. Am I missing both the outside BT component AND the internal Master socket based on the evidence I've shown?

Thanks,
Martin