Wiring BT phone extension

vulcanbomber

I have tried to wire a phone extension today copying the wiring in the existing socket.

The main incoming wire goes to a junction box and has only 2 wires connected. The 2 wires then go to a socket in the hall which has been in use for a long time.

I wanted to put another socket in the hall and have run a cable to the new socket from the junction box using the same coloured cables and making the same terminations in the 2nd socket, so in effect I have 2 sockets from the juction box.

The problem I have is that although the new socket can be used to make & receive calls, any phone that is used in the new socket doesn't ring. I have checked the phone in the original socket and it works OK.

Could anyone through some light as to why the phone will not ring in the new socket please?

far

If you connect only the two wires from the drop cable (which sounds like what you've done here) you need a socket with a ring capacitor (known as a Master Socket) which would enable the phones to ring. However, if possible, a far more elegant solution would be to wire the extension from the first socket but you'd need a 4 wire telephone cable. If all 4 wires (in effect only 3 are needed but you don't get 3 wire cables!) are connected correctly from the existing socket to your new extension, the phones will ring again. This is because the ring capacitor adds the ringing signal,

DeeCee

Checkout...
http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/wiring_info.htm

espresso

vulcanbomber wrote: »

I have tried to wire a phone extension today copying the wiring in the existing socket.

First mistake!

The main incoming wire goes to a junction box and has only 2 wires connected. The 2 wires then go to a socket in the hall which has been in use for a long time.

This should be your master socket and all extensions should be connected to this.

I wanted to put another socket in the hall and have run a cable to the new socket from the junction box using the same coloured cables and making the same terminations in the 2nd socket, so in effect I have 2 sockets from the juction box.

See wiring diagram here but it should be two wires to jucnction box then to master socket and then any extensions wirered, should have three wires from the master socket.

The problem I have is that although the new socket can be used to make & receive calls, any phone that is used in the new socket doesn't ring. I have checked the phone in the original socket and it works OK.

Due to the missing wire connected to pin 3.

Could anyone through some light as to why the phone will not ring in the new socket please?

........................

Browntoa

3 rd wires no longer required

I only have 2 and 5 connected

vulcanbomber

Thanks for your replies folks, some valuable information there.

BritBrat

True if the line is ADSL enabled. Not all handsets will ring when only connected to 2 & 5 anyway.

They will if you put a ADSL filter on them and it's only very old phones that need the ring wire (3).

I have ADSL and all 6 wires are connected here, I know, I did it myself years ago but if I was to to change to MAXadsl I would only use 2 and 5 and remove all the others.

And yes I have a very stable 2Meg connection.

far

BritBrat wrote: »

They will if you put a ADSL filter on them and it's only very old phones that need the ring wire (3).

An ADSL filter does put the ring signal back if only wires 2 and 5 are connected (A and B as they're called) but don't be fooled into thinking only very old phones need this connected if no ADSL Filter is connected or if the socket is not a master socket for them to ring. A cheap Binatone phone I have (currently sold at Argos for £2.97 if memory serves me right) has no ringer on/off switch - just Hi and Lo - and I didn't want it to ring for various reasons. My fix involved removing the wire from terminal 3 of the socket the phone was connected to. The result - it never rings. Nor do a couple of more modern BT corded phones purchased in late 2006 that we have when they're plugged into this modified socket.

hammy_the_hammer

a common mistake is that 'extension' sockets have been fitted using master sockets which contain a capacitor ....in this instance only 2 wires are required for the phone to ring

liamgoldstein

Hi,

I've recently moved into a new build and I have a NTE5 master socket in the living room. I also have an extension socket in the living room and bedroom.

I've removed the front panel of the master socket and the socket has the wires for the extension sockets.

I'm fairly confident that I can connect the wires for the extensions using a IDC insertion tool.

My question is: As there are 2 extensions to be installed how do I do this? Can i just connect both sets of wires at the same time?

Thanks

BritBrat

No, you run 2/3 (2 and 5 / 2,3 and 5) wires from the master socket (on the extension side) to the next extension then from that to the next and so on.

You do not have more than one extension comming out of another box.

--------- BT Main Box ---- EXT1 ------ EXT2 ---- >

The first BT box will have a ring capacitor all extensions do not, if you only have masters cut out the capacitor on the extensions.

Do not make any changes to the BT socket.

http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/wiring_info.htm