ADSL master socket..

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Ok so to cut a long story short, been having some problems with our internet disconnecting. The modem/router for our adsl connection sits in my room plugged into a phone line in there.

Our ISP have sent us one of their own brand routers, but the problem is still persisting, even worse with this new router actually. Because now rather than just the internet disconnecting, it also kicks us off the router and we lose the wifi completely as if the router is rebooting or something? Never occurred on the old one, just a loss of actual internet. Anyways, next step now is to try the new modem in the master socket, located behind the front door to check if it is the extension phone line in the bedroom that has suddenly become faulty (been working fine for last 15 years?) or if the fault lies at the ISP end.

Now I've just done a speediest from the master socket and the connection is MUCH faster in comparison to when its located in the bedroom, but obviously its not practical to keep it behind the front door due to wires everywhere and such like. What are my options for either relocating this master socket to the bedroom or somehow preserving this faster speed into the bedroom to relocate the router back there again? Can it be done with ethernet (cat5) cables somehow?



Im a total networking noob! I should stress aswell that the gains are almost 50%.

Bedroom speediest is around 6, sometimes 7Mbps. Master socket is 11Mbps.
 
By law only Openreach(or their authorised contractors) can relocate a Master socket as technically it belongs to them. Some ISP's or phone providers can ask Openreach to relocate the socket but there can, and usually is, a charge, often around £130.
 
MissChief said:
By law only Openreach(or their authorised contractors) can relocate a Master socket as technically it belongs to them. Some ISP's or phone providers can ask Openreach to relocate the socket but there can, and usually is, a charge, often around £130.
Click to expand...

Just make sure you get some proof. Happened to my parents - Sky moved the socket (supposedly with permission) and then when we developed issues many moons later (and were back with BT) - the engineer came out and found the socket was moved (and indeed not wired up properly) - yet without being able to prove that Sky were responsible we ended up paying the £130 for the engineer to sort it , and indeed move the socket back to the original location.
 
If you can live with the router next to the master socket then run Cat5e from there to wherever is most convenient to have another router/switch/access point. It will take a little bit of configuration to get it working correctly.

Alternatively you could run a decent twisted pair extension using proper telephone cable CW1308 or at a push utilise a couple of pairs of a solid cored Cat5e cable. Use a proper socket terminated with a punch down tool. You shouldn't see much of a deterioration over a few metres of extra cabling, providing it is done properly.

Your existing extensions may be dragging down your connection speed due to poor cabling, untwisted, aluminium or whatever.

Using correct cable I managed to run an extension from upstairs to downstairs with only very slight degradation of the signal. Since then I just make do with the router/modem next to the master socket and then run Cat5e to my router or switch.
 
You have an extension fault, it doesn't matter how many years it's worked for its clearly not working now. Repair or replace the cable run to the existing extension or a convenient location, or pay someone else to. It's a quick/easy job, even just an appropriate lead will do it.

As to the proof comment above Open Reach would have done the work for Sky, you don't need to prove anything, a simple complaint would have resulted in it being credited.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, although think Im going to be in the minority here in that OpenReach have nothing to do with mine, as far as I know.
As I live in Hull and BT aren't available here, we only have Kingston Communication phone lines.


Anyways yeah there is no way the router can stay next to the master socket as its literally right behind the front door sat on the radiator and its gonna end up getting damaged and looking an eye sore.


So with that in mind is it better to run cat5e cable (or cat6?) from inside the master socket to the bedroom and have an ethernet socket there, to future proof myself for when my property finally gets fibre? Or does that not use the master socket at all?

Im not jumping to the conclusion that the telephone socket is faulty yet, the router has only been in for a couple of hours and I've hardly used the internet to notice if there was a disconnection at any point. Although the loss of speed has obviously always been present and I'd like to rectify that anyways.
 
If the connection at the master socket is okay then the few additional metres of internal extension cabling should only make a marginal difference. This assumes that the extension cabling was installed correctly in the first place and hasn't been damaged since. Unfortunately it's quite common for telephone extensions to be installed using what it basically burglar alarm cabling, fine for voice but terrible for data.

If you're in a situation where you can run new cabling then I'd install solid core Cat5e cable (or better if you really want to) from the master socket to where the router needs to live. You can then either use a single pair as a (good) telephone extension, or use it for Ethernet.

From a cabling point-of-view Fibre (FTTC anyway) is no different to ADSL.
 
Thanks, I'll install some cat5e solid core then as the master socket seems fine, but it's definitely poor quality cable on the extension anyways because the speeds have always been very low compared to the master socket.

Where's the best place to get it from? It's a shame the bedroom that it needs to be installed in as at the back of the house rather than straight above :(

Also, any handy how-to guides about? I assume it's not too hard of a job or I might just have to call in the professionals! An expense id rather live without tbh.
 
BT use CW1308 for a reason so continuing with this would be the best option. Cat5e will do but you only need one pair so the spare 3 pairs will just be adding bulk to the cable, plus the cores on Cat5e tend to be thinner than CW1308.

I've always got my Cw1308 off ebay for next to no cost and it has always been decent solid copper stuff.
 
Ok thanks, now I just need a how-to noob-friendly guide on how to do this?

Because I assume an engineer will charge ridiculous amounts for whats apparently an easy job?
 
Check your help existing master socket extension wiring and ensure that only two wires are in use, 2 and 5 (I think it is) and that it is an actual pair. ie. Solid colour and a similarly coloured wires striped. Then check your extension is not daisy chained and that again only two wires are connected. Further extensions should be disconnected for best results. Ensure that any phone devices such as phones , sky boxes etc are sitting behind a decent microfilter.

If you need to replace make sure you buy an extension socket as well, or just buy a master socket off eBay and use that, it'll be superior to anything Argos will sell.

Wiring your own extensions is simple and certainly not worth involving any sort of professional.
 
Thanks, we have several extensions. one in the living room, one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom.

The kitchen one we do not use.

However tonight I got a phone call on my mobile saying why aren't I answering my house phone. Apparently its just ringing and ringing, but its not at my end and there is no dialling tone when I pick it up, it is plugged into the living room extension.

This has all occurred since plugging the router into the master socket last night as the phones were working fine during the day, is this normal for this to happen?

Not been able to unplug the router and check to see if the phones start working again, although I presume they will as I have an uninterruptible download going on currently.


So I will have to daisy chain the living room and bedroom extensions, unless I can just run them separately? or is daisy chaining the best?

I presume it will lower my speeds even further though by having more than 1 extension daisy chained?
 
Assuming you have a master socket that's reasonably modern remove the lower part of the faceplate to expose the test port. Check that you have a working phone connection and that it's quiet.

If you haven't got a working and quiet phone line then you've go a line fault to report and get fixed.

If the line is okay then you need to start looking for internal line faults.

For broadband you're best keeping the internal wiring as simple as possible. If you need multiple phones then DECT works great.
 
bremen1874 said:
Assuming you have a master socket that's reasonably modern remove the lower part of the faceplate to expose the test port. Check that you have a working phone connection and that it's quiet.

If you haven't got a working and quiet phone line then you've go a line fault to report and get fixed.

If the line is okay then you need to start looking for internal line faults.

For broadband you're best keeping the internal wiring as simple as possible. If you need multiple phones then DECT works great.
Click to expand...


Thanks, I'll give that a try when I get home from work tomorrow night.


Excuse my ignorance however, but what is DECT?

We only have one house phone, plugged into the living room extension. The phone in the kitchen connects to the dock in the living room and only uses an electrical socket, the phone line in there is redundant.
 
DECT is the standard for digital wireless landline phones (Wikipedia). A good way to avoid having unnecessary phone extensions connected.

If you're fault-finding always simplify the system as far as possible and build-up in steps until something fails. If it's computer related don't forget to switch everything off and back on again as a first step; it's a cliché because it works.
 
If the phone isn't ringing then there may actually be a fault on the line? I still don't understand why some people seem so very resistant to calling their Telco when they have a problem with their phone line?
 
So now that we've discovered you have a fault somewhere this could account for the drop in speed between master and extension.

I forget exactly what causes lines not to ring so this may be something at the exchange, or something internal. By clearing down and using the test socket your remove your internal wiring from the circuit, so plug in there with the router and a phone via the microfilter and see if the problem persists. The fact that you have significantly lower speed on your extension suggests there is an issue with the extension but it may not be related to the ringing.

Does your broadband fluctuate or drop when you have incoming or outgoing calls?

I was always hesitant phoning my line provider because they used to charge if the problem was found to be internal. Maybe they don't do this anymore?
 
Plug a phone (ideally corded) into the master socket, can you ring out? Hang up. Now ring it from your mobile, does it ring? If so calling your telco will likely result in a chargeable fault call as the master socket works.

Plug the router in (remember to use a suitable micro filter if required), re-test, if it works the extensions are faulty as was said previously (I half suspect you hadn't plugged the phone back in). Either get someone in to fix it, or disconnect them but from your other replies I'd suggest you at least get some competent help, as with respect this doesn't' seem to be a subject you know that much about.
 
Tealc said:
So now that we've discovered you have a fault somewhere this could account for the drop in speed between master and extension.

I forget exactly what causes lines not to ring so this may be something at the exchange, or something internal. By clearing down and using the test socket your remove your internal wiring from the circuit, so plug in there with the router and a phone via the microfilter and see if the problem persists. The fact that you have significantly lower speed on your extension suggests there is an issue with the extension but it may not be related to the ringing.

Does your broadband fluctuate or drop when you have incoming or outgoing calls?

I was always hesitant phoning my line provider because they used to charge if the problem was found to be internal. Maybe they don't do this anymore?
Click to expand...


Is it normal /should it happen - that I cant use the extensions when having the router plugged into the master socket? Does using the master socket block all extensions from working whilst a device is plugged in?

Not noticed it fluctuating but it may well do, it doesn't drop though.

My ISP charges I think I read on their website a few weeks ago.


Avalon said:
Plug a phone (ideally corded) into the master socket, can you ring out? Hang up. Now ring it from your mobile, does it ring? If so calling your telco will likely result in a chargeable fault call as the master socket works.

Plug the router in (remember to use a suitable micro filter if required), re-test, if it works the extensions are faulty as was said previously (I half suspect you hadn't plugged the phone back in). Either get someone in to fix it, or disconnect them but from your other replies I'd suggest you at least get some competent help, as with respect this doesn't' seem to be a subject you know that much about.
Click to expand...


I'll try this tomorrow night when I get home from work, whilst at work today the router has been moved to the kitchen extension so that we can use the home phone in the living room extension.

So far, touch wood there has been no internet drops in this extension but internet speeds are back to around 7Mbps from the regular 10.8 - 11 I received in the master socket.

I might also test the router in the living room extension to see what speeds are achieved there as literally they are more or less back to back (within inches) on the same wall so presume that whoever had the house before us wired this extension up as the first in the chain.

Yeah you are quite right, I don't know much about it at all. Willing to learn though and have a go if its not too difficult. Just checked the price on Yell for local telecommunication engineer in my area and they charge £90 to fit a telephone extension! :eek::eek::eek:
 
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