BT Drop Wire > Junction box >Master Socket

fartingspartan

fartingspartan

fartingspartan

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HI,

Looking for a bit of advice.
I'm aware I shouldn't be doing this technically but I thought it was worth a shot to avoid the £150 call out charge...and it looked simple.

Had master socket attached to window frame (who knows why) and an old cable from that going all around outside of house back to junction box, which is attached to outside of the house (where drop wire comes in)

I Cut old cable from junction box to master socket.
Ran new cable (using high grade/external) phone cable from new master socket back to junction box.

Used Jelly connections to link a pair from that cable to the two wires coming in from drop wire
At master socket end connected that pair to A + B in master socket.

Plug phone in and...nothing.
Was working before so I know drop wire is fine.

I have checked cable from master socket back to junction box and that is fine/no breaks/tested ok.

Should I remove insulation before using Jelly connectors (online advice seems to be no/dont have to)?

Is there specific jelly connectors that I should be using when connecting from Drop wire to master socket wire? I just got some standard ones.

Any other ideas?
I probably have one or two more attempts before the drop wire is cut back too short (when using Jelly connectors I have to cut them off to try again) so keen to get it right next time.

Appreciate any advice..last port of call before admitting defeat and calling BT/letting the wife say "I told you so".

Cheers
 
Ill help as much as i know about this stuff.. What type of dropwire is it do you know? Is it a two or 3 pair drop wire or is a figure of 8 styled drop wire?
 
GrimsbyLAD said:
Ill help as much as i know about this stuff.. What type of dropwire is it do you know? Is it a two or 3 pair drop wire or is a figure of 8 styled drop wire?
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Thanks for the reply - I *think* its a 3 pair. The other pairs are/were folded back so I know I am using the ones that were being used before I cut the old master socket cable (if that what you are wondering)
 
You should only need the blue and white/blue from the drop wire. Connect that to the new blue and white/blue from the new telco cable at the junction box.

Then just check you have A and B wired the right way round.

If that doesn't work then post some pictures up of all the connections.
 
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GPO/BT/OR have never used 3 pair drop wire. It's more likely to be single/two pair and you're mistaking the steel reinforcer's for another pair.

peterattheboro said:
You should only need the blue and white/blue from the drop wire. Connect that to the new blue and white/blue from the new telco cable at the junction box.
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Dropwire doesn't contain blue or white/blue pairs. Orange/White is your first (or only) pair with Green/Black being the second. If it's DW15/CAD55M then you'll have another two additional pairs, Blue/Brown and Grey "Slate"/Red.

Chances are the OP's problem is crap crimps not designed for the job.
 
Hi All - Thanks for the replies.

When you say crap crimping tool what you do mean? I am using a punch down for master socket connection and the jelly connectors are squeeze to lock/secure.

Didn't get chance to go look at drop wire again - it may have been two pair only.

What do you mean by figure of 8 wire? and if that is what I have what should I use instead of Jelly Crimps? The ones I cut off were black rectangular ones that seemed to close over/lock - not sure what they are called or where I would get them from.
 
"Figure of 8 wire" is old aerial cable/DW4 (it looks like the number 8 in cross section)

The crimps OR use are 3M Scotchlok 3 way. If that's what you've got them you shouldn't have a problem.
 
Just remove the insulation and rap the wires together remove the front plate and plug the phone in to test. then fix wires with barrier strip different wire diameters donot crimpwell.
 
AGHH - Think I am cursed/going crazy.

So I thought I would have another crack at this today...

Took insulation off the 2 correct drop wires and twisted around the two pairs in the cable going from there to the master socket - nothing.
Tried swapping cables in A and B on master socket just in case - still nothing.

Thought then....maybe phone is faulty - plugged this into my virgin media phone line - all fine.

Thought maybe the BT master socket is faulty - so connected this to the virgin media cables - it was fine/working
........

Then I plugged virgin media cables back into virgin media master socket and guess what - Thats not working now!

Tried reconnecting BT master socket to the wires - that isnt working.

So no dial tone on either my BT line or my Virgin line now..
Previously both were working.

I am having a couple of beers at the moment to try build up my man numbers again....but I am at a loss now as to what is going on.

Has anyone got any ideas why the BT drop wire connection isnt working? and also why now Virgin connection has went off when all I have done is connect up different socket (working fine) then back to original one - not working.

Appreciate any advice!
 
lol you're not having the best of luck are you!

Definitely get some pictures up of the end of the wire feeding from the pole. The junction box andthe new cable you used.
 
Ok will take some pics tomorrow but its pretty much as described.

drop wires that were connected before (Orange and white I think) - tried both Jelly crimps and just twisting them around their partners on the cable running from there to master socket.

At master socket I have the same two pairs terminating to A and B on master socket (tried swapping A and B around just incase but still no dial tone.

Virgin cable was even simpler as its just a normal paired phone cable coming out with 1 pair of the two terminated into A and B on the Virgin Socket - again working before, working when terminated into BT socket as a test then when Virgin socket attached - Not working.

Could there be something wrong with the BT Master socket I am using that has Zapped the lines (its the only common denominator - tried different phone) but the fact it worked ok with it at first I do not get why it stopped working.

Have issues at drop wire as I cant really do much more than twist cables together now as next time I cut and terminate at that end it will be my last before I run out of length on drop wire cable.

It is weird as I have done it many times before for friends/family and never been a problem.
 
fartingspartan said:
Could there be something wrong with the BT Master socket I am using that has Zapped the lines (its the only common denominator)
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Nope. The worst a faulty NTE would do is put a loop/rectified loop on the line but that's it.

I strongly suggest leaving it to someone else as, and I mean this with no disrespect whatsoever, you don't sound like you know what you're doing at all.
 
.Griff. said:
Nope. The worst a faulty NTE would do is put a loop/rectified loop on the line but that's it.

I strongly suggest leaving it to someone else as, and I mean this with no disrespect whatsoever, you don't sound like you know what you're doing at all.
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How do you work out that I don't know what I am doing at all?

I have carried this out multiple times and have never had issues, have went through testing/troubleshooting logically and have asked for some advice...

Care to share what you think I should do differently/could try based on your knowledge of the area (given you say I sound like I haven't got a clue)...this is why I asked the question to get advice from people who know - which Im guessing from your comment you do?
 
I'm thinking you may have damaged the IDC connectors in your master sockets, easy to do if you use a knife/screwdriver to push the cables in instead of the proper tool. This could easily cause an unreliable connection. When the BT socket worked on the Virgin line it was likely just a case of getting lucky that time, but then you messed up the IDC connectors on the virgin socket when putting things back.

You can confirm by getting an old phone, cutting off the end connector and jellying it directly to the cables. Alternatively, take the socket from a phone extension in your house, these will probably be one of the old types where you strip and screw the cable in. A multimeter would work too, you should see ~50V DC between the two wires.
 
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Zarf said:
I'm thinking you may have damaged the IDC connectors in your master sockets, easy to do if you use a knife/screwdriver to push the cables in instead of the proper tool. This could easily cause an unreliable connection. When the BT socket worked on the Virgin line it was likely just a case of getting lucky that time, but then you messed up the IDC connectors on the virgin socket when putting things back.

You can confirm by getting an old phone, cutting off the end connector and jellying it directly to the cables. Alternatively, take the socket from a phone extension in your house, these will probably be one of the old types where you strip and screw the cable in. A multimeter would work too, you should see ~50V DC between the two wires.
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Hi, Thanks for the reply - I used my punch down tool but will pickup a new master socket and see if that fixes it.

Would I be able to ~50v DC at the end of the drop wire cable also? Just want to check that something hasn't went off/became faulty at that end over the past few weeks also.
 
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