BT Mastersocket

unclebob123

unclebob123

unclebob123

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Joined
28 Jul 2007
Posts
646
So I'm currently experiencing extremely slow internet and have no dial tone on my phone. BT did their usual line tests and detected a fault so I went to do the usual checks and I cant find the BT master socket anywhere in my house. The only socket I have is this one



Is this perhaps an old style master socket?

I tried to see where the phone line comes into my house but there are no telegraph poles and I cant see anything entering the house from ground level.
 
Do you not have a grey box on the wall outside? Also if that is the only socket in the house then that will be the master socket?

Or, are you confusing the master socket and the test socket?
 
Well the test socket is behind the master socket, right? Atleast in modern master sockets. Perhaps this isn't the only socket in the house and the master socket is hiding somewhere else. Or I'm thinking this is actually the master socket, just a very old style one.

And no, I don't have a grey box on the wall outside. Really strange
 
Well before I got Infinity installed my socket didn't have a Test socket on it either so could be that it is an old style socket or as you say there could be another socket lurking somewhere
 
I'm thinking this probably is the master socket because of the capacitor/surge protector in there. Anyone clued up on this stuff know?

Upon further investigation it appears that it is s LJU socket - an old style master socket
 
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Master sockets (from my area anyway) definately don't have that type of cable. Nor that much. Looks like an extended to me.
 
Your 'master' socket is considerably more modern than mine. I'd get one put in but £140 is taking the proverbial... especially when I'm currently on my 4th external line fault in 2 years.

Like you, no dial tone, unlike you no internet for nine days. I'd be grateful for even a slow connection. This mobile dongle's costing me an arm and a leg. In fact I shouldn't be here making unhelpful contributions to threads. But I'm getting internet withdrawal symptoms. :-)

Good luck getting sorted out. I have another engineer coming round later. No idea why because they've already been and know it's nothing to do with my internal wiring even though they insist on going through the motions every time.

I *so* wish I was in a cable area! :->

Edit: oh, the point of posting was to say that until they started investigating and poking around outside my flat, my internet worked fine even though there was no dial tone. So it's quite possible your fault is external.
 
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I'd suggest that there is probably a poor connection / very small break in the cabling at some point. Enough that the phone is effectivly open circuit, the internet still works in a fashion as the fault has some capactance and at the frequencies it works at, there is still a path, although not a very good once.

That is a master socket, the capacitor gives it away, whether its 'the' BT master socket is another point entiry. All I can suggest is you try and follow the cable from it back and see where it goes to
 
Take it from someone who had months of arguing with his ISP over slow unreliable internet in an area with fairly modern infrastructure and a clearly damaged phoneline.

Just get cable or fibre.
 
It's an old master socket and not one of the new NTE5

You can replace these your self, they're cheap to buy (5 quid)

I agree that the cable in the picture is an extension of the main cable coming int your premiss.
 
As above if thats the only socket in the house then it's simply a non-NTE5 master socket.
Any tests needed to be done by connecting to the test socket should be done on the front of that socket.

Try with a 2nd wired handset and if this fails then you've proved there is no problems with your internal wiring. Make sure you put the socket back together ad remount it where it was in case the engineer decides to be a bit difficult.
 
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