Phone Line Questions - Can't fit an iPlate & Don't have a Test Socket ?

[Westyfield2]

Before I start, I'll admit that I know next to nothing about phone line's etc hence why I'm asking for help!


I've been reading the posts about the iPlate and also Filtered Face Plates, but wasn't sure if the master socket that's in all the diagrams/picture's is what I've got


The only phone line in the house is this:

Which I decided is definitely not what the diagrams & pictures show the master socket looks like.


So the obvious next step was to open it up, and inside found this:
&
Which again is definitely not an NTE5 Master Box (I was expecting to find a test socket etc inside and the bit to plug the iPlate into!).

So now the next step was to trace the white wire from the left hand side.


It led to this:

This was at the top of the study door. I've always referred to it as the ISDN box. AFAIK Dad's company paid for ISDN to be installed years back, and then he changed company's and home ADSL was in the pipeline so the ISDN contract was stopped. AFAIK it's just where the ISDN line used to come out of but now does nothing, so why the phone line led to it made me
The picture doesn't show it well (stupid iPhone camera) but the bottom bit of plastic was a newer/cleaner white than the top bit (I presume that's where the ISDN cable came out of but was then blanked off).


Naturally I had to open it up, and side found this:
&
And me removing that cover had made the phone line go dead So it seems the "ISDN Box" was still part of the phone system?
One thing to note is that replacing that cover made the phone line come back, as did directly plugging the phone into that socket hidden under the cover.


Continued in second post - used too many images etc

 

[Westyfield2]

Now as you can see, there's more screws and I've got a screwdriver so:

&

Now I've run out of things to unscrew but am still



What I can make of it is: My phone socket gets its line through the white cable from the "ISDN Box".
The "ISDN Box" it gets it's outside line from the gray cable inside the wall.
From the gray cable, a green and brown/white wire go to some clear plastic thing, and then into the white cable down to the phone socket.
Also from the gray cable are a blue and a orange wire, which go to the green thing. Out of the green thing come eleventy billion wires that go into the white wire down to the phone socket.



So I'm now left with a headache, and still don't get why my phone socket isn't a NTE5 that I could use a iPlate or Filtered Face Plate with & why there isn't a test socket inside it . Also still don't know what the real name for the "ISDN box" is. And don't know why it's still part of the phone system and unplugging it knock's out the phone line.


If anyone who know's more than I (so that's everyone then!) would like to explain or even stab-in-the-dark I'd appreciate it!!!

Thanks
Ed.

 

[DDave]

That "ISDN" box is an NTE5 socket and it is illegal to take off that last part you did btw

You should be able to plug the I-Plate into that.

 

[NightSt@lk3r]

Looks to me like that "ISDN Box" is actually your master socket, and the phone socket on the wall is an extension from the Master Socket.

 

[mattyfez]

its a funny one as the face plate is blank and the extension goes back in on itself. this is your master socket:

 

[Westyfield2]

That "ISDN" box is an NTE5 socket and it is illegal to take off that last part you did btw

You should be able to plug the I-Plate into that.

Looks to me like that "ISDN Box" is actually your master socket, and the phone socket on the wall is an extension from the Master Socket.

Thanks all of you

So my Microfilter & ADSL line should be plugged into the test socket (the one mattyfez highlighted ) inside the Master Socket (or the socket on the front if it's faceplate wasn't blank) but the phone line could continue (with a micofilter) being on the extension socket.

Or I could buy an iPlate and Filtered faceplate and put them on the Master Socket.

 

[mattyfez]

So my Microfilter & ADSL line should be plugged into the test socket (the one mattyfez highlighted ) inside the Master Socket (or the socket on the front if it's faceplate wasn't blank) but the phone line could continue (with a micofilter) being on the extension socket.

Or I could buy an iPlate and Filtered faceplate and put them on the Master Socket.[/QUOTE]


Yes pretty much, however "(or the socket on the front if it's faceplate wasn't blank)" is incorrect, the wires connected to the face plate are effectivley an extension, and are connected to the ring wire (orange) which introduces interference.

To get best speed you either need to plug your router directly into the test socket, or replace the front panel with somthing like this;

 

[Westyfield2]

So my Microfilter & ADSL line should be plugged into the test socket (the one mattyfez highlighted ) inside the Master Socket (or the socket on the front if it's faceplate wasn't blank) but the phone line could continue (with a micofilter) being on the extension socket.

Or I could buy an iPlate and Filtered faceplate and put them on the Master Socket.

Yes pretty much, however "(or the socket on the front if it's faceplate wasn't blank)" is incorrect, the wires connected to the face plate are effectivley an extension, and are connected to the ring wire (orange) which introduces interference.

To get best speed you either need to plug your router directly into the test socket, or replace the front panel with somthing like this;

Thanks.
So it's either a) run both the Phone & ADSL lines off a microfilter plugged into the test socket (but this would stop the phone line extension working). Or b) replace the blank front panel with a filtered one like you liked to, which would then have the wires to phone line extension connected to the "IDC Terminal" on the back of it.

With option B, could the iPlate be put inbetween the FacePlate and the Test Socket, and that remove the interference from the Bell Wire too?

(Just wanting to be certain before I go changing anything!)
TY
Ed

 

[DDave]

The cheapest way of doing things would be to just disconnect the orange wire on the back of the NTE5 face plate & from your extension in the first pictures and continue to use the microfilter in the extension.

Just be careful when removing wires that you don't remove the others as it can be tricky to put them back in without the proper tool.

If you aren't comfortable removing the wires just buy an I-Plate and plug it into the master socket and the front face plate plugs into that, you then continue to use your micro filter in the extension.

 

[Westyfield2]

If you aren't comfortable removing the wires just buy an I-Plate and plug it into the master socket and the front face plate plugs into that, you then continue to use your micro filter in the extension.

Thanks, I'd rather not be fiddling with the wires too much (though my mate's Dad is an Openreach engineer....)
Last question hopefully, Is that the existing blanked front face plate or a filtered front face plate you mean?

 

[mattyfez]

With "option B" you wouldnt need an iplate, as the ADSL socket is isolated and pre-filtered, so you wouldnt need an ADSL filter and the normal "phone" socket will still function as normal so you can plug extentions or whatever into it.

 

[Westyfield2]

With "option B" you wouldnt need an iplate, as the ADSL socket is isolated and pre-filtered, so you wouldnt need an ADSL filter and the normal "phone" socket will still function as normal so you can plug extentions or whatever into it.

Right, I think I get it at last!

The filtered face plate aswell as being a Microfilter, is also doing the same thing the iPlate does aswell.

 

[DDave]

Thanks, I'd rather not be fiddling with the wires too much (though my mate's Dad is an Openreach engineer....)
Last question hopefully, Is that the existing blanked front face plate or a filtered front face plate you mean?

The existing one would work fine.

Right, I think I get it at last!

The filtered face plate aswell as being a Microfilter, is also doing the same thing the iPlate does aswell.

A filtered faceplate doesn't do the same thing as the I-Plate unless you don't connect up the orange wires when fitting it, that's all the I-Plate does, but without actually removing the wires.

Something to note would be how your extension is wired as well (looks a bit of a botched job) as it should only be connected to the back of the NTE5 faceplate, but looks like it also goes to the back of the NTE5 box.

 

[mattyfez]

Correct, its a neater soloution as you have a dedicated "clean" line for your router via the ADSL socket, and a normal phone socket for phones.

 

[mattyfez]

Something to note would be how your extension is wired as well (looks a bit of a botched job) as it should only be connected to the back of the NTE5 faceplate, but looks like it also goes to the back of the NTE5 box.

I think its because the front plate has no socket on it, the white wire comming out the bottom of the box is effectively an extension, the brown wire comming through the wall is the actual main phone line.

 

[DDave]

I think its because the front plate has no socket on it, the white wire comming out the bottom of the box is effectively an extension, the brown wire comming through the wall is the actual main phone line.

It doesn't matter if the face plate has a socket in it or not as either way it plugs into the test socket to get the connection. The white wire is an extension and extensions should only be connected to that front plate. When I got Home Highway removed the BT engineer left my wiring in a similar mess.

 

[mattyfez]

yep, looks like you are right, another "cut and shut" job from good old BT!!!

 

[Westyfield2]

Thanks for all the replies

Something to note would be how your extension is wired as well (looks a bit of a botched job) as it should only be connected to the back of the NTE5 faceplate, but looks like it also goes to the back of the NTE5 box.

You've lost me again!

Which of the wires from the white cable are wrong?

 

[DDave]

You've lost me again!

Which of the wires from the white cable are wrong?

The wires on the white cable should only connect to the removable face plate nowhere else, yet are also connected to the BT end of the master socket.

The only wires which should be terminated on that part of the socket are the ones which are held in by screws.

BTW this is BT's side of the equipment and you aren't legally allowed to tamper with it.

 

[Westyfield2]

The wires on the white cable should only connect to the removable face plate nowhere else, yet are also connected to the BT end of the master socket.

The only wires which should be terminated on that part of the socket are the ones which are held in by screws.

BTW this is BT's side of the equipment and you aren't legally allowed to tamper with it.

Thanks, but I'm still confused

Here's some better pics.... as the phone pics weren't that great!:


Faceplate off.


Faceplate off 2.


Back section off, faceplate plugged into it.


Back section off, faceplate unplugged.


Inside back section.


Inside back section 2.


So which bit of the white extension cable is wrong? & what's with the brown & green wires coming out of the phone line and into the clear plastic things?

Thanks
Ed

Disclaimer: I didn't modify anything belonging to BT, all I did was open the cover, take photos, and screw it back down.