Distance between VDSL Modem and HomeHub?

I have ordered BT Infinity and am concerned about how the installation is going to work in my house which is newly built.

The master socket is in the boiler room, and there is only one plug socket there. It states there need to be two on the BT Infinity website.

Along with the master socket there is another small box embedded in the wall which joins 8 extension to the master socket. I think (will need to check) that the extensions are wired with Cat5e cable. I currently have my ADSL router connected up to one of the bedroom sockets, i also use one in the lounge for the telephone and another 2 for my Sky TV boxes (I have 2).

Ideally I would like to keep all the extensions functioning even after having BT install Infinity. If I ask the engineer to make one of the extensions into a master socket (if this is possible) will this make the rest of the extensions useless, considering the extension junction box is located next to the master socket?

- -

Alternatively (if the extensions are wired with Cat5e I could turn the current bedroom wall plate into an RJ45 from an RJ11 port and take its individual cable out of the extension junction (in the boiler room) and connect it to another RJ45 wall plate. (This being in the boiler room).

This would allow me to have the VDSL Modem connected directly to the master socket (hopefully the extensions will all keep working now). However, could the VDSL modem now be plugged into the (NEW) RJ45 connector in the boiler room which will then directly connect it to the HomeHub in the bedroom. (I think this would be about a 10 - 15m distance over Cat5e ethernet cable).

Or does BT insist on the HomeHub being connected by a single ethernet cable in relatively the same position/room? - This being a minor problem as there is only 1 plug socket and WiFi from the boiler room will not be great. - Also I have had problems with Power Line Plugs in the past and with only 1 power socket they may not be ideal.

- -

Finally is it safe to put the VDSL modem in a boiler room as I heard the modem gets quite hot itself and the room also gets pretty warm.

Will post images if your want

On the sockets I am confused from the descriptions, but the link between VDSL modem and HomeHub is just Ethernet so up to 100m of cat5e is fine.

As for boiler room, only way to know is to try, though a boiler with an RF noisy igniter or pump may not help with stability

BT openreach can fit a data extension out of the boiler room. This will run along e.g. skirting boards.

I would say keep the modem out of the heat. The extensions should be ok as far as I can tell

I had mine in sunlight for several months and it just turned itself off a few days ago. I thought it had broke but after 10 minutes of cooling down it's back on. Now moved into the shade too. So the heat can definitely be an issue!

Is the data extension a cable plugged into the master-socket and along skirting boards to the VDSL modem. Or is it just an ethernet cable between VDSL modem and the HomeHub.

Sorry, the other thing I did not make clear was the bedroom (where the current ADSL router is located) also has a gigabit switch which connects 2 other bedrooms. These bedrooms are on the 3rd Floor and the boiler room is on the 1st floor. It will be a bit of a nightmare to run a data extension cable up two flights of stairs.
- -

Can BT not make the master socket in the bedroom a master socket. And then is there any way to still connect the other 8 extensions: How many pairs does VDSL use compared to the ADSL, on Cat5e?

Just thinking if the cable used in the extension wires is Cat5e. Could the the extension socket in the bedroom not be made into a master socket and then by using the remaining (unused pairs) connect the other extensions in the junction box (in the boiler room) onto the "back-tracking" paris from the upstairs bedroom?

So something like: BT cable > Old Master Socket > Cat5e cable(A) > New Master Socket > Cat5e Cable(A)(unused pairs) > Junction Box (Boiler room) > Remaining Extension.

The old master socket is right next to the junction box about 10cm of cable between the two.

Sorry if that makes absolutely no sense.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

On the sockets I am confused from the descriptions, but the link between VDSL modem and HomeHub is just Ethernet so up to 100m of cat5e is fine.

Sorry forgot in the solution I would like to use. Yes it would be Cat5e (ethernet) cable only.
To be more precise:

VDSL Modem > Cat5e patch cable (30cm) > RJ45 Wall Plate > Cat5e Cable (~10m) > RJ45 Wall Plate > Cat5e cable (2m) > HomeHub 3.

VDSL2 uses one pair incoming to the modem, and the output from the modem is bog standard ethernet.

The first thing to do is to check if the existing cabling is all CAT5. (Highly unlikely if builder-installed, but not impossible).

If it is, then I would think a good engineer would be able to resite your master socket to wherever you want. Unfortunately there has been a huge recruitment drive and some of the newer ones are a bit lacking in deeper understanding than the experienced ones, and may apply the rule-book unnecessarily strictly.

If it is CAT5 and the engineer isn't cooperative, then with help from here you should be able to sort it out fairly easily after he/she is gone.

If it isn't CAT5 then we need to think of a solution.

"The first thing to do is to check if the existing cabling is all CAT5. (Highly unlikely if builder-installed, but not impossible)."

Lots of new build have CAT 5 cable installed

I am sure that a good CSE could sort out OP wiring for him .

The room where my modem is located has recently been at well over 30^oc with no problems.

In reply to a post by btbert:

Lots of new build have CAT 5 cable installed

I didn't know that, thanks . All we seem to hear of here is burglar alarm wire.

I am sure that a good CSE could sort out OP wiring for him .

Agreed, except that the OP seems unsure about the practicalities of getting fresh cabling up two levels. Also it may not be a "good CSE", as I described.

Edited by RobertoS (Tue 05-Jun-12 15:06:46)