Ah ok its getting clearer now. I guess what i read on the BT site about the existing internal cable not being up to the job for FTTC wasn't completely accurate then.

Yep exactly, the impacted speed is quite a chunk lower than if it was over ethernet; ideally this is what i need. Thanks to everyone for your advice though.

Edited by bIOforger (Mon 13-Apr-15 16:08:21)

Unfortunate that your PC room is at the back. I suppose the ideal solution is to move the master socket by running up the wall to the 1st floor where it enters the property and from there run it at the same height round the house to the back into the PC room. Assuming it wil be terminated with a NTE5 faceplate, by using 6 core cable then there will be a return circuit to connect up the existing sockets from a junction at the original entrance point. Just remember there are many BT engineers who do private work!!!

In reply to a post by rogerfp:

Unfortunate that your PC room is at the back. I suppose the ideal solution is to move the master socket by running up the wall to the 1st floor where it enters the property and from there run it at the same height round the house to the back into the PC room. Assuming it wil be terminated with a NTE5 faceplate, by using 6 core cable then there will be a return circuit to connect up the existing sockets from a junction at the original entrance point. Just remember there are many BT engineers who do private work!!!

Yep i agree, i think the external route is best, as there's already a hole in my pc room's wall for the Sky dish cables So the modem could be mounted in my PC room, along with the +net router, then all my other devices are plug n play to the router, job done. But i'm not sure if they will terminate the cable into a NTE5 faceplate in my PC room or if they will agree to the external route though

Do you know any engineers who are available in the Swindon/M4 corridor area?

Edited by bIOforger (Mon 13-Apr-15 18:52:48)

I'm guessing they probably will use a NTE5 faceplate as it makes the most sense. Then your extensions will be run via the spare cables in the core cable back down to a junction box where it originally entered the house and then onto the house extensions as before. Unfortunately I'm miles from where you live and have no connections with any engineers in that area. However if it was me I would just ask any BT engineer you see working in the street. There's always one about. Other than that many just advertise anonymously in the local papers etc offering to install extensions.

In reply to a post by rogerfp:

I'm guessing they probably will use a NTE5 faceplate as it makes the most sense. Then your extensions will be run via the spare cables in the core cable back down to a junction box where it originally entered the house and then onto the house extensions as before. Unfortunately I'm miles from where you live and have no connections with any engineers in that area. However if it was me I would just ask any BT engineer you see working in the street. There's always one about. Other than that many just advertise anonymously in the local papers etc offering to install extensions.

No problem, it was a tongue in cheek question, thanks for your help today. The order is in

Doh! missed that. Pleased to hear your plans are now progressing.

This uncertainty is something that deters me from moving to fibre. My master socket is in the hall, and my ADSL router is connected to an extension socket (one of several within the flat) in the lounge. I don't want an fibre modem/router in the hall (nowhere to put it safely), and if I could be sure that the BTOR engineer could move the master socket to the lounge I might take the plunge (I don't mind losing the other extensions as I have a cordless phone, also plugged into the lounge extension). A data cable running down the hall and through a wall or door into the lounge is a no-no.

But it all seems to be so uncertain just what BTOR will and won't do on the install day (even down to whether it's BTOR or a sub-contractor who turns up), and nothing can be confirmed at the time of ordering. What happens if the engineer turns up and won't move the master socket - can I cancel the fibre order without penalty? I'd settle for fibre self-install if/when that's available, even if the speed might be less than optimum due to my internal wiring (as it can be now with ADSL).

(also posted on Plusnet forum)

The simplest way out if they won't play ball by re-siting the master using the existing wiring, is to let the engineer install at the master socket as normal, but make sure they do not mount the modem on the wall! due to the damage to decoration.

As soon as they have gone, carefully remove the new interstitial faceplate and put the original faceplate back in position. Move the modem to the extension you use at the moment and use the filter you are already using there.

You would still need to order the Data Extension Kit else, as I think I said earlier, the engineer isn't empowered to do anything other than install at the master.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

The simplest way out if they won't play ball by re-siting the master using the existing wiring, is to let the engineer install at the master socket as normal, but make sure they do not mount the modem on the wall! due to the damage to decoration.

As soon as they have gone, carefully remove the new interstitial faceplate and put the original faceplate back in position. Move the modem to the extension you use at the moment and use the filter you are already using there.

You would still need to order the Data Extension Kit else, as I think I said earlier, the engineer isn't empowered to do anything other than install at the master.

Yes that's all well and good, but that will affect the sync speed considerably. As we are paying a premium for FTTC, imo it should be done properly. I really don't know why you can't just get it done exactly how you would like (within reason) when OR do the install. I mean how many people have the same setup as me and the guy above, most of us will have the PC kit located elsewhere in another (bed)room, this is my experience and usually the modem/router is not located on the same level as the master socket in most homes.

When you say put the old faceplate back in, that would need rewiring again right? What if you don't know how to do that? I would do the same but call out a local leccy instead.

Edited by bIOforger (Mon 20-Apr-15 14:55:54)

You're getting a little confused, (not surprisingly), by what's involved.

Taking the simple one first, the whole point of the interstitial faceplate the engineer fits to the master is that no re-wiring at the master or to the existing faceplate is required. All they change are the screws holding the faceplate on, using longer ones to go through both the faceplate and filter plate. See this page.

The result is that all the extensions have the broadband filtered out and are phone only. Which is why you would need to remove it. And find the shorter screws then needed!

Now to the speed. Do you know your estimates from the BT Wholesale Checker?

Unless you have completely screwed up wiring then using the extension should make little difference. That's a different discussion. BT Retail, Sky and TalkTalk no longer send an engineer and just supply their modem/router and a dangly filter, just as for ADSLx.

Having the master moved, unless once again your wiring is completely screwed and the engineer realises it and corrects it, again makes absolutely no difference. The same amount of the same cable is still added to your distance from the cabinet, so the speed loss is the same.

Edit - And if the wiring is currently screwed then even an installation at the master needs a pukka OR engineer to realise and correct it.

Edited by RobertoS (Mon 20-Apr-15 16:10:04)