Faceplate change

Hi all,

I'm wanting to replace the faceplate on the master socket to a splitter, currently we have a one which comes off and has no wiring into the faceplate, the only connection looks to be from the faceplate to the test socket.

It's the one which only the bottom comes off, would replacing this be a good idea and would you know whether this would increase sync speeds?

We're going from PlusNet 8mb (non-LLU) to TalkTalk (LLU) as they're the first company to put their own equipment into the exchange. I snapped the guys arm off when he suggested their new product has no usage / download limits and I'd be getting an average of around 20 meg with the lowest being 15 and max being 22.

if the lower half of the faceplate comes off and there is no wiring to the removed part then there's no difference between a faceplate filter and a dangly filter plugged into the socket on the faceplate.

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the reply, there are currently none in the rear because all of the extensions are daisy chained to the front, do you recommend I use the external filter and carry on using them the way they are?

face plate socket -> microfilter -> router + extensions works, if the extensions plug into the front now.

Or am I misunderstanding.

if the microfilter is the first thing into the socket, and ADSL running to the ADSL modem and the extensions carrying just voice then that would be probably as good as a faceplate.

If though you have the extensions plugged into the master and multiple microfilters at the ends of the extension then you might get improvements.

Looking at the router statistics will give an idea as if you are already getting good speeds for the attenuation probably no large improvements will be possible. http://www.coolwebhome.co.uk/calc/calculator.php and feed in the connection speed, attenuation and noise margin and if you get three green lights then as you are is probably as good as it gets.

It might be an idea to get us confirm the figures he gave you! They could be a load of rubbish, or they may be fine. You may even find it is worse than what you have now.

Three things we could do with knowing, the third one being the most important.

1) What exchange is it please? The URL of the result from samknows is best.

2) What does this checker say about your line?

3) Please can you try to find, then post, the line stats from your router. See here for help.

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 26-Jan-13 14:21:31)

In reply to a post by Antowns:

Thanks for the reply, there are currently none in the rear because all of the extensions are daisy chained to the front, do you recommend I use the external filter and carry on using them the way they are?

I'm a little unhappy about your layout, which still needs clarification . I'm sort of elaborating on yarwell's question and MrSaffron's "If".

You are running several plug-in phone extension cables into that splitter, by the sound of things.

Is the splitter plugged into the faceplate, with extensions and the micro-filter plugged into it? Or is the microfilter plugged into the faceplate and the router and splitter plugged into that?

The first of those two possibilities is very bad. Giving almost certain broadband degradation.The second is in my opinion not ideal but works, possibly with some degradation.

Additionally, do you have any Sky boxes?

Hi guys,

Sorry I've not been able to get back to you sooner. This is actually my girlfriend's father's house so I'm also a bit unhappy about the state of the wiring. As it currently stands it looks like this;

Faceplate -> Sky Extension -> (Upstairs) Filter -> Router
-----^--------------^------> Filter -> Sky Extension

As you can see it's very messy, could probably do with simplifying things a bit, the estimated line speeds provided by the guy on the phone go in line with the estimated speeds from their broadband checker which I'm fairly sure get provided to them.
Here's a link to the exchange; http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/NEWYL

I suspect we've got a decent line, potentially good due to distance, though I know it's just as the crow flies. The house is in Woodvale Gardens just off the main road, so fairly close.

Edited by Antowns (Sat 26-Jan-13 14:48:49)

if you put a faceplate splitter on the socket downstairs will you move the router there ?

is the sky extension plugged into the faceplate ?

Ok, his estimates look reasonable. What worries me is still the wiring, and I'd love to see the line stats, my third request earlier. From what you've now posted I wouldn't be surprised if they show that wiring is messing things up.

I must be being really dense as I don't understand that diagram at all. It doesn't seem to agree with your original post, and what is a "Sky Extension"? Something with a Sky box on it? There's no mention of phones either.

How does the daisy-chaining work? Or don't you really mean daisy-chaining?

I think what you are now saying is one of three possibilities.

1) that there is a simple 2-way line splitter in the master socket, with a plug-in line extension cable in each socket of that. At the other ends, one has a dangly filter feeding the router and a Sky box, the other has a dangly filter feeding a Sky box.

2) the same 2-way splitter in the master socket, one plug-in cable as in (1) feeding the router and a Sky box, and the other socket having a dangly filter feeding a Sky box.

3) a plug-in extension cable into the master socket, at the end of which cable is a dangly filter feeding the router and a second plug-in cable which ends up feeding a Sky box.

What's worrying me is I'm reckoning on there being a few unfiltered ring/bell-wires there, possibly two Sky boxes, and that combination could crucify his service. (Dangly filters don't filter the ring wire present in most extension cables).

It possibly already is doing on his Plusnet connection. Do we know what speeds he gets, or just that it's supposed to be "up to 8Mbps"?

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 26-Jan-13 19:45:27)