Infinity Installation

Do they install the new socket at the same point of entry as the existing Master Socket?

Do they remove the existing Master Socket?

What happens to the extension sockets currently connected to the existing Master Socket? (I plug the router into one of them)

The existing master is used with a new faceplate filter.

Extensions will be rewired to the new front plate.

The modem will be installed close to the master and not on an extension.

As MHC says, plus the engineer can fit a "Data Extension Kit" from the master to wherever you want the supplied Openreach modem. The standard kit is (up to) 30m long but I think it has been said longer is technically possible.

The Infinity Home Hub connects to the modem using a standard Ethernet cable.

A few people with exemplary CAT5 home extension wiring have persuaded the engineers to use that instead of needing the Data Extension Kit, or even to resite the master at the far end of that wiring, at the point where the customer wanted the modem and router.

You cannot site the modem and/or router at the end of a conventional extension in normal circumstances. Only as above.

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 19-Aug-11 09:49:51)

As with the original BT-installs of ADSL.

Does anyone know...

Any indications if there are TECHNICAL reasons why they won't install on an extension? Can it not be done, or is it just that it can't be done using a NTE5 faceplate-mounted filter?

Do they carry the extension kit? Do they charge extra for it? Are they helpful abotu routing the cable or will they insist on only doing it if it's easy and not too far??

Technical - yes extension wiring is generally of poor quality, and thus reduces the speed you get.
The data extension kit can be 30m long.
The Modem and router can be as far apart as you can make 100Meg ethernet work.

Generally BT engineers are good about routing cable, but if we are talking about lifting carpet and floor boards to do a neat job, then that would be too much.

Technical - you cannot have a phone connected prior to the master socket with VDSL whereas you could with ADSL. So all telephone extensions have to be rewired from the new master socket.

That is my understanding too - but why not? If it is appropriately filtered then there should be no reason. Unless, there is some form of impedance matching/termination in the VDSL face plate and a phone prior to that would reduce the levels and cause a measurable drop in signal strength.

I have not take one apart yet, and cannot find a circuit diagram for a VDSL filter - if you know of one, point me in the right direction.

In reply to a post by MHC:

The existing master is used with a new faceplate filter.

Extensions will be rewired to the new front plate.

The modem will be installed close to the master and not on an extension.

So that means that I would have to have the modem in the hall ( not nice) and connect wirelessly rather than in the study where it is presently located and plugged into an extension with an Ethernet connection to my desktop. Hhhhhmmmmmmmmm

Edit" Have now read other posts and see that BT Engineer could fit an extension kit - but I guess they would just run that across the wall and round door-frames etc without much regard to aesthetics.

Edited by michaelh (Fri 19-Aug-11 10:54:26)

Same setup as it was for the original ADSL roll-out, where all phones were filtered at the master socket, and when people come on tweaking their ADSL its the same recommendation usually.

i.e. having an unfiltered star configuration (even if no phones plugged in) can cause reliability issues for ADSL, speed drops for ADSL2+ and cause worse things for VDSL2.

It is all down to the ability of the wiring to pick up interference.
By filtering at the entry point to the property you reduce this effect as much as you can.

Dont like what BT do when installing VDSL2 feel free to change it, but

a) Expect to see possible drops in speed
b) If an engineer visits for a fault and wiring is not to BT spec then good chance of being billed for the call out

The modem can be tucked away in the hall and is quite unobtrusive. Even without the extension kit the standard RJ11/12 cable is around 2m long so it does not have to be right next to te main socket. YOU can then run a cat5 cable along your preferred routing to the router which could be in the study.