Can this be causing a speed drop?

Hello all,

I recently had BT Infinity 2 installed (Monday Jan 20th). My estimated speed at sign up was 70 - 80 Mbps, but my current download speed is around 57 Mbps with an IP Profile 58.82 Mbps.

I noticed that above my front door, there is a small box that links the outside line to the inside of the flat. I unscrewed the cover and noticed it looks really nasty in there. I have taken 2 photos of it and I am wondering can this be the reason why I am ~13 Mbps off my estimate?

You can notice some of the wires coming from the outside line (on the left) are exposed and twisted.

Do you think I could see an increase in speed/sync speed if I got rid of this box? And how would I go about doing it? (whats the cleanest way?).

Here are some stats off the modem as well:

6. Data rate: 16988 / 60770
7. Maximum data rate: 16951 / 60258
8. Noise margin: 5.8 / 6.4 (Is the noise level acceptable? Or is below 6 bad)
9. Line attenuation: 0.0 / 14.8
10. Signal attenuation: 0.0 / 15.0

Here's some photos of the box:

Photo 1: http://oi40.tinypic.com/2qamwwg.jpg
Photo 2: http://oi40.tinypic.com/2iudiyp.jpg

Thanks for any help!

I think that would cause something like a bridge tap, which is referred to for the Range B estimate given by www.dslchecker.bt.com

Just noticed your sync speed is above your max, which indicates your noise margin has fallen due to noise.

Edited by BatBoy (Fri 24-Jan-14 21:30:39)

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

I think that would cause something like a bridge tap, which is referred to for the Range B estimate given by www.dslchecker.bt.com

Just noticed your sync speed is above your max, which indicates your noise margin has fallen due to noise.

Yea but it seems to be done in a very bad way. If the lines are linked in a clean and proper manner shouldn't I see a speed increase?

My first thought is that the box is feeding two extension sockets in the flat, and the master socket is elsewhere, possibly with those for the other flats in the basement or similar.

What sort of socket is your FTTC fed from, and did the engineer change it from what was there before? He added the VDSL filter, but that plugs into a rear assembly. It's that rear assembly I am asking about. Did that have a removable bottom half the same as is screwed to the bottom of the VDSL2 filter? Or was it a single plate covering the whole socket?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

My first thought is that the box is feeding two extension sockets in the flat, and the master socket is elsewhere, possibly with those for the other flats in the basement or similar.

What sort of socket is your FTTC fed from, and did the engineer change it from what was there before? He added the VDSL filter, but that plugs into a rear assembly. It's that rear assembly I am asking about. Did that have a removable bottom half the same as is screwed to the bottom of the VDSL2 filter? Or was it a single plate covering the whole socket?

I did follow the line from outside my front door and it seems to go down the stairs shaft (I live on the 4th top floor) along with the neighbors cables down to a locked 40x40cm box on the ground floor near the elevator, which I think is where all the phone lines meet. Does that mean my master socket is there? (Obviously cant install modem there lol)

Before installing Infinity 2, there was just a telephone socket (similar to the modem line input). I'm not sure if he replaced that but I think he just fitted a faceplate over it. I did take it apart yesterday, and the MK2 faceplate fits over a socket on the wall which has a board with an input connector for the MK2 and the top of the board is where the phone cable meets the board. Here's a photo of it now http://oi44.tinypic.com/k9w3d5.jpg

This is the only socket in the flat, and the cable leads to that ugly box above the front door. I'd be happy to get rid of that thing as we don't need any more extensions in the flat. I don't know if you managed to see those twisted copper wires feeding the box on the left and I don't know if they carry data but they do seem connected pretty [censored]!

It definitely would be great if I could test the connection speed down at the main box at the ground floor but its locked and im sure it would be pretty technical (not a simple plug in cable).

Edited by rorz112 (Sat 25-Jan-14 00:05:31)

Yes. I think you need to get an Openreach engineer to get rid of that box and perhaps rewire to the master if the cable is not twisted pair.

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

Yes. I think you need to get an Openreach engineer to get rid of that box and perhaps rewire to the master if the cable is not twisted pair.

Is it the Openreach engineer's duty to do this as part of the installation? I tried contacting BT to say the installation wasn't proper but they insist that my line is fine and won't send an engineer. So, confused at the moment..

If your speed is below the Range B estimate, that should help your argument.

I reckon this is a new version of what you have. If BT will not send somebody to sort out their mess, which in my opinion should have been done when they installed your service you could do it yourself.

Note that pin 3 seems to be connected, so what precedes that box in the building is a concern.

Also there is an NTE5 within the flat. The OP says there are no other extensions.

All dodgy in my opinion.