FTTC engineer coming soon, master socket has no power close

Hi.

I have a engineer coming soon to update the master socket with the new faceplate. The master socket is located in the lounge however, there are no power cables close to it. There is a BT extension socket in the hallway that extends from the master and the cables I believe go up some trunking inside the wall. I use a microfilter for the phone and modem/router in the hallway where there are power sockets.

I understand that the FTTC engineer will only update the master socket and thats where the modem will have to be plugged into?

Is it worth me trying to get a local engineer in to move the master socket into the hallway or will the FTTC engineer be able to use the hallway socket somehow?

Thanks

He may well be able to convert the one in the hallway to the master socket. There will be a solution, if you're nice and provide tea and biscuits, he might just be prepared to do that little bit extra outside the norm

Yeah I have heard that, but also heard it depends on whether its a BT engineer of contractor. My ISP believes it might be a contractor and from what I've read they tend to be paid per job so are in/out as quick as possible.

Can you not run a power cable to the master socket?

I could but I wouldn't want the equipment in the lounge where the master socket is located

I had a similar problem, no power near the master socket. Had not one but 3 OR engineers out (!) to put a cable from the master to near a power socket - had to up and round a door. Not ideal but it was the only solution.

Yeah I think thats the other option, instead of using the trunking extension inside the walls it will have to (using a data extension cable BT have) go along the wall, and through the wall to the hallway

If this was communicated when you ordered the provider should have added a 'data extension kit' to the install, to ensure engineer arrives with bits to do that job.

Ah I better check with the provider.

Ideally I'd like to get them to convert the extension socket to a master socket but not sure if that's possible.

Wondering if I should get someone local in to convert it to a master socket before the engineer arrives??

In reply to a post by jchannon:

Ah I better check with the provider.

Ideally I'd like to get them to convert the extension socket to a master socket but not sure if that's possible.

Wondering if I should get someone local in to convert it to a master socket before the engineer arrives??

You cannot do that. No one apart from authorised BT staff or subcontractors can alter the wring before a master socket. No ifs, no buts ... it cannot be done and anyone initiating it or undertaking it is opening themselves up to prosecution.

They wouldn't be changing the wiring on the master socket, they'd be using the extension wiring on the existing master socket to convert the extension socket to the master socket.

I thought the homeowner was allowed to change wiring within the house?

That's what they did for me. Original master socket was in the hall, they disconnected the extensions apart from one which was in the office on the other side of the wall and made that the master socket. Then just fitted a blanking plate where the original master socket was.

In reply to a post by jchannon:

They wouldn't be changing the wiring on the master socket, they'd be using the extension wiring on the existing master socket to convert the extension socket to the master socket.

I thought the homeowner was allowed to change wiring within the house?

Yes they would - as you say yourself "convert the extension socket to the master socket" at which point the new socket becomes the master and the new wiring behind it is illicit, unapproved and not installed by BT or their authorised agent.

Ah! So only BT can move a master socket for the lovely price of £140?

Might have to stick with the data extension option the engineer offers?

The whole reason for the Data Extension Kit, (properly called a Home Wiring Solution as that is what Openreach call it), is that existing extension wiring such as yours can be unsuitable for VDSL2. Particularly if builder-installed in trunking. It can be "burglar-alarm" wire.

An "interested" engineer will be normally be able to tell as soon as he sees the wires.

Changing wiring within the house does not include moving the master socket, as the test socket in that is the Openreach network termination point.

Cat5 cable run from near the master to near the extension, with a metre left coiled at each end ready for the engineer, would probably be accepted and used, even if the HWS has not been ordered. Don't clip it to anything close to the sockets - let them do that during the job once they have it at the right length.

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 08-Jan-16 12:43:10)

Ah thanks for the tip! I think I have enough Cat5 to use if they dont bring a kit with them.

I believe it should be solid core, not stranded.

Rule exists because of the stories of people sticking mains or other signals down the phone line and other DIY disasters

In reply to a post by MHC:

You cannot do that. No one apart from authorised BT staff or subcontractors can alter the wring before a master socket. No ifs, no buts ... it cannot be done and anyone initiating it or undertaking it is opening themselves up to prosecution.

You say that, but BT will charge you to repair the fault if the fault is between the BT80 junction box and the NTE5 Master Socket.

Paul

No they will not. There are many many installations with BT80 (or older) junction boxes just inside the property and internal CW1308 to te master - all of that is BT responsibility and they will not charge for faults. Repair damage caused by te customer is a different issue - if you damage their cable or junction box they may well charge for that.

In reply to a post by MHC:

No they will not. There are many many installations with BT80 (or older) junction boxes just inside the property and internal CW1308 to te master - all of that is BT responsibility and they will not charge for faults. Repair damage caused by te customer is a different issue - if you damage their cable or junction box they may well charge for that.

Ah that might of been the issue, BT was too lazy to route the cable around the door frame and through the wall so they tucked it under the carpet in the doorway and over the years wear and tear happened which resulted in BT sending an engineer where we was told it was damaged by us, well yeah, we are not going to go out of our way to guess where exactly the cable is located to step over it.

We stated this to them and they just replaced it with another cable in the same place and we have the same issue again.

Granted after explaining this the first time they wavered the charge, but that was due to we said we refuse to pay due to it was stupid for them to install it like that.

But yeah I agree about the damaging of the Junction Box, but saying that, we had double glazing installed and where they wasn't allowed to touch and re-locate the BT80 Junction box the window installers just buried it under the window frame, we explained this to the engineer when they arrived and they was happy to re-install a brand new one free of charge.

So maybe it depends on the engineer that you get.

Paul

That is just plain wrong, we were taught to never run cabling under carpets, by gripparods etc ..... and you have now seen why.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

That is just plain wrong, we were taught to never run cabling under carpets, by gripparods etc ..... and you have now seen why.

Yeah, and its like it again.
I spoke about the issue in another post on here, very messy work indeed.

What I am thinking of doing ready for our long wait of over 4 years for FTTP is to install a brand new NTE5A with a MKIII filter connected to a brand new BT80 Junction Box and when the engineers arrive to do the FTTP install even though we will be getting FVA I will ask them if they could re-route the current phone line to that new location and I will deal with any extensions myself, that way its near power sockets, in the middle of the house(for Wi-Fi) and has an easy route to our lan.

So I am guessing that we are responsible for any phone line connected to the phone faceplate of the NTE5 Master Socket, or is that still BT's responsibility?

Paul

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

So I am guessing that we are responsible for any phone line connected to the phone faceplate of the NTE5 Master Socket, or is that still BT's responsibility?

Paul

Correct.

In reply to a post by MHC:

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

So I am guessing that we are responsible for any phone line connected to the phone faceplate of the NTE5 Master Socket, or is that still BT's responsibility?

Paul

Correct.

Ok, that makes perfect sense due to that doesn't need access to the actual cables upto the master socket, so that would allow for me to later on join our extensions to it in my free time, that's cool

That assuming they would move the line to that new boxes that I would of fitted before hand and just have them connect the A and B terminals on the BT80 to the phone line, leaving them to just test it, not that it would ever be used once over on the FVA for the phones.

But it would remove their iffy wires under our carpet LOL.

Paul