In home connection

Although my home is not yet connected to fibre I am anticipating FTTC within the next 9 months. However, my BT master socket is located on a small wall between the front door and downstairs cloakroom; the position is such that I can only plug in a bell! I have connected a cable to the back of the master socket and now have my ADSL2 modem/router in a more convenient place. When the FTTC broadband is connected will I be able to use the existing socket used for my ADSL2 connection or will I have to relocate the master socket?

When you say back of the master socket, do you mean back of the faceplate where you are meant to wire extensions from?

If so then a dedicated data extension using a VDSL2 faceplate will give you best result with minimal mucking about e.g. VDSL faceplate on Amazon

http://www.coolwebhome.co.uk/faceplate/ shows how it all goes together and highlights the various connectors

Thanks for this, and yes I have connected my extension, and thus modem/router, to the back of the faceplate. So, looking at the coolweb link, I assume you are suggesting the connection of a twisted pair to the small IDC block. It states that this cable should be as short as possible; my current extension cable run is about 10 metres and I guess this is too long. If so I think I will have to relocate the master socket.

It should be fine as it is

Relocating the master socket wouldn't make any difference, even if you were allowed to do that - which you aren't.

What you could do, if the cable you have from it to your extension is decent phone wiring, (CW1308 is the normal), is replace it with CAT5 beforehand and connect that to an interstitial faceplate shown in MrSaffron's two links. You are allowed to add and remove stuff to/from the back of the faceplate, and fit that intermediate one.

You wouldn't need anything connected to the faceplate then, unless you have some other extensions currently connected to it. Note that you would be connecting the CAT5 to the A/B terminals pointed to by the yellow arrow.

Unfortunately it is a bit bulky. Sticks out rather more than at the moment.

Edit: Thinking about it, it would be unlikely to make much difference if you forget about the interstitial plate and just connect the Cat 5 to the back of the faceplate instead of the existing cabling. I'm assuming you don't want a phone there.

Edited by RobertoS (Tue 30-Aug-16 17:23:39)

Thanks. I would get BT to move the master socket if needed. However, I have found a site that has offered me various options as work-arounds, one of which is to connect cat5 to terminals A/B! For anybody else with a similar problem try this link:

http://www.mymatevince.com/

where there are many videos showing various ways to improve broadband speeds and also making networking connections.

Not in a place where I can watch the videos, but connecting to the AB on is only OK if this is NOT the incoming line, i.e. it has to be part of an interstitial or faceplate rather than the actual back of the master.

CAT5 is recommended because it has a higher twist rate than CW1308 phone cable and thus better at noise rejection for VDSL signals.

10m extension from the data terminals is fine and with CAT5 should not cost you any speed. When they say a long way there are talking 50m or more, e.g. some will through a cable over their roof to get to the back of the house rather than going through neatly.

Does the interstitial plate serve any purpose though if there is no intention of using the master for the FTTC? I think Cat5 straight off the NTE faceplate should be fine. Unless this bell that sounds to be plugged in would mess it up.

I'm just thinking of the bulk in a hallway.

Even the original OR Data Extension Cables were plugin to the NTE5 faceplate.

Edited by RobertoS (Wed 31-Aug-16 08:16:46)

Yes I understand that it has to be the AB IDC's top left of the interstitial plate. My concern was over the distance, which you have answered, thank you. As you had suggested a "dedicated data" line it was my intention to use Cat5.

I'm going to have to run 2 extension lines (currently wired to the back of the faceplate) plus a data cable to the modem/router; so as far as I can see the best answer is to use the interstitial plate with a data cable wired to the AB IDC's on this plate, with the 2 extension lines left connected to the faceplate. Yes it will be bulky but doable. Thanks for your suggestions.