damaged wiring & no master socket?

I've just moved house and noticed that my new house has what appears to be the old type of wiring prior to master sockets being installed? It appears to have some sort of mini junction box inside the house.

https://postimg.org/image/hl9i9qz8x/

The wiring also appears to be damaged.

I'm due to have my old fibre broadband moved over from my old address to my new address in the next week. Will it work with the above wiring type?

BT have suggested that because the damage was already there when I moved in that they'll fix it and the lady on the phone said she's 99.9% sure it will be free because it's existing damage. Anyone know for sure?

Even if they fix it, will my fibre work with this wiring?

The box in the picture is likely where the external wire (black) finishes and joins to the internal wiring.

Mine comes in to one of those and I can usually sync at about 80/20 without problems. That bit's probably not going to need replacing.

One of the sockets you have inside will be an old style master socket. You'd be far better off with the newer master socket as it has improved broadband performance.

If there is an internal wiring fault and you haven't got a new style master socket which provides a demarcation between BT wiring and your wiring, my understand is that BT will rectify that at no cost.

You might like to ask the ISP you're taking a broadband service from whether they can arrange for a new master socket to be fitted at no cost. If there was an internal wiring issue, the BT engineer would sort it out at the same time.

Good luck!

+1

Also why do you think the wiring is damaged ? Just because it's old doesn't necessarily equate to faulty.

I'd agree that a true NTE would be a 'good thing' to have. If you do get an engineer visit have them check inside the pictured junction box, one of that age is often housing a screw terminal connection and crimped would be preferable for broadband.

When I moved in to my current house the outside wiring which comes in through under the eves, was cut on the outside. They had to run a new wire to the pole. Inside the loft the black BT wiring came to an NTE5 just sitting there on the loft floor, with a plug in extension running through the ceiling to the kitchen. The house had been empty for a few years. BTO fixed all of it for free and ran the NTE to the living room through hallway ceiling and living room wall, to end beside the computer.

Some of the wires looked snapped. The person who lived here was a bit odd. They damaged a lot of the house in currently working on sadly.

If the "snapped" ones are on terminal three that is intentional to prevent noise affecting the broadband. No harm done unless using an antique or extremely shoddy new phone that needs the bell wire and isn't connected through a decent dangly filter.

Only T2 and T5 do anything.

Edited by RobertoS (Mon 01-May-17 12:06:20)

The service was connected today but I have no telephone line at all. It's dead.

BT have done a test at their end and confirmed there's a fault. They said they'll be able to fix it before the end of this week which is great news.

What I'm slightly less happy about is that it's going to cost me £129!!

The person I spoke with yesterday said that because I've just bought the house and the damage was there already BT will fix it for free. However the person I spoke with today said as the wiring issue is inside my house I'll have to pay for it.

Bit annoyed being told one thing and then another. And getting charged for damage that I've not done is also frustrating although I can appreciate BT don't want to pay for it either. Just irritating that one person said free and another said not.

I've also renewed my contract with BT when I moved. I'd have thought they'd include a line install with that as currently I don't appear to have the required kit for their service.

Any thoughts anyone?

If it is pre-master socket you should not pay. You cannot be held liable if the test socket does not work.

Since you have no master, BT need to resolve for free.

I would complain should a charge be raised. This is clearcut, not your charge.

Is this a policy or rule or something? Is there something I can quote for this as despite being put on hold numerous times on the call the person on the phone refused to drop the fee. He said I'd have to pay for it. He apparently spoke with his manager twice but each time explained I'd be charged for it as the wiring is inside my house.

It's the engineer who decides if you get charged or not.

If it's external, you won't be charged.

Is that the case even if the damage was caused by a person that was living at the property? Presumably if someone accidentally damages an internal wire BT would charge to rectify? It's possible the previous owner/tenant caused the damage rather than it being normal wear and tear.

It's a fine line if the damage is deliberate, although it is still technically BTs wiring pre-NTE and their responsibility.

I've seen Openreach charge for issues "inside the boundary of the customer property".

Agreed, if disputed the charge will commonly be refunded by the service provider. It is important the customer stipulates the fault was not on their internal wiring, but on the wiring pre-NTE which is BTs cabling. You pay line rental to ensure the cabling up and to the NTE is functional, BT are not liable to provide a service to any of your internal telephone extension sockets. If the service works fine in the TEST socket but not an extension, that would be a clear charge if the engineer had to repair the extension post NTE.

Unless of course, the customer has caused the damage to the pre nte wiring...

From the description there isn't an NTE5, so no test socket.

AIUI, as part of a new line connection/installation for a new customer a working line should be installed with whatever Openreach work is required. The ISP is being charged a standard fixed price, and may or may not be charging the user. A new NTE5C will/should presumably be installed, even if there had been an NTE5A present.

Scenario...windows being fitted and the incoming line is severed, or change that to damage by garden implement etc...

In those cases damage on the Openreach side of the demarcation point is chargeable, in the previous owner did it scenario a lot revolves around the likely looking age of the damage

Ultimately the op has asked their ISP to install a new service. It is now the ISPs responsibility to provide a working service upto a working NTE. The op does not have this hence clearly the ISP is responsible to get this going. Had the OP arrived into the property and severed the cabling they would be liable, in this event the cabling looks aged with wear + tear & there is no obvious damage by the op.

Additionally as part of a new line install, where a NTE master does not exist this is usually rectified free of charge. The op cannot officially go and install their own NTE hence it is BTs job.

Likely is the case the line is OK internally anyway, and they will get it going externally. We will see. Either way the NTE should be a point which clearly segments BTs side and the consumers side, the only chargeable category would ideally be deliberate or accidental damage e.g. cutting cable yourself or a builder damaging it, which the account holder authorised not the property owner 1 year ago.

Edited by ukhardy07 (Wed 03-May-17 12:05:11)

They've sent an engineer out to the box on the street today. They said they'd call if they need access.

I suspect they'll beee access so I'm keeping my phone by me but so far nothing heard at all and I've not seen anyone by the box - I'm cleaning and sorting my new house out and I've been here all day.

BT said they'll fix this by tomorrow night. Hope so. But we shall see.

Edited by deleted (Wed 03-May-17 15:09:35)

You need them instructing to replace the master socket if you haven't got an NTE5. They can/(are supposed to) do it free if called out for some other purpose, which this is, but if not in the premises the engineers won't know it needs doing.

You could try telling them and see what they say. Nothing lost by that, but they may just say they need you to go through your ISP. Trouble is doing it through the ISP could result in a separate job, chargeable.

My ISP is BT.

Should I call back again on the fault line and tell them this too or so I just ask the engineer when he turns up?

Dunno what's best, sorry. For the reason I gave.