Thanks for all the input.

The exchange is Chipping Sodbury; Cabinet 13 (ECI). The modem/router is a BT Smart Hub. I have had similar results with a BT HH5A.

As for line length; it's possible it could go all around the houses or could be Ali. I know nothing about old Ali lines but I have heard of them; where they popular in the 70's? I think from memory my house was built 1975.

Popular because the material was cheaper, so yes. At the time, there was no such requirement as broadband etc and it provided a phone service which functioned adequately.

Ah, on an ECI cab so no G.INP or Xdb at the moment to help.

What about local noise, do you have any phone extensions? Is the master socket the first connection on your line? Is it an NTE5?

No phone extensions; the master socket is the only connection (although itself on the end on 10m of Cat5e routed away from power cables as in my original post). It's an NTE5A with an Openreach Mk3 Filter.

The only question mark is the quality of the Openreach connection coming from the drop cable (or in this case; the underground cable). The original pairs are cut very short; and their are some very old jelly crimps connecting to two jumper cables before some new jelly crimps onto the Cat5e. Probably not a problem; but the only internal fault I can pick at.

I will see if I can get a photo.

In reply to a post by dsgoody:

No phone extensions; the master socket is the only connection (although itself on the end on 10m of Cat5e routed away from power cables as in my original post). It's an NTE5A with an Openreach Mk3 Filter.

Thanks. Who did the wiring?

The only question mark is the quality of the Openreach connection coming from the drop cable (or in this case; the underground cable). The original pairs are cut very short; and their are some very old jelly crimps connecting to two jumper cables before some new jelly crimps onto the Cat5e. Probably not a problem; but the only internal fault I can pick at.

I will see if I can get a photo.

A photo of this would be really good

I run the cable; OR terminated it when the line was re-activated.

https://s5.postimg.org/4tpdc95rb/20171009_225803.jpg

That really doesn�t look especially healthy (the crimps on the armoured UG feed end) BUT you cannot always judge by appearances with such things.

It would require a new duct and a lead in to replace, and that would be expensive ... and usually only organised to resolve a �hard� fault eg earth/battery/dis

I agree; I've taken the approach that if it's working to leave it alone.

The *only* fix I can think of is to chisel out underneath the back box and move it down the wall slightly; but I have decided against this mainly due to the risk of causing damage to the OR cable and neighbours property with it being such a deep back box (it's on the boundary wall).

I do have access to jelly crimps if I decide to be naughty (ie. working with the OR cable) in the future......

I suppose the question is; if these crimps have degraded would they cause an increase in noise or attenuation?

If noise; then we can assume all is ok.

Doesn�t look good. How long is the cable to the master?
Who wired in the master and who fixed the master to the wall?
Is it solid or loose?

Edited by deleted (Tue 10-Oct-17 11:03:09)