This is very common, when users got fibre they often did not use their ADSL on the master socket. If the extension wiring was good enough spec the engineer would connect jelly crimps to the wiring behind the master, connect it to the extension, install fibre socket here, backwire to original master and cut out capacitor.

It should make a very marginal if any difference & it would have to pass all line tests e.g. if it ran next to noisy electrical wiring it wouldn't do this.

Personally unless you have a real need to mess, I'd keep it there.

In reply to a post by mxnmx:

Yes there's dialtone- I have a fully functional phone connected downstairs.

That's interesting: a dial tone from the test socket but apparently no xDSL via the Mk3 faceplate which also fits in the test socket. Perhaps the Mk3 faceplate is faulty, have you tried a dangle filter (as supplied with routers) in the downstairs NTE5 test socket?

In reply to a post by ukhardy07:

This is very common, when users got fibre they often did not use their ADSL on the master socket. If the extension wiring was good enough spec the engineer would connect jelly crimps to the wiring behind the master, connect it to the extension, install fibre socket here, backwire to original master and cut out capacitor.

That makes sense, so the OP will only be getting filtered voice from the downstairs test socket?

In reply to a post by 4M2:

In reply to a post by ukhardy07:

This is very common, when users got fibre they often did not use their ADSL on the master socket. If the extension wiring was good enough spec the engineer would connect jelly crimps to the wiring behind the master, connect it to the extension, install fibre socket here, backwire to original master and cut out capacitor.

That makes sense, so the OP will only be getting filtered voice from the downstairs test socket?

Exactly that, you would not expect anything but voice to work here. This setup was how engineers got around the situation of router in the office, master in the hallway. It also saved running extra wiring around the property, generally speaking they'd be looking for cw1308 or better spec wiring.

And the filter is the downstairs faceplate?

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

And the filter is the downstairs faceplate?

Exactly, so they jelly crimp A+B from original master to a pair on the extension wiring, the extension socket is replaced with a master, and the jelly crimped A+B pair connect to the back of the new master.

Then on the faceplate you use another pair to back-wire to the original master socket. Very common, was done at 2 of my houses when I moved, and a few friends who got fibre did not use the master, but now have a shiny master where their old extension was, this must be done similarly.

Does the downstairs socket still work with the upstairs faceplate removed like it is in the photo?

Hi BatBoy,
Yes the socket still work with the upstairs faceplate removed (without removing any cables).

The problem I have is that when I'm next to the router in the loft room - I get a good performance whilst browsing/streaming, speed tests using various tools give a reading of 70 mbps down and 15mbps down whilst in the loft....if I run the same tests downstairs I get 20-30 mbps down and 5-10mbps up. I clearly notice a difference when I'm browsing on my laptop downstairs vs upstairs.

and I thought somehow making the downstairs Old Master socket to work with my router would resolve my problems instead of buying a signal booster or similar device.

Thanks/

Thanks ukhardy - do you know if there are any visual instructions or a video of how I can re-wire the downstairs socket?

Thanks

In reply to a post by mxnmx:

Thanks ukhardy - do you know if there are any visual instructions or a video of how I can re-wire the downstairs socket?

Thanks

It's against openreach T&C to remove that part of the socket & to make changes. I can do it, but if you attempt & something goes wrong it's a hefty fee £120+ to get BT to resolve. Can you run an ethernet and setup a second AP perhaps?