Master Socket / Fibre Query.

Hi

I've just had an offer accepted on a house that is approx 17 years old.
The BT line comes into the property underground.

I'm trying to work out where the master socket will be or if that will be needed.

From our last viewing I remember seeing 4 phone sockets all of which are sunken into the walls and plastered in. Hall, lounge, bedroom and utility.

The current owners have an ADSL filter connected to the socket in the lounge and all other sockets have nothing connected. I'm assuming they connect their modem/router to the ADSL filter.

Is there any way to tell which is the master if the current owners don't know ?

Are standard ADSL filter OK to use with Fibre ?

Can I connect an ADSL filter to any of the sockets and then connect my openreach modem to that filter to get Fibre ? (I will be paying for fibre) or do I have to use the master ?

Ideally I'd like to use the socket in the bedroom while we do some work on the house, then I may use the hall socket.

Any advice on doing this ?

Thanks
Jexx

Only way to tell is to take each socket off and see what components are fitted. A master will have a capacitor, resistor and spark gap fitted (at that age of house) however in some cases it may be a 30mm square block with components inside and you will not be able to see it.

Yes, and ADSL filter will work with VDSL/FTTC although the performance may not be ideal and can be on any of the sockets - normally. You will need a filter on every socket where a phone, alarm, Sky box, or similar device is fitted.

It will be interesting to see what wiring is used for the interconnect between the sockets ... it may have an adverse effects if not of a suitable standard.

Once you get in, get some pictures of the back of each socket and we can soon tell what is what and advise on the vest route forward.

Thanks.
We're in the early stages at the moment.. but things are moving ahead so I'm looking to make sure we get connected once in.

I'll be viewing a few more times before we move in so I'll see if any of the sockets look different. I was hoping to see a master with a built in filter, but I don't remember that.

I'll post back when we had another look.

Thanks
Jexx

Can you see where the line comes in on the house exterior?

I'm sure at this point.. I plan to check on my next visit

Sometimes, though not always, the socket nearest the UG feed is most likely the master .... hallways are another favoured location.

Our last new-build, built in 1995, had an underground lead-in, with the duct cover showing it went into the house via the front wall, into the lounge.

The design came with 2 sockets - one in the hallway in the middle of the house, one in the master bedroom, at the side of the house. We got the builders to add a socket to the 4th bedroom for an office. There was no socket where the cable entered the outer wall, and nothing came through the inner wall.

The master, it turns out, was actually the main bedroom. The extensions were daisy-chained, main bedroom -> hall -> 4th bedroom.

Unscrew the cover of the box.
If there's two wires connected, its the main box, if there's three wires, its an extension.

This is incorrect information.

Plenty of examples of bell wires (and more) being terminated on wires from the feed cable. Nearly always the work of electricians who have installed wiring whilst the property is being built. In their defence, they are most likely working on lines without a live service on them ...

Agree, it�s not an exact science.