i-plate

About maybe a year ago our phone line went dead though the wired extension worked noisily. I sort of suspected the master socket (old one-not two part). But on contacting BT they said it was a line fault between us and the green box at the top of the road. When the Openreach engineer came he confirmed it was a certain distance between us and the green box.

Being a flat, all wiring is underground so the engineer found there was a working redundant line which he connected up and assigned our number to. Then he found the socket not working. He only had a Virgin socket and I had a BT two part socket prob about 20 years old I had never used, which he fitted, refitting the wired extension. All seemed OK.

The broadband speed has been slower since then, about 1Mb/s slower. RIght now the router shows 4061Kb/s, http://www.speedtest.net/result/929316682.png but will sometimes be about 4800Kb/s. Best speed test result I had prior to this was 5.75Mb/s.

This is either down to the 'new' line or the 'new' socket, but I'm wondering if an i-plate would help. THe wired extention has become hissy again, though the master is fine.

Edited by rob54 (Thu 26-Aug-10 22:32:39)

An iPlate filters the ring wire, that's all.

In daylight, as a reconnection now would inevitably be slow, do a re-sync and get your router stats.

Then change to connecting through the test socket inside the master, on the wall at the back in this pic, and get the stats like that.

While the faceplate is off, see if T3 is connected and gently disconnect it. Visually and physically gently see if T2 and T5 are firmly connected. Note down exactly which colour wire is on each - they are very similar. Something like blue with white stripe and white with blue stripe.

Reassemble making sure the loose wire doesn't touch anything important, (and don't tuck it behind the test socket as that's where the incoming connections are), and get a third set of stats.

Perhaps also check the quality of the connections inside the extension, and check that the T2 colour is the same as the master T2, and T5 = T5.

Sorry not to have answered until now but nothing to report back, except to thank you for your reply. I have not tried any of your suggestions as yet.

Presumably T3 is the ring wire. If so, will disconnecting it stop the extension ringing (we have an older pulse tone phone at the extension itself).

For the initial connection direct to the test socket, in order to get stats do I simply do back to the router using the administrator login? Or do I need to get this another way.

I'll reply again once I have had a change to get some results.

ps current speed test is http://www.speedtest.net/result/936879795.png

Edited by rob54 (Wed 01-Sep-10 21:36:28)

In reply to a post by rob54:

Sorry not to have answered until now but nothing to report back, except to thank you for your reply. I have not tried any of your suggestions as yet.

Presumably T3 is the ring wire. If so, will disconnecting it stop the extension ringing (we have an older pulse tone phone at the extension itself).

For the initial connection direct to the test socket, in order to get stats do I simply do back to the router using the administrator login? Or do I need to get this another way.

I'll reply again once I have had a change to get some results.

ps current speed test is http://www.speedtest.net/result/936879795.png

T3 is the ring wire, yes.

Disconnecting it is fine because the filter your phone is on generates it anyway. But that's why you should not cut the ring wire - the next occupant may need it connected, in the unlikely event of not having broadband, and if it has been cut may not be easy to reconnect. A gentleman would reconnect it on moving home .

See Oliver341's help site for how to get O2 box stats.

did i read it right ?

you telling us that the Openreach engineer did not have a new NTE5 to fit and was going to use a Virgin one !

now i know its sometimes a pain getting to pick up stores but thats a joke

just for your info if had fited a new NTE5 they filter the bell wire so no need for a i-plate

What was an openreach engineer even doing in possesion of a virgin faceplate?
Wonder if he pilfered that from someones property?

That reminds me i think the new Robin Hood film is out on bluray next month, better add that to my lovefilm list now........

Yeh, once he realised our old one part plate was faulty he said he was that was the only one he had (the Virgin one) and said it was work OK. I wasn't keen and knew I had an unused BT one so I gave him that to fit.

Actually it was a Sunday and they were not due to come until Monday. I guess they were trying to clear a backlog of faults.

Can I tell if the plate fitted has a filter? Is it visible if I take the front off, or does the back need to be removed.

In reply to a post by CARPETBURN:

What was an openreach engineer even doing in possesion of a virgin faceplate?
Wonder if he pilfered that from someones property?

Just assumed someone was restored to BT and that is how he got it.

In reply to a post by rob54:

In reply to a post by CARPETBURN:

What was an openreach engineer even doing in possesion of a virgin faceplate?
Wonder if he pilfered that from someones property?

Just assumed someone was restored to BT and that is how he got it.

So did i and it wasnt his to take, which is what reminded me about Robin Hood

In reply to a post by CARPETBURN:

So did i and it wasnt his to take, which is what reminded me about Robin Hood

Its likely Virgin Media took the BT plate when they installed theirs, so turn and turn about!

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by CARPETBURN:

So did i and it wasnt his to take, which is what reminded me about Robin Hood

Its likely Virgin Media took the BT plate when they installed theirs, so turn and turn about!

Ah i see and then they fit them elsewhere......... How nice BT and virgin installers helping each other out servicing each others installs also no doubt

Not sure that would fly or make sense....... Pigs on the other hand they get good air

If they ever spot the faceplate i fitted myself and ask questions ill say "The Virgin man did it" LOL

Edited by deleted (Sat 04-Sep-10 02:15:42)

In reply to a post by CARPETBURN:

If they ever spot the faceplate i fitted myself and ask questions ill say "The Virgin man did it" LOL

Nice one .

Edit - Oops! It has to be the whole box. Faceplate changes are legit.

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 04-Sep-10 09:13:36)

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

In reply to a post by CARPETBURN:

If they ever spot the faceplate i fitted myself and ask questions ill say "The Virgin man did it" LOL

Nice one .

Edit - Oops! It has to be the whole box. Faceplate changes are legit.

The Virgin bloke replaced all the wiring in my house with aircraft grade shielded cable, he just happened to have that laying about also Amazing what these Virgin blokes pick up and are willing to do to help a BT line
I didnt do any of it

Coax or power would not be much good for ADSL - and shielded cables if grounded incorrectly can channel noise onto the cable

Or is this another urban myth

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Coax or power would not be much good for ADSL - and shielded cables if grounded incorrectly can channel noise onto the cable

Or is this another urban myth

Dunno dont care all i know is when the Virgin man replaced all my scrap BT bell wire like cable with what i have now, i gained a further 2.5Mb in downspeed on my LLU ADSL2+ service, shot from 14.5-15Mb (15Mb was a good day) to a stable solid 17Mb (and even higher if i tweak in the router).
I guess he or the cable did something right Ill guess both.

Edited by deleted (Sat 04-Sep-10 21:44:08)

Good for you - now just to sneak out into the street and do the same for the other couple of km's of cable

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Good for you - now just to sneak out into the street and do the same for the other couple of km's of cable

Im not paying for km's of the stuff........ Err i mean the virgin bloke cant get km's of the stuff all in one go he has to speak to a friend in the aircraft maintenance industry first and negotiate for the masses