BT Faceplate affecting Connection?

My BT faceplate is just a blank split faceplate with cables off it to 2 BT sockets that you can put your phone into. The faceplate itself doesnt have a phone socket on it but if I remove the lower part of the faceplate then it does have a test socket.

Just connected to the test socket and getting 8mb connection.

When connected to the normal phone sockets (with filters etc) then the internet connection kept cutting out and AOL say this could be a problem with the faceplate wiring rather than the line.

My question is - can I replace the faceplate or do I call in BT?
And if I can, can it be with one that has a phone socket in it and if I did would plugging my router into it enable me to get higher speeds/better connection than if I go back to the other phone sockets?

Finally, and sorry to ask so many questions, but the only LLU in my area is O2 - would switching away from AOLs unhelpful and expensive support line give me the same speeds ? I read some comments about 02s routers not being good but 02 say their N-router is one of the best - is this true ? I have Netgear DG384 v3 at present

It's an NTE5 'b' - You can change the faceplate and all wiring beyond. The NTE5 is the demarcation point.

If you are replacing the faceplate you may as well get a filtered one. Checkout ADSLNation or Clarity webshops.

O2 LLU would almost certainly be an improvement over AOL but if you use the AOL software you'll need to adapt to using a browser maybe an email client instead.

Some swear by the DG834v3 and others swear about them. It uses a TI chipset unlike the other versions and I've seen some report that these are good but my own experience is that they were very poor performers on both my own and sons lines - it probably depends on the exchange equipment.

If you do swap to O2 and find their supplied kit lacking there is nothing stopping you from buying your own (the settings are non standard but documented on the web).

faceplate wiring or the extensions themselves.

So may be nothing wrong with the faceplate itself but the wiring attached to it. Getting a filtered faceplate as suggested is a good move, the extensions can still be connected.

In the short term if each extension has a wire on pin 3 trying lifting this out of the IDC jaws, and this may improve stability.
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/faq/sections/radsl.htm... pictures and text explaining this a bit more

I too have a problem with the face plate - according to Sky. My pc is upstairs and wireless router downstairs and can't get a signal. After hours with Sky I disconnected all extensions from face place and am now in the test socket with wires all over the place. What can I do now to get a good signal?

Is the problem not being able to get a wireless signal from the router? Or that the DSL is not working very well.

If a wireless range issue then phone wiring does not need changing.

As for wires all over the place, so photos and descriptions of the actual situation are needed before anyone can help.

You took the faceplate off to get at the test socket, and disconnected all the wires from it? If someone at Sky suggested that then either you misunderstood them or they should be shot.

If so, you had better order an IDC/Krone tool from somewhere like ADSL Nation so you will be able to put them back without damaging anything.

Plus post good photos as requested by MrSaffron. So we can make sure you connect the right colours to the right terminals.