A master socket that isn't...

A friend of mine recently asked me to have a look at her telephone socket. She's lived in the house for several years but up until now has never had an active landline and she was unsure about the fact that there were 3 wires coming out of the side of the master socket. When I got there I found that the paster socket isn't an NTE5 (no surprises there since the house was built pre-1970). I unscrewed the front and that's where the confusion began. On the rear faceplate there is no sign of a resistor or capacitor and it is labelled as "LJ2/6A". A quick google of this on my phone showed that this socket is an extension type socket, not a master. Yet the only wires going into it are from the drop line. I even followed the cable through the external wall, up the side of the house and off to the telegraph pole just to be sure. The 3 loose wires she was talking about look like there were at one time used to feed an extension and have been cut by the previous home owner. ("cowboy job" springs to mind) Am I right in thinking that we'd need to connect an NTE5 from this socket before she can order a phone and broadband service since BT are the only ones who are allowed to replace the master themselves. She obviously doesn't want to pay BT the £100 odd charge if we can sort it out ourselves. She hasn't got a phone to test the line yet. Am I right in thinking that she should still get a dial tone even without an account?

One thing that you could do is fit your "own" nte5: leave the current extension socket in place and connect up to the terminals on the back of your "own" nte5 in a similar way to this http://www.clarity.it/telecoms/nte5.htm - obviously be sure to use good quality cable between the sockets

There may be a dial tone, but if the phone line has been unused for many years then this is unlikely.

I think she wants to get the socket sorted by bt. However she wants to get broadband (and I assume phone too) from sky. Should she contact sky to and explain to them that the line needs looking at or contact bt first?

Sky insist you take phone from them when you take their BB. Therefore it has nowt to do with BT Retail.

If the master socket works then anything beyond will be charged for by Openreach, who pass this charge onto the phone provider, which if its Sky, will be Sky

Cost may be £160

No, the master doesn't work. I don't even think the fascia is connected to the drop wire

it's not hers to play with. If she wants a phone service order it from a provider and they'll sort it out.

With the socket not working, then obviously you have to pay to get it connected and working...no pay no play

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

With the socket not working, then obviously you have to pay to get it connected and working...no pay no play

How are Sky at provisioning new lines?
It's worth remembering that if BTr are approached, it will mean a 12 month contract with them.

By ordering it from Openreach, something that has been available to full LLU suppliers for some time

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

With the socket not working, then obviously you have to pay to get it connected and working...no pay no play

No much of a cost though sky are only charging £10 for this (that includes new lines as well as activating previous ones) obviously with a 12month contract

Ash

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

By ordering it from Openreach, something that has been available to full LLU suppliers for some time

I realise that. What I was getting at is that one of the UK's biggest LLU providers seem to seriously fail where provisioning is concerned. I'm unsure of Sky's performance in this regard.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

With the socket not working, then obviously you have to pay to get it connected and working...no pay no play

The Post Office currently doing free line installation and only a monthly contract.

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/broadband-phone/home-pho...

Install or activate a new line � depending on your situation, we may have to install a new phone line or activate an old one. The standard cost for a new line is £112.34, subject to survey. However, for all orders placed from 01 April 2012 through to 20 May 2012, there will be no charge, subject to survey.