Switching to BT Unlimited problem.

I'm currently with a small ISP that is excellent but a little expensive.
I have attempted to switch to the BT Unlimited deal several times but come up against a problem with the siting of my master box.
I have 2 lines to the house, one is my main line and has the master box sited in the hall with an extension lead running in to the lounge a short distance away. My other line is round the other side of the house, wired outside the house to a downstairs bedroom that I use as an office, this has the broadband on it. I don't use it for anything else. It's just a leftover from when I was working. (Now retired) The problem with this line is I get a lot of sales calls from abroad that I have not been able to stop. What I want to do is have my main master socket moved to the bedroom, have the BT Unlimited Broadband on it and get rid of the other line. Saving a fair amount of money a month. I don't want yards of cable going from the hall right through the house to the bedroom so I asked BT to move the socket.. That's where the trouble starts. They want £130 to come out and £70 to move the socket. I told them that there is already cable in the room and it just needs another socket connecting up. But no. So I said, what about switching the numbers over so that my main line goes to the bedroom. That would solve everything. No, can't do that. So 200 quid for a 15 minute job, or bin my main line and spend months telling everyone my new number,( I know you can get the call switched to the new number, but they will not do it in this case because I am not moving,) And put up with these pests from abroad telling me how I can reduce my debts etc. Of course, I could move!
h.

Edited by deleted (Sun 10-Mar-13 11:21:46)

Can you get/want FTTC where you are ? If so, order it on the main line number, when the installer turns up, ask if you can have it on the NTE in the office instead, they will happily rather do this, than run a data extension lead from it's current position. They swap the lines, you cease the office line once complete ... Bingo !

I'm in a small village in Surrey. We only get basic up to 8 Mb. I understand in a couple of years we will get Surrey Superfast Broadband. Don't hold your breath. We will never get FTTC.

Ah, OK.

The job is simple enough, how are your lines fed, overhead or underground ?

In reply to a post by woodroyd:

They want £130 to come out and £70 to move the socket.

There may also be a £30 cessation charge on the broadband supplied on that line also...

The line comes in overhead to a junction box near the front door. I had thought of switching the lines over myself or run a cable from it to the bedroom, but the junction box is such a mess of wires and strange looking bits of plastic, the lid of the junction box doesn't close.It's been open to the elements for years. I did mention it to the engineer when the extra line was installed years ago, because I thought it was such a lash up, but he just shrugged. I did give him tea and biscuits as well. Perhaps it was the biscuits.

It's just a monthly contract.

In reply to a post by woodroyd:

... but the junction box is such a mess of wires and strange looking bits of plastic, the lid of the junction box doesn't close.It's been open to the elements for years. I did mention it to the engineer when the extra line was installed years ago, because I thought it was such a lash up, but he just shrugged.

When I had a BT *engineer* around two weeks ago due to a (still recurring) fault on my line, my junction box is the same. I looked at it when my problems started, and cleaned it out and sorted the (unattached) wires so the lid would fit properly. Then I sealed it with a strip of vulcanised rubber.

He said he fixed the problem after swapping the wire pairs - which took ages - he had to put a noise signaller on the two wires in my flat to be able to find the correct two in the box - but seeing as I am the only occupant that has a BT phone, I didn't think that would be too hard! After he left I checked the box again and it was the same old mess again.

Sometimes I wonder how the BT network works at all.

Nick

In reply to a post by woodroyd:

It's just a monthly contract.

Your broadband is currently provided on the line that you would rather not use any more, is that correct?

BTW. Please don't alter any of the wiring in the junction box yourself - that could increase the potential costs considerably...

OK, sounds like it's not straight forward. Very often, what looks like a 'mess of wires' isn't a service affecting issue.
Sounds like it's an obsolete 16a closure, any chance of a photo ?

Yes, I want to stop that line and have the broadband on the other line

Yes I've got a photo. How do I send it on this forum. Can't see a way to do it.

You'll have to post it on another site, like photobucket and then provide a link on here.

http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b534/WOODROYD1/J...
Cheers, this is the picture of the junction box.

Yep, that's a 16a. At a guess the black cable coming in from the bottom of the picture is the one from the pole, the 2nd black cable going off to the left goes to the front door/main line, and the brown down lead goes to the office line ?

Correct

I've had a thought. Could I get a new line installed, and then drop the redundant ones and have the main numbr switched to the new line.?

Again, sounds like a costly solution.