Securing a mk4 faceplate on a NTE5c wallbox

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions to secure the MK4 faceplate on to the matching 5C wallbox. Any slight movement in the cable and it separates on the one side. Really not impressed with the flimsy quality of these boxes.

Yep, really average.

Usually if they won’t stay securely clipped on, it is because the screwing in of the NTE to the back box, or the back box to the wall, has meant the NTE is twisted somewhat.

Trial and error of loosening/tightening the two screws in the NTE, much patience required, and a degree of good fortune.

As you said, chip as chips rubbish.

Had to Sellotape the faceplate on the first of these, the replacement is OK.

I've read quite a few instances of folk resorting to some sort of adhesive tape.

Not very elegant though.

Thanks for the all the advice. The 5c faceplate is quite tight up against a mains plug - I'll have a look at possibly moving it over a millimetre or two to see if that fixes it. Maybe a bit of hidden velcro inside might be another solution.

Edited by kebabselector (Sun 12-Jul-20 21:39:13)

It was just a couple of inches of tape along the joint, unless you knew it was there probably wouldn't notice it. When the engineer came (for another reason) he didn't spot it at first, went to pull off faceplate and was puzzled as to why it didn't come off.

In reply to a post by kebabselector:

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions to secure the MK4 faceplate on to the matching 5C wallbox. Any slight movement in the cable and it separates on the one side. Really not impressed with the flimsy quality of these boxes.

Remove the front faceplate by squeezing the sides, on the left and right you'll see the two white plastic clips that will clip into the main nte box. Be careful but bend the two plastic clips on the right outwards slightly and then firmly push the faceplate back onto the master socket.Bending the plastic clips by a mm or two should be enough. If you find one side has not quite taken, then press that side firmly and it should clip into place, you'll hear it click when it takes. If it doesn't work at first then repeat until you get it to click into place. This will work, as done it many times myself.

Thanks i'll take a look at that

Yeah I did a similar thing with my one a while back, but I used a heat gun to warm it a little and with a flat bit of metal I gently pushed it out a little.

That worked for a while until the hoover kept knocking it off, so I ended up going back the NTE5a Master Socket and still on it now.

Paul

I've got a spare MK2 faceplate which might get used if the above tricks don't work, assuming I can find the front bit!

It won't fit a 5c.

In reply to a post by kebabselector:

I've got a spare MK2 faceplate which might get used if the above tricks don't work, assuming I can find the front bit!

You will need a NTE5a Master Socket Backplate to fit that.

This is what a NTE5a Mast Socket looks like, and here is what the NTE5c Master Socket looks like, notice the difference.

You worst case could be just to stick tape on the sides.

Paul

Damn, missing both pieces on the left and right!

I'll try a few securing methods once the line problem has been sorted out. *Currently there's no voice working (and the BB speed is way off the capped 40mb speed - the line is capable of around 65mb) since the service start - I didn't realise as I didn't have a handset available!

I was hoping to use a proper faceplate so I can use a short Cat5 cable from the wall box to the router.

Current mess

*Looking at the BQM it seems that Openreach might be fixing it as it's just gone all red!

Edited by kebabselector (Wed 15-Jul-20 10:00:48)

In reply to a post by kebabselector:

Damn, missing both pieces on the left and right!

Well your probably missing all 3 parts of the NTE5a and the Face Plate of the NTE5c.
Both of the back plates are different so you cannot mix and match parts.

In reply to a post by kebabselector:

I was hoping to use a proper faceplate so I can use a short Cat5 cable from the wall box to the router.

You can either get them off the Engineer, I have always done that, they are happy to give them to you if you ask nice.

Or you can buy them online like from Amazon, there are a few out there, so you can choose who to get them from, you get supplied a Back Plate and Phone & DSL Face Plate, so you can just use the face plate.

Assuming you get a face plate, you could attach the CAT cable internally on the DSL Face Plate inside (Data Extension Connector) hiding the cable, that is how I would do it if I was on xDSL, in fact I did just that on the NTE5a when we were on ADSL2+.

Paul

After digging around I've found the missing bits. I'll be back at the property at the weekend so will have a look at fixing/securing it then.