Missing BT NTE5 Master Socket

We live in quite an old house not only suffers from some quite old internal phone wiring but seems to be missing the standard master socket as the first point of contact as the line enters the house. There is a box of sorts but it must date back to the 70s or before and then we have regular sockets dotted around the house (on the end of wiring from a similar era).

We have broadband but the speed is slow and I was wondering whether I can ask BT to replace the wiring to the house, including providing a proper master socket, etc. I could then get someone to rewire the rest of the house appropriately.

Despite already having the service connected if I try the BT broadband availability checker using our phone number I get:

However, it has been proved not possible for your telephone line to support broadband service. Please accept our apologies. We are continuing to look for alternative technology solutions and this site will be updated with developments as they happen.

If I do the same test using our post code I get:

We've just tested your line and can confirm your line supports the UK's most complete broadband package, BT Total Broadband. We estimate your maximum download speed to be 0.5 Mbps (Megabits per second).

According to my router the figures I am currently getting are as follows:

Connection Speed
832 kbps (Downstream) 448 kbps (Upstream)
Line Attenuation
63.5 db (Downstream) 31.5 db (Upstream)
Noise Margin
12.6 db (Downstream) 14.0 db (Upstream)

I guess my question is whether I can get help from BT to improve things even though I am getting a figure that appears to be better than they say I should be able to get?

Thanks.

You could certainly get BT to replace your old style master with an NTE5 (possibly qute cheaply too). From your description your setup includes hard wired extensions so fitting a filtered faceplate may well help.

Your reported attenuation indicates a very long line indeed and it is quite possible that you won't see much in the way of improvement even if you do invest time and money in improving your internal wiring - it obviously depends on just how bad it is of course.

Edited by kwikbreaks (Wed 07-Jan-09 12:26:57)

I think new NTE5s have a faceplate that filters the ring wire anyway.

The OP may possibly, but only possibly, get a few hundred higher sync if he does as you say as it might allow his noise margin to drop after a while.

To the OP - note that connecting around mid-day is best for speed at this time of year. If you connect outside 11am-2pm you get a lower speed, significantly so when it goes dark. This table and the explanations above and below it could help you get better throughput even as things are.

How do I go about getting BT to install an NTE5 socket?

I would have thought a good place to start was to call them on 150 and ask.

The main bt cable entering your home may consist of quite a few seperate wires with differant colours depending on age two of these wires run to you main internal phone socket & are connected to to large screws on the back of the socket usualy marked A&B although it doesnt matter which wire is connected to which in theory, it has been found that you get a better connection if the live wire is connected to b as this improves your connection across the board don't ask me why this is as not even the BT fitter could tell me why to quote him he said "I have no I dea why that is it's an X file some things in life just can't be explained" what a spooky guy lmao hope this helps

The main bt cable entering your home may consist of quite a few seperate wires with differant colours depending on age two of these wires run to you main internal phone socket & are connected to to large screws on the back of the socket, usualy these are marked A&B although it doesnt matter which wire is connected to which in theory. It has infact been found that you get a better connection if the live wire is connected to B as this improves your connection across the board, don't ask me why this is as not even the BT fitter could tell me. To quote he said "I have no Idea why that is it's an X file some things in life just can't be explained" what a spooky guy lmao hope this helps

"It has infact been found that you get a better connection if the live wire is connected to B as this improves your connection across the board, don't ask me why this is as not even the BT fitter could tell me. To quote he said "I have no Idea why that is it's an X file some things in life just can't be explained"

Complete and utter BS.

I can imagine a number of users now connecting their "live" wire from the mains to the terminal.

.. you couldn't make it up.... Oh hang, yes they have.