Replacing older faceplate with NTE5 type

I'm about to push my cousin down the broadband route. Her 1979 house has the old BT faceplate fitted to a flush mounted metal patress box. I'd like to start her off with the best BB experience so I'm I wondering whether someone can tell me please if an NTE5 master socket will mount to the screws that hold the current faceplate into the box, or am I going to have to do a bodge up job of some sort!

Edited by deleted (Sat 12-Dec-09 15:27:06)

The NTE5 Master consists of a rear assembly and the faceplate. See this pic.

The incoming cable from the exchange is connected inside that rear part, and as you can see the faceplate plugs into it. Also any extensions have to be connected to the connectors on the faceplate as in that picture.

So the answer to your question is No! The existing socket will not have that internal socket for the faceplate to plug into.

Any bodge you do will be illegal as you would have to disconnect the existing master from the incoming cable. The only correct thing to do would be to get BT to fit an NTE5, which would cost around £200 unless it was done during the fixing of a fault requiring an engineer to attend anyway.

However, I believe complete NTE5 type assemblies can be purchased legally. If you did do anything then I suggest the best faceplate to fit would be a filtered one, such as the ADSL Nation XTE-2005. (Note that is just a faceplate with no rear assembly to plug into - it assumes you already have that).

Oh by the way - are you dead sure the socket you are talking about is the Master?

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 12-Dec-09 16:55:46)

connect wires 2 and 5 from old master socket to A & B of new line box

[ ] ====[ ] like this leaving the old one intact !

look here at the bottom of the page

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/socket.htm

The BT NTE-5 is supplied with its own back box but can be mounted into a standard back box.

In reply to a post by Going_Digital:

The BT NTE-5 is supplied with its own back box but can be mounted into a standard back box.

But does the OP mean a full NTE5 or just the 5A faceplate?

But does the OP mean a full NTE5 ?


Well that's how I read the question i.e to replace the 3.A faceplate with an NTE5A faceplate. So yes it should fit as long as the back box in the wall is deep enough.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

But does the OP mean a full NTE5 ?

Well that's how I read the question i.e to replace the 3.A faceplate with an NTE5A faceplate. So yes it should fit as long as the back box in the wall is deep enough.

Your reply is just as unclear as the OP. An NTE5A faceplate will not fit onto the front of the existing master.

A faceplate is a faceplate is a faceplate! It is not a Master Socket.

The faceplate is the bit that unscrews from the rear assembly of an NTE5. The "Subject" specifically says "faceplate". It does not say "Replacing older master socket with NTE5 type".

The OP clearly is asking for advice due to a lack of knowledge, and I am fairly sure he means what he says.

He cannot replace the faceplate on the existing master with an NTE5A. Period!

Quite apart from the fact there were two sizes of the old masters - ours for instance corresponded to the size of the XTF68. So even a full NTE5 assembly would not fit into the existing flush backbox if that is what is present.

There is no point in any of us arguing further though. I am sure that the discussion so far allows the OP to understand the confusion, and I'm sure he will clarify. Until then everything relevant has been said by one or other of us.

The "Subject" specifically says "faceplate". It does not say "Replacing older master socket with NTE5 type".

So even a full NTE5 assembly would not fit into the existing flush backbox if that is what is present

The subject says replacing the old type faceplate with a NTE5 not just the faceplate.

The NTE5 assembly will fit into a flush backbox, I have done several.

In reply to a post by cajef:

[

The NTE5 assembly will fit into a flush backbox, I have done several.
[/quote]

Thanks for the replies everyone, yes it's the whole plastic assembly that I am talking about, obviously not just the faceplate. My own BT supplied box is screwed to the surface, and I'm using an ADSLnation faceplate on it, but I am grateful for confirmation that a an NTE 5 type master socket can be fitted into the patress box.
I will of course be pleased to keep this 100% legal by getting my retired cousin to pay BT £200 for the 5minute job and £6 box.
Reminds one of the days of the Green Sticker!...

The confusion is with what people refer to as a faceplate.

The existing socket is on a flush mounted patress box and I surmise that the OP is calling the socket a faceplate and intends to remove the socket and replace it with an NTE5 but using the existing back box so that it is fitted flush instead of surface mounted using the supplied plastic back box.