Help I cannot find Master Socket

I have just moved into a house and I am having trouble locating which phone point is the master socket. The Broadband speed is terrible so I called SKY who told me to plug Router directly into master socket, i.e take off the face plate and find the direct line. They said they were getting fault on the line and hence slowed down the speed of broadband. They also stated it my responsibility if problem is with my network internally. Going mad as I can't prove anything at the moment. This is where I am struggling, all the plates are flat modern stainless steel with no indication as to which may be the BT line. I have done obvious thing and followed the line into house but it disappears. So I took off plate nearest to where it comes in, no joy. I have also taken off all plates in the house. I don't mind paying for someone to come and sort it out but not sure who I approach?

Is there a peice of kit that will determine where it is? I assume there must be master point?

Please help as driving me bonkers.
Thanks

It will look like this Picture

In theory, though that one is missing the common Openreach logo.

If a new property it may have http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/images/phone/external_NTE... on the outside, and all the internal stuff is done by the builder (and of suspect quality sometimes)

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/btsockets.htm adds a few words, in short no easy testing situation in this situation.

For the original poster, it is a case of a methodical approach and deduction, e.g. disconnecting parts to try and figure out what is happening. At the simplest level a photo of the back of one of the silver plates will help, and if it has three wires, one to pin 2, one to pin 3 and one to pin 5, lift out the one on pin 3 at all sockets this may improve speeds.

Well I would start at the socket nearest where the line comes in, do the wires at the back of this socket look the same?
It's a hard on when you say you loose the wires, I take it you can see where they enter the property, can you see them coming through the wall?

In reply to a post by vivaciti:

It's a hard on when you say you loose the wires....

I wouldn't get that excited about it!

In reply to a post by Gandoss:

I have just moved into a house and I am having trouble locating which phone point is the master socket. The Broadband speed is terrible so I called SKY who told me to plug Router directly into master socket, i.e take off the face plate and find the direct line. They said they were getting fault on the line and hence slowed down the speed of broadband. They also stated it my responsibility if problem is with my network internally. Going mad as I can't prove anything at the moment. This is where I am struggling, all the plates are flat modern stainless steel with no indication as to which may be the BT line. I have done obvious thing and followed the line into house but it disappears. So I took off plate nearest to where it comes in, no joy. I have also taken off all plates in the house. I don't mind paying for someone to come and sort it out but not sure who I approach?Is there a peice of kit that will determine where it is? I assume there must be master point?

Please help as driving me bonkers.
Thanks

I live in quite an old house, and I did not have a master socket until recently, when BT OpenReach fitted me a filtered built-in one FOC. This was in response to an Orange request
Got to be fair, BT OpenReach are paying their 4th visit to my property tonight, this time "after hours", to check the peak time usage substantial speed reduction that we regularly experience. However, if this is all "a game" by BT & Orange, they may find that they have a very resourceful & experienced contestant on their hands

In reply to a post by ffox:

I wouldn't get that excited about it!

Hehhhhhhhhhhhh!

Is there an outside NTE as suggested by MrSaffron?

If not, then look inside the extensions again and compare them with the ones shown here. You are looking for the LJ 2/1A, which has the cylindrical capacitor at the top. I believe there are some even older than on that page, but that capacitor is the indicator of a master, wherever it is on the backplate.