In reply to a post by Hellish:

I am sorry you feel uneasy about my intention to fix the existing cable but I am going to go ahead anyway. What is the name of the plate which BT fit to the two wires coming from the gray cable. (is it the NTE5 faceplace?) I will buy one tomorrow, (could you please provide a link where to buy one) and fit the phone line myself.

Thanks.

I bought this one which looks identical to the official openreach ones about a year ago.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-OPENREACH-BT-MASTE...

There is one part of the house which already has a hole in it for an outside plug. If BT were to run the wire inside this hole, would the electrical cable for the plug interfer with the phone line in anyway?

Ok I have got the black cable back. I will ring Openreach tomorrow and ask them to fit the second faceplate. Heres a pic of my handy work.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/849/img20111117...

looks like a winner to me so well done !

i have in the past had a few punters do the same thing but its not a thing we can do.

years ago when thinking was ok i have dig down on to a u/g cable and pulled it out of the house and fixed it on to the outside wall to save the cost of a new cable to the house , i would not do it now ! : (

In reply to a post by Hellish:

the second faceplate.

You mean the second master socket .

As btbert says, well done.

Ok I rang BT and they said they would be sending someone around prob next week. They have also said theres no spare capcity at the telephone cabinet and they will have to lay new cables. Does this mean I will be getting new copper cables most of my route to the telephone cabinet?

Also the person fitting the phone line wont be the same person who fits my Infinity? I will have ordered infinity over a month ago next week so I cant bare to wait another week for the BT infinity to be installed.

I doubt if they will lay new cables in a week, but maybe.

Is there a reason for not just migrating your existing broadband to Infinity? Or have I missed it somewhere?

Bob,

I thought the redundant pair was normally maintained as a viable connection all the way from the premises to the exchange via the cabinet? Perhaps the unused redundant pair only runs between the premises and the cabinet, or not even that far, and is not actually connected at the cabinet.

Usually only premises to the cabinet, if all drop pairs were connected the cost of lines would shoot up

Thanks Andrew,

So limited capacity at the cabinet would imply the need for additional cabling between the exchange and the cabinet.

However if FTTC was ordered then perhaps the unused pair could be used to the premises or does that still require a copper connection for voice between the cabinet and the exchange?