Can i use the test socket?

I have recently switched over to o2 bb from BT and i can say its much better.

On my old BT bb and my new o2 bb the connection always randomly drops connection, its always done it, but today i tried connecting through the test socket by removing the cover of the master socket and the line seems to be stable not to mention using this method my download speeds have increased by 10 meg.

What i need to know is can i keep using the test socket permanently or should i replace the master socket?

Help is very much appreciated thanks.

You can use the test socket for as long as you want. People generally don't because they have phone extensions.

It might be worth investigating your internal wiring. It sounds like it is faulty as there should be very little difference between the test socket and normal sockets.

Have a look at http://www.dslzoneuk.net/socket.php?type=html for instance.

Well i have taken some pictures, my socket looks nothing like the one in that link.

What do you think? :S

Also when i removed the bottom half cover there are no wires connected to the ports numbered 1-6.

Pictures;

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn310/nayrh/7b7c538b.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn310/nayrh/9e7c0288.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn310/nayrh/dcf17445.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn310/nayrh/9383530f.jpg
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn310/nayrh/23921b09.jpg

I'm not competent to judge (but be patient someone who is will chip in when they see your post).

If, as it seems, you don't have any extensions there should be no difference in or out of the test socket.

Looking at the connections on the top of the socket, there seems to be some corrosion there - the socket may have been damp or wet at some stage. It certainly wouldn't hurt to replace it.

I suggest that, as you do not have any extensions but see an increase in speed when you connect via the Test Socket, that you replace the faceplate.

While you are at it, I suggest that you use a filtered version as they seem to give better performance than microfilters.

Ah i forgot to mention i'm also using an extension cable from the socket to the router which is upstairs about 10-15m away. Theirs no way i can avoid this really unless i get another socket installed .

Any more opinions?

why not connect the router to the socket and then run a cat5 cable to your pc instead of using the telephone extension?

Oh right would it be better to have the cat 5 as the longer cable rather than the dsl cable?

Its funny actually i went to maplins today and bought a 20m cat 5 cable to try that but i haven't tried it yet!

In reply to:

---

Oh right would it be better to have the cat 5 as the longer cable rather than the dsl cable?

---

Most definitely ! The noise immunity of ethernet on Cat5e is much better.