Anyone know cost of a new master socket?

I'm not sure if this is the most suitable forum in which to post this enquiry but here goes. As of Sept 2009, does anyone know the official cost for a BT Openreach technician to fit a single, new NT5E-type master socket in the premises of a residential BT customer, as I'm contemplating having this done?

In my case, there'd be no additional work for the technician to do. The NT5E would simply replace an existing, older, shuttered master socket that's had its day. All that'd be required would be the snipping out of the three wires from the old-style shuttered master socket and the reconnecting of the existing AB tails to the new socket. This would take 5 mins to do, at the most. I guess the line back to the exchange would then be tested.

From what I gather, the NT5E is designed so that the customer can connect an extension for one or more slave sockets, with the slave lead entering the master box internally from the back of the box, without the customer illegally interfering with the master side (the master side being expressly the domain of BT). I shall be taking advantage of that by running a Cat5e cable to the back of the box, from a slave socket (the socket from which I take my ADSL connection). The slave socket, in another room, is already in place. I've also read about a so-called i-plate, for dealing with the Ring wire anomoly, and have been wondering if BT technicians carry these as a standard part now. Anyone know? I-plate aside, do BT technicians actually still connect the Ring wire at all these days, given that it's totally redundant?

I've never been a great fan of IDC connections, especially where more than one wire is IDC'd into a single groove and, unfortunately, this is the situation with my old master socket. With the passage of time, it looks like the V-grooves and the 'nicked' wires have oxidised and have been giving rise to intermittent ADSL connectivity. It's taken me days and days of careful investigations to pin down the cause of the ADSL dropouts I've been experiencing! From what I can see, NT5Es only ever IDC one wire per IDC groove and so should perform better in this regard.

Dont know the exact cost off hand but its well over £100 just to do that as it will incurr a visit charge in addition to the small charge for the socket. If they were already therir to do something else, like provide a new line or shift an extension then there would be no additional visit charge.
You could obtain a 3rd party master socket and connect it as an extension.
Openreach do not supply the I-plate, its a BT wholesale product supplied to service providers and retailers.

http://www.serviceview.bt.com/list/public/current/Mi...

In reply to a post by meditator:

I've never been a great fan of IDC connections, especially where more than one wire is IDC'd into a single groove and, unfortunately, this is the situation with my old master socket. With the passage of time, it looks like the V-grooves and the 'nicked' wires have oxidised and have been giving rise to intermittent ADSL connectivity. It's taken me days and days of careful investigations to pin down the cause of the ADSL dropouts I've been experiencing! From what I can see, NT5Es only ever IDC one wire per IDC groove and so should perform better in this regard.

Not true at all. IDC connectors can accomodate several cables without giving rise to problems. Screw terminals will gradually loosen with vibration and the expansion and contraction of the metal, as the room heats up and cools down. Also, screws don't stop the wires corroding either.

Are you really sure that it's the terminals giving rise to your problems ? Drop outs on extended cables are more often caused by noise pickup by the cables acting as an aerial.

Many thanks for your replies, rogan8 and John. Crikey, I didn't realise there'd be such a stinging call-out charge. Am I right in assuming that the cost of the actual socket would be in addition to that charge?

I seem to recall from these thinkbroadband forums many moons ago that, when an NT5E is fitted, there's an issue regarding the screws that hold the faceplate to the backbox. Something to do with the BT NT5E coming with self-tapping screws, not machine screws. Can someone remind me of what that was? I've a metal backbox with threaded fixings and so I use the proper raised-head machine screws. I've a stock of such screws that range from 0.5" to 1.5". I'm planning to ask the technician not to use self-tapping screws but my screws instead. With an NT5E, or NT5E + i-plate, am I likely to need a longer pair of screws than, say, 1"? Is the lower part of the NT5E (the bit that the customer's allowed to remove) normally held in place with self-tappers, or what exactly?

Zebedeee, I'm a retired pro electronics engineer with oodles of experience with all kinds of connectors and I concur that IDC connectors can (and do) accept more than one conductor per V-groove. But, given the likelihood that the conductors in two cables from different sources (as is the case here) will have slightly different outside diameters, one conductor will make a marginally better joint in the V-groove than the other. One of the conductors may end up contacting the V-groove less tightly than the other. A situation like this may be fine when the IDC connection is newly made but, over time, oxidation will affect the whole connection and creep into the joint of the looser one. In my case, the joints have served for some 25+ years so, all things considered, they've performed well. But now's the time to get the whole arrangement replaced. Nothing is for ever - even IDC joints.

there's a price list item for fitting an NTE5 to a non-NTE5 installation ( "regularisation" or some such words) for just under £30. You could call 150 and say you want to install your own extension wiring and need a different master socket, see what price they come up with. Worth noting the price list reference for the likely debate.

More recent BT practice is to use self tappers on the faceplate, they will drive into threaded fixings OK with modest effort. Threaded wallboxes are standard so they'll have a solution on the van, whatever it might be.

ADSLnation supply both self tappers and machine screws with their filtered replacement faceplate.

Yarwell,

I've reservations about getting a quote from phoning 150 as, from what I hear, the people at the BT call-centre rarely even know what an NTE5 is, let alone are able to distinguish between an update and a brand new installation. That's why I was putting the question on the forum; I hoped someone who's had the 'regularisation' done could relate his/her experience and say what they were charged.

I've no desire whatever to force any self-tappers into the threaded fixings on my box. Once that's done, the fixings are ruined for good as regards ever using them for threaded screws again. A little finesse on the job would go down well with me.

Any idea where that £30 is quoted?

Edited by deleted (Mon 21-Sep-09 11:57:28)

the £25+VAT is in the Openreach pricelist linked by others. Try this

It used to be free when the NTE5 was introduced. AFAIK it is a "standard charge" to which visit and time related charges do not apply.

Knowing what others have paid is of little value, IMHO. They have paid from zero to about £200. I would be wary of requesting a service without getting a price from the supplier first, you might get more sense by "accidentally" dialling business faults rather than 150. What people say on a forum is worth what you pay for it

Post deleted by Apprentice

I've recently mentioned in a couple of other threads where I know someone who has recently been billed £234.12 (inc VAT) for having a new NTE5 fitted!

This was after confirming with both BT India and the on-site engineer that that would be no charge to 'regularise' their wiring!!!

They are currently in dispute with BT over the charges...

EDIT: Get something in writing first! My friend asked but was told this "wouldn't be necessary..."!

Edited by b4dger (Mon 21-Sep-09 12:36:08)