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Very, very old line box


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Old 28-06-2007, 14:33
silvercar
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The line box I have looks like it was made of bakelite or something. BT tell me that internal wiring is my responsibility and they are only responsible from the line box.

The internal wiring looks very odd, with extension points that plug into other boxes.

Externally there are 6 wires from the telegraph pole to the house. There is one relatively modern looking ADSL line box which is not connected to my number. (It has a dead number on it).

If I wanted to modernise the wiring the first thing I would want to change is the line box - its about 3 inches deep by 1 inch high and 4 inches wide. It is currently attached only by the line coming in and out of it (its at ceiling height).

Could I ask BT to replace it free? Or do I have to wait until it fails? Could I ask BT to swap the number to the dormant ASDL box and to remove some of the extra wires outside my home, or is that chargeable?
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Old 28-06-2007, 14:59
Heinz
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If that box is brown with a single screw in the middle, I remember exactly the same sort of thing in my parents' house back in the late 1950s. BT used to hard wire the single black (rented) telephone most people had from there.

As such, that box is BT's property and you can't touch it yourself. Unfortunately, that also means if you want to 'modernise' it, BT should do it (and they'll charge you quite a bit).

However, any half-decent sparks (like my son - but I'm not volunteering his services) will do what you want at a far more reasonable price. If you know one get a quote and, if the price is less than £150, go for it.
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Old 28-06-2007, 16:33
silvercar
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I guess that is it then as it has that single large screw.

Considering the rest of the house is full of botched DIY, it wouldn't surprise me if someone has DIYed the extensions from it.

If I phone BT and tell them its fallen off the wall and the screw hole is now too large to re-attach (all true), will they consider that a fault and repair for free?

Could they swap my line to the ADSL box free (shouldn't need a home visit), then I could take all the strange wiring round the house away, right back to the old line box.
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Old 28-06-2007, 17:19
CitySlicker
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Whereabouts in the country do you live?
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Old 28-06-2007, 20:28
silvercar
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north London/ south herts border
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Old 28-06-2007, 20:49
CitySlicker
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north London/ south herts border
I know a couple of engineers who work in north London, one of them's a good friend who tells me they've often attended callouts where kids have ripped cables down. It's a chargable item from BT, but chances are you'll get someone who you can give £20 to and they'll take the box out for you. Don't know anyone in Herts but you'll probably get a London engineer if you're on the border, so call it in as a line fault and give them a bung.
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Old 28-06-2007, 21:13
strawberry66
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Does it look like this.....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GPO-Black-Bake...QQcmdZViewItem

I would try and keep it after you replace it as it may be very collectable in the future
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Old 28-06-2007, 21:23
CitySlicker
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They won't be that collectable, they were mass produced and you'd be hanging onto it for years and years before it's worth more than a tenner! It's like the dial telephones everyone had, they're nostalgic, I have one, but they're hardly worth anything.
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Old 28-06-2007, 21:52
strawberry66
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They won't be that collectable, they were mass produced and you'd be hanging onto it for years and years before it's worth more than a tenner! It's like the dial telephones everyone had, they're nostalgic, I have one, but they're hardly worth anything.

if you happen to have a green GPO 232 with no 26 bell set then I will willingly give you £20 for it
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Old 28-06-2007, 22:22
CitySlicker
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if you happen to have a green GPO 232 with no 26 bell set then I will willingly give you £20 for it
Nice try! The phone I have I'm afraid is a 700 which were in practically every home and business installation in the 70's. These will never be collectors items since hundreds of thousands were made, but a nice nostalgia piece nontheless.
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Old 29-06-2007, 09:02
Heinz
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Nice try! The phone I have I'm afraid is a 700 which were in practically every home and business installation in the 70's. These will never be collectors items since hundreds of thousands were made, but a nice nostalgia piece nontheless.
But they sell well on ebay!
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Old 29-06-2007, 14:13
silvercar
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Bottom line, if the linebox will no longer fix to the wall, isn't that a fault that BT should repair free?
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Old 29-06-2007, 16:13
cwmparc
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What is the line rental for nowadays?
I thought that was paid for the up keep of the lines and customer faults.
If we are now expected to pay for repairs, surely the line charges should be reduced
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Old 29-06-2007, 19:12
CitySlicker
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It's £10.50, and you're not expected to pay for repairs, but you've always been expected to pay for something that isn't BT's fault such as if someone maliciously damages your cable, or if it's for a line modernisation. Lots of people in the 80's had to pay to have their line upgraded to a plug and socket. The only exception to this is if the old equipment is causing a fault, then they have to repair/replace it for free.
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Old 29-06-2007, 21:26
openreachpeep
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in the past the internal upto the first socket was repaired for free when on a fault. now though we have to charge your service provider when modernising any part of the network upto the nte5 on the end users premises. for example changing a soap dish(brown lid with a screw in the middle) to a modern block terminal. getting rid of star wiring from old blocks, or changing a socket to a nte5. if the fault is caused by the end user, ie damp walls then the service provider will pass the charge onto you. your best bet is to get a good sparky(look for ex bt in yellow pages) and they will do it for you. 150 quid is a bit steep. i know lads who fit ext's for 40 quid. guessing it's the north south divide thing.
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Old 10-07-2007, 19:46
ORPlanner
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in the past the internal upto the first socket was repaired for free when on a fault. now though we have to charge your service provider when modernising any part of the network upto the nte5 on the end users premises. for example changing a soap dish(brown lid with a screw in the middle) to a modern block terminal. getting rid of star wiring from old blocks, or changing a socket to a nte5. if the fault is caused by the end user, ie damp walls then the service provider will pass the charge onto you. your best bet is to get a good sparky(look for ex bt in yellow pages) and they will do it for you. 150 quid is a bit steep. i know lads who fit ext's for 40 quid. guessing it's the north south divide thing.
Is that right that charges are now made for renewing any part of the network? I was a CSE myself until about 8 months ago (work in the planning office now) and as you say, everything was free up to the 5A back then. What happens now on a takeover, i.e. EU has just moved in and found the previous owners have cut away the DW10 at the window frame? Do you timescale them for a new DW or is it just renewal of internal that's chargeable?

If you could let me know mate 'coz I'm well rusty on this stuff!

Cheers
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Old 10-07-2007, 20:03
openreachpeep
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basically if we have to renew any wiring from the pole / dli due to normal wear(perished 4wire etc) or it being cut by previous owners at window etc. we have to use the 11 comp clear code and with the wiring exist's option( the 1,0,0 on the wiring detail screen) with detailed notes on what we did. apperently a charge is then generated to the service provider wether they pass it on, don't know. we have to do it this way, cos openreach want's money for renewing network, and it's now a 10 or 5 pointer on an audit.
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Old 11-07-2007, 18:16
ORPlanner
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basically if we have to renew any wiring from the pole / dli due to normal wear(perished 4wire etc) or it being cut by previous owners at window etc. we have to use the 11 comp clear code and with the wiring exist's option( the 1,0,0 on the wiring detail screen) with detailed notes on what we did. apperently a charge is then generated to the service provider wether they pass it on, don't know. we have to do it this way, cos openreach want's money for renewing network, and it's now a 10 or 5 pointer on an audit.
Got ya, cheers for that. So I take it the 21 comp isn't used now?
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Old 11-07-2007, 18:17
ORPlanner
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Got ya, cheers for that. So I take it the 21 comp isn't used now?
btw, which area of Manchester do you work? Done my apprenticeship with a few lads from there.
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Old 11-07-2007, 18:54
18days
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Wow,

how things have changed. When i was a CSE (customer service engineer) for those that are wondering) about 8 years ago, if we were on any fault, and any old internal, up to the NTE5a / external wiring was old or needed replacing, we had to replace it free of charge (unless customer caused damage) and book the job as maintenance.

I guess there were advantages to having a fully managed BT network.

I know openreach is still bt owned, but they have to serve each comms provider the same.
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Old 11-07-2007, 19:24
ORPlanner
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Wow,

how things have changed. When i was a CSE (customer service engineer) for those that are wondering) about 8 years ago, if we were on any fault, and any old internal, up to the NTE5a / external wiring was old or needed replacing, we had to replace it free of charge (unless customer caused damage) and book the job as maintenance.

I guess there were advantages to having a fully managed BT network.

I know openreach is still bt owned, but they have to serve each comms provider the same.
Do you still work for BT mate?
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Old 11-07-2007, 21:38
openreachpeep
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still with them. won't be long till we go the way of O2, double the shares though i hope. we still use the 21 comp, but only when it's an in-situ and we just tone it back to the cab or d.p. i cover SE manchester. did my apprenticeship 10yrs ago.
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Old 12-07-2007, 20:23
ORPlanner
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still with them. won't be long till we go the way of O2, double the shares though i hope. we still use the 21 comp, but only when it's an in-situ and we just tone it back to the cab or d.p. i cover SE manchester. did my apprenticeship 10yrs ago.
I was asking 18days whether he still worked for us. Sorry for the confusion.

I started my apprenticeship in 1999 so I reckon you would have been in your last year then. Just thought you might have been one of the lads I was down Stone with.

Trying to remember a few of their names... Heath Krystos, Matt Deasy, James Barnes, dunno if they ring any bells. It's a hell of a big place Manchester I suppose.
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Old 12-07-2007, 22:38
openreachpeep
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i started life on the payphones so didn't really know the network lads. can't beat the meetings at stone though. made barracks look cosy. atleast the food was good.
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Old 13-07-2007, 08:44
18days
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Do you still work for BT mate?
No, i work for a different comms company now. I do practically the same job as a CSE but on a much larger scale and computer based rather than field. Instead of the line being from the exchange to the house or buisness. i now work on lines that go from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world. The fault finding is similar but instead of proving the line to be good from the mdf to the cab, you prove the line to be good from milan to paris for instance.
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