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Old 18-02-2009, 15:40
T.K.Maxx
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Hi, our main BT line comes off the pole into what appears to be a junction box located at the very top of the house under the eaves and then two cables come out of it:
1 to Bedroom (Main Line) the other to the socket in the hallway *which is dead*. I've tried to wire up the socket in the hallway to no avail, just dead as a door nail, so I am wondering if the small Black box outside on the wall of my house is a junction box and whether it is connected up inside.

Whats your thoughts/opinions?
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Old 18-02-2009, 15:56
chrisjr
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Without going up a lader and opening the box up it is difficult to be certain (not that you should do this by the way as technically you are not permitted to touch the BT side of the line at all)

But I would not be at all surprised to find that the cable down to the hall socket is either not connected to anything or is connected to a separate pair in the cable going back to the pole, ie it used to be a separate line to the bedroom one.

Either way if the junction box is BT's then you will have to get them out to connect up, if you want to do it the proper way that is Trouble is that will likely cost you.

The alternative would be to run your own cable up to the bedroom socket from the hall. That you can do by yourself and only costs a few quid for a bit of wire and your time running it.
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Old 18-02-2009, 16:00
T.K.Maxx
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The alternative would be to run your own cable up to the bedroom socket from the hall. That you can do by yourself and only costs a few quid for a bit of wire and your time running it.
Yeah true, I guess this is something I will do. Do you know how many cables you can add into the main box I already have two running from it (the back of the face plate). One to the Lounge & the other to the Kitchen. Could I run a two cables from the Lounge box as Its the neareast ? Hope that makes sense
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Old 18-02-2009, 16:26
chrisjr
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There is no limit to how many sockets you can wire onto a single line. There are however limits to how many wires you can connect up to the terminal blocks behind the socket front plate.

Most modern sockets use IDC terminals, ie the type where you push the wire into a slot in a plastic block. The metal "jaws" hidden in the slot cut through the insulation of the wire and grip the copper core. Most sockets i have used will grip two wires at a time. If you try to push a third in then it might work but is likely to be intermittent.

So if there are no other sockets wired off the lounge one then it should be possible to attach a cable to the hallway. Just make sure you use the proper tool though. You can force the wires in with a screw driver but that can damage the contacts making the socket useless! You can get cheap plastic tools for a couple of quid that are OK for doing a bit of DIY in the home or anything over 20-30 quid for one like I have which is used by the pros And which survive thousands of connections (I would hate to count up how many I've made over the years )
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Old 18-02-2009, 16:32
T.K.Maxx
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Most modern sockets use IDC terminals
Yes thats the main one
The one in the lounge isnt the same as the Main socket. It's a small box but the wires are screwed in under, I guess its the same principle?
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Old 18-02-2009, 16:44
celle
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sounds like the external box is a bt16 ,more than likely the property had 2 lines pre broadband one for voice and one for dial up the only permissable way is either contact you're svc provider to relocate the master socket or look in the yellow pages for a sparky to run an ext from upstairs this being the cheeper option
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Old 18-02-2009, 17:31
chrisjr
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The one in the lounge isnt the same as the Main socket. It's a small box but the wires are screwed in under, I guess its the same principle?
If the main socket has a two part front with the lower half being removeable then it's a NTE5 type socket. If the lounge one is a single piece front panel then it is likely to be the older style LJU type.

But it will more than likely have a set of IDC terminal blocks behind the panel. If so they will more than likely be two parallel blocks of three slots. The line will be connected to the middle slot in each block, should be labeled 2 and 5.

There may be a ring wire on terminal 3. Depending on what you intend hooking up at the other end you may not need this wire. Many modern phones don't need it. And if you are using an ADSL filter at the hall socket then you don't need it either.

And if the Hall socket was on it's own line originally then it may be a Master type with it's own ring capacitor (often a yellow job mounted just above the phone socket). If it is a master type then ignore terminal 3.

Ignore anything on terminal 4 and there shouldn't be any wires on terminals 1 and 6. So essentially all you really need is 2 and 5 .
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Old 18-02-2009, 18:14
T.K.Maxx
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If the main socket has a two part front with the lower half being removeable then it's a NTE5 type socket. If the lounge one is a single piece front panel then it is likely to be the older style LJU type.

But it will more than likely have a set of IDC terminal blocks behind the panel. If so they will more than likely be two parallel blocks of three slots. The line will be connected to the middle slot in each block, should be labeled 2 and 5.

There may be a ring wire on terminal 3. Depending on what you intend hooking up at the other end you may not need this wire. Many modern phones don't need it. And if you are using an ADSL filter at the hall socket then you don't need it either.

And if the Hall socket was on it's own line originally then it may be a Master type with it's own ring capacitor (often a yellow job mounted just above the phone socket). If it is a master type then ignore terminal 3.

Ignore anything on terminal 4 and there shouldn't be any wires on terminals 1 and 6. So essentially all you really need is 2 and 5 .
thanks for your help.

The hallway socket is some fancy silver trim. Recently moved prev. owners put on I guess to finish the hall way off. I'll give it a go at the weekend.

SO I just connect (2) Blue with White Bands & (5) White with Blue Bands in the lounge and the same at the hallway with a filtre attached at both ends? and then BINGO?
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Old 19-02-2009, 11:47
chrisjr
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SO I just connect (2) Blue with White Bands & (5) White with Blue Bands in the lounge and the same at the hallway with a filtre attached at both ends? and then BINGO?
A lot of ADSL filters include the ring capacitor so there is no need for the bell wire. So yes all you ned do is connect 2 and 5.

You don't have to use the blue pair but it is the convention . Just make sure you get them the same way round each end. I have known phones do crazy things if you swap the line round. Equally I have known phones work perfectly OK.

You will probably have two pair cable or maybe even 3 or 4. In which case have one of the orange pair as the bell wire on terminal 3 if you do discover you need it.
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Old 20-02-2009, 16:17
beerhunter2
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A lot of ADSL filters include the ring capacitor so there is no need for the bell wire.

You will probably have two pair cable or maybe even 3 or 4. In which case have one of the orange pair as the bell wire on terminal 3 if you do discover you need it.
Modern phones do not need the bell circuit. In order to confirm that, I did some tests about two years ago. I collected a number of phones together (including some from friends and neighbour's cupboards). I found only one very old DSG branded phone that would not ring without the ring circuit (or a filter).
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