On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 02:34:41 +0100, Mark S.
wrote:

I've got BT coming Monday to connect my phone line but it's dangling
on the wall due to the previous tennants/owners either smashing it or
stealing it.
The wiring looks to be some older type, black outer with three yellow
wires, green, orange and I think black maybe.

Remembering the blue wallpaper anything's possible :-)



Is it possible to get a master socket anywhere on a Sunday and where
do I find out how to wire it up with the old wires.

B&Q have them, and also plastic punchdown tools which may last just
long enough to handle four wires if you are lucky. They do have a bit
of CAT5 stuff now, but I've never seen a proper metal tool in there.

To be honest, I wouldn't bother. There probably isn't any power on
the line anyway so you wouldn't have a way to test anyway.

I would just act a bit dim and say you've just moved in and have been
renovating the place. The master sockets cost them buttons so let
them sort it out.

Failing that would they just look at the wire and condem it and rewire
it back to the pole considering I want ADSL installing and it looks
like it would fail the noise test anyway.

Possibly. Often these overhead installations have a terminal box up
on the wall of the house which terminates the run of cable over to the
pole, and then there is a separate cable to the socket (or inside
terminals with older installations). My parents place has this
arrangement, and they wanted to have the master socket moved to an
upstairs bedroom that they use as a study. The technician wanted to
cable from the existing terminal unit in the house but the wiring from
there to the terminals on the end ov the overhead wire had become
flakey. With a bit of persuasion and some tea and biscuits, the guy
wired around the outside of the house which was what they wanted.

I am pretty sure that if the wire from the house to the pole requires
replacement that a different team works on it, much like for
underground wiring.

You might want to mention that you are planning to have extra phone
lines - although of course, DSL runs over an analogue line anyway.
That way, if any cable does need to be replaced, they will put in
something like 4 pair; although I suspect that may be standard anyway.

I'd forget about bothering with the master socket and buy some
biscuits instead. Also, I'd tell the guy that you are planning on
getting "broadband" rather than ADSL. That way, you can perpetuate
the myth of knowing less than the technician, which in this case may
well help. You really want them to treat this as a reconnection
and not a new connection, which costs a lot more normally. ;-)

My natural inclination would be to try and fix something like this as
well. However, there are times when it doesn't buy anything....

Mark S.

..andy

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