"Yvonne" wrote in message
...
Can someone please clarify the position with regard to the bell wire
in domestic telephone cabling.

Some web sources imply that it is no longer necessary with modern
phones. Other web sites show each extension connected with three wires
- the third being the bell wire.

I am about to install additional extension sockets - primarily to
allow connections for a Sky digibox and I want to get by on one pair,
if that will work.

Some sites suggest that getting rid of all the bell wires helps
improve one's broadband speed.

Just what is the truth?

Yvonne

Two wires will be fine in 99.99% of cases - occasionally you will find a
phone that requires a bell wire - however inserting an ADSL filter in the
phone cord will usually solve this. However when you do install your wiring
ensure that you use the correct telephone specification cable (twisted
pair); some people will suggest using CAT5 instead of telephone cable,
that's also fine, - but personally I've always found CAT5 to be a bit
obtrusive in a domestic environment if you can only put it around the
skirting. Some extension kits from the likes of Been & Queued provide a
flat cable that isn't twisted and that can/may play havoc with your
broadband.

The bottom line is that a properly installed phone line and extensions
should not cause problems - but in the case of all deregulated services
there are now lots and lots of bits and pieces for the consumer to use and
they may not all be compatible or of equal quality. Long gone are the days
when the Post Office would test anything new for so long that it was
obsolete by the time it came out to the customer :-)

Peter