Preferred routing from BT drop cable

[jmwhooper]

I want BT to come out and reconnect the drop cable on my house. My router will be located on the ground floor roughly in the centre of the house, ideally I'd want the master socket close to this.

I could put in some suitable cable to run from the drop cable junction box where it comes into the house down to the router for a master socket to be connected, but then this might be an issue with fault finding as the MS is not right next to the drop cable but 15m further along an extension.

The other option is to put the MS near the drop cable and use the cable I run as an extension from the MS to the router. In this scenario the MS will be installed in the loft space or the corner of the loft bedroom and a slave socket near the router.

What would be the better option, does it make any difference to the line quality at the router to run the 15m extension to the MS or from the MS? Would BT have a preference as to the location of the MS?

 

[kbdiy]

In this scenario the MS will be installed in the loft space.

Not by BT it won't.

What would be the better option, does it make any difference to the line quality at the router to run the 15m extension to the MS or from the MS?

Yes it does make a difference to the broadband.

Would BT have a preference as to the location of the MS?

No - they will terminate the drop wire just inside a door or window, then run internal cable to where you want the socket.

Of course, you will pay for the privilege

 

[jmwhooper]

No - they will terminate the drop wire just inside a door or window, then run internal cable to where you want the socket.

Will they terminate it at a master socket or a junction box?

 

[cajar]

The 15m of cable you are planning wont be an extension it will be part of the line itself really - the dropwire is probably 20m, and the rest of the line about 3km so 15m of the right cable wont make any difference.

About the location, you are the customer so you can tell them where you want the socket and discuss cable routes with them. They don't tell you where you're phone is going and what colour it will be, it's not 1960s gpo. They don't have to work in lofts, but if it makes it easier that is rarely an issue. More so if you are willing to go into the loft for them and pull the end of the cable down to your desired location for the socket. Who would refuse that.

 

[jmwhooper]

OK, so it sounds like the setup can be:

Dropwire to external connection box
Internal cable from connection box to comms room master socket

I've got a load of external grade STP cat 6 cable, I guess this would be ok to use for the internal wiring from the connection box? (probably overkill!).

What does the external NTE box look like, do they use the BT 66a, can they mount this high up on the side of the house near the drop cable?

If they use an external NTE then there is no need for them to go into the loft, I can run the cable to the comms room and then feed it out from the loft to their external box, so they only need to connect either end of the internal wiring.

 

[cajar]

the only wire allowed in or out of their external joint boxes is their own external wire so no luck. best thing would be to leave all the external stuff to them but ask them to poke the dropwire into the loft where you can bring it to the loft hatch and he can put a socket on it, his job is done and you take it from there.

 

[mattylad]

If you can make the cable path, perhaps poke a cable through that can be taped to - it would be easier to do and hence more likely to happen.

Still going to cost you though.

A long Ethernet cable and switch box is far cheaper though.