Telephone Socket Master / Extension / ADSL problem

[sillyme]

Hello,

walking past what looks like my BT master telephone socket today I brushed against it and off comes the top. Some wiring must have come loose in the process because at first, the main socket still seemed to be working, but the extension in another room was dead.

I then re-wired as best I could: see photo below, now the ADSL works on the extension, but no phone signal on either master or extension (with or without ADSL filter).

Please can anyone help? This is driving me bonkers and already cost me the major part of my day .... (hooray)

Any help greatly appreciated. (you're a star)

Untitled

• sillyme
• 10 Sep 2008
• 1

 

[Spark123]

Can you identify which cable is the incoming phone signal and the extension cable? Can you also tell us which wires from each cable are connecting where?

 

[GoingDigital]

The main signal is usually carried on (2) Blue/White (5) White/Blue and the ring signal is the orange one that should be on number 3.

 

[sillyme]

Here's a new picture with details:

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• sillyme
• 10 Sep 2008
• 2

When I remove the second orange and blue wires (only leave the one orange and one blue wire from the incoming cable), both ADSL and phone work fine from this socket (whcih I assume is the master). The problem is getting the extension to work as well (it worked fine before the top of the socket came off this morning).

many thanks for your help

 

[drgl]

Doesn't make sense how the ADSL is working but you can't get dial tone? ADSL is sent over the same pair. You only need two wires connected in the MASTER socket-2 & 5, use a multi meter if you have one to find 50v DC across a pair(trial & error), try the most likely pairs first-blue then orange. Your not supposed to but you can replace that master socket with a more modern NTE5 :-http://www.bttorj45.com/BTsocketmasterNTE5.html

Highly unlikely to get in any trouble over it. This would also make the extension wiring easier as all you have to do is connect wires to 2,3 & 5 at the NTE5 and replicate the same colours at the other end.ie, whatever colour you connected to 2 at the NTE5 connect to 2 o the extension.

 

[GoingDigital]

ADSL can sometimes work with the the ring wire and only 1 of the A or B pair connected as it looks like in this situation.

There should be 3 wires connected for the extension. Fitting a proper NTE-5 master socket like drgl says is a good idea however. You can get them much cheaper than the price shown on the link given. Can pick them up on ebay for under a fiver.

 

[JOHNBOY42]

ADSL will work when only 1 leg is connected.it is a signal with a upstream downstream....check the wires in the main socket extension plate and note what colours are connected to 2,3 and 5 and make sure you connect the same in the extension sockets...if all wires are connected up right it maybe the termination on the extension socket for which you will need a krone tool to punch home

 

[sillyme]

Thanks very much for all your input.

I will certainly get a NTE-5 master socket.

In the meantime ... just trying some more combinations.

"There should be 3 wires connected for the extension": which 3 would that be and in which slots do they need to go?

 

[drgl]

Here's a new picture with details:

Untitled

• sillyme
• 10 Sep 2008
• 2

When I remove the second orange and blue wires (only leave the one orange and one blue wire from the incoming cable), both ADSL and phone work fine from this socket (whcih I assume is the master). The problem is getting the extension to work as well (it worked fine before the top of the socket came off this morning).

many thanks for your help

Remove the extension and check what colours go where at that end-replicate @ the master end. have you got a proper crimp tool? Not too expensive :-http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/professionalIDCtool.html

Or cheapy throW away :-http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/IDCtool.html

Fitting an NTE5 would seperate extension wiring from main incomming wiring.

 

[drgl]

Thanks very much for all your input.

I will certainly get a NTE-5 master socket.

In the meantime ... just trying some more combinations.

"There should be 3 wires connected for the extension": which 3 would that be and in which slots do they need to go?

You only need 2,3 & 5. You should get dial tone with 2 & 5 but connect 3 as well Master socket pin 2 to extension pin 2 etc etc........

 

[drgl]

ADSL will work when only 1 leg is connected.it is a signal with a upstream downstream....check the wires in the main socket extension plate and note what colours are connected to 2,3 and 5 and make sure you connect the same in the extension sockets...if all wires are connected up right it maybe the termination on the extension socket for which you will need a krone tool to punch home

Seeing as line polarity doesn't matter that makes no sense to me, if polarity was wrong you would have upstream connected to down and vice versa! Go and remove 2 & then 5 from your master socket-your modem/router will lose ADSL sync each time. One wire isn't for upstream and one for down.

 

[sillyme]

have you got a proper crimp tool? Not too expensive :-http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/professionalIDCtool.html

Or cheapy throW away :-http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/IDCtool.html

What does a crimp tool actually do? I am using an old credit card to push the wires in, which is hard work, the wires don't go in easily, but I push them until they seem to have reached the bottom of the slot. Maybe the tool's the problem?

 

[drgl]

have you got a proper crimp tool? Not too expensive :-http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/professionalIDCtool.html

Or cheapy throW away :-http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/IDCtool.html

What does a crimp tool actually do? I am using an old credit card to push the wires in, which is hard work, the wires don't go in easily, but I push them until they seem to have reached the bottom of the slot. Maybe the tool's the problem?

Cheap version-correct shape to push the wires in, "expensive" version cuts the excess wire off too. I really would suggest a correct tool and an NTE5-you may even improve your connection as well due to the ring wire inductor :http://www.bttorj45.com/iplate.html comes with tool.

 

[plugwash]

What does a crimp tool actually do? I am using an old credit card to push the wires in, which is hard work, the wires don't go in easily, but I push them until they seem to have reached the bottom of the slot. Maybe the tool's the problem?

A proper tool presses on the wire either side of the contact such that the only thing touching the contract is the wire itself. The contacts are meant to cut through the insulation and make contract to the wires inside. Tools come in a variety of qualities. The cheap plastic ones are only meant to last long enough to wire up one or two sockets. More expensive ones are made of metal and tend to both last longer and also trim the wire for you.

Your method will have forced the terminals apart meaning they are unlikely to make a good contact again.

 

[blondini]

ADSL will work when only 1 leg is connected.it is a signal with a upstream downstream....check the wires in the main socket extension plate and note what colours are connected to 2,3 and 5 and make sure you connect the same in the extension sockets...if all wires are connected up right it maybe the termination on the extension socket for which you will need a krone tool to punch home

Seeing as line polarity doesn't matter that makes no sense to me, if polarity was wrong you would have upstream connected to down and vice versa! Go and remove 2 & then 5 from your master socket-your modem/router will lose ADSL sync each time. One wire isn't for upstream and one for down.

He's right that adsl can work with one leg of the line disconnected, but the upstream/downsteam stuff isn't the reason. It's because adsl uses a high frequency ac signal and can tolerate some line faults that will stop the line from working. One leg disconnected will reduce the adsl signal strenght so it depends how strong it was to start with.