Upgrade to NTE5

[ccam108]

I phoned BT yesterday about upgrading to an NTE5 master socket from the current small one in our church, so I can use a microfilter faceplate (the hard-wired alarm dialling out keeps dropping the broadband, and I don't wanna crimp a plug onto something so important!). Turns out they want £125 call out for it! I nearly fell over!

Would BT really care if I just bought an NTE5 and did it myself? I'm not moving anything, just replacing the socket.

Colin C

 

[bernardgreen]

Try BT again and say that if really necessary you will accept the cost but then you will have to delay the order until the following notice in the church magazine has raised enough to pay for it

Dear Friends

Once more we have to ask for financial support from you. This time to cover the costs of ensuring the essential BT telephone line to the church, the one that is essential for the alarm call out, and the services it conveys remains fully functional at all times.

We need to raise £125 before the order for the work can be placed. Please help

If still no luck then send a printed copy of the above to the local BT manager.

 

[plugwash]

The only time I could imagine it being an issue if you did it yourself is if there was some fault on the line and BT are trying to find somewhere to pin the blame.

 

[ccam108]

I wouldn't dream of asking the church treasurer or the members to pay £125 for something that isn't a necessity. The line still works, it's just that the broadband drops out occasionally. That £125 could pay for a lot of youth work, missionary support or anything else that's really important.

My choice is either fit it myself or live with the problem.

I'm no numpty with DIY. I've already stripped out and rewired all the phone extensions in the church to solve an earlier broadband problem, and all worked fine until a company came in to install another extension for the new office.

Colin C

 

[plugwash]

Afaict people have already technically broken the rules by wiring into a non NTE5 master.

 

[Steve]

Our old small master socket "broke". We couldn't plug anything into it, as the socket had sunk back, leaving a rectangular hole in the face plate. It may have had a little help from me.

BT replaced it FOC. It was a good 30 years old anyway.

 

[vitalchip]

Hi Colin, I'm going to help you out here with a bit of juicy info that BT likes to keep very quiet..

There is a service available called "Conversion of hard-wired master socket to Linebox and Regularisation of illicit master socket:"

Tell them you want this. If they ask why, tell them you believe the current socket is not a genuine BT item. It costs £25 + vat.

The engineer that turns up to do the job won't care, it's a nice easy number for them and if you're waiting with tea and biscuits it won't hurt.

 

[vitalchip]

Oh, I should have mentioned.. the problem with the alarm dialler is easily solved, you can buy hard wired ADSL filters, so it can't be unplugged by accident.

 

[simonpolly]

Tell them your broadband is playing up and ask for a engineer to visit,the service provider pays for this,when you get the engineer there to do his broadband health check ask him if he is going the change you nte for a new openreach nte with built in bell wire filter,they should be fitting them with every broadband fault they work on.

 

[ccam108]

vitalchip, getting the hard-wired filter is my reason for wanting to go to an NTE5 socket.

simonpolly, as far as I'm aware, if the fault is found to be with the church's wiring (which it is, as all was well until an extension was put in) then the £125 charge will get added to the bill. An engineer will simply disconnect all extensions and plug the modem into the master socket. Since it will start working, it's not BT's problem.

Colin C

 

[vitalchip]

Hi Colin, I'm talking about a standalone hardwired fliter, just for the alarm. It's just like a regular filter but whatever is wired to it ( the alarm dialler ) can't be unplugged.

 

[simonpolly]

alarms should be connected to a b.t 92 a after nte

 

[AlanE]

Tell them your broadband is playing up and ask for a engineer to visit,the service provider pays for this

and passes the cost on to their customer!

 

[vitalchip]

alarms should be connected to a b.t 92 a after nte

A 92a is a redcare block, but I know what you mean, there are many variants that can be used but where broadband exists the best method is connecting directly to the screws on the back of the NTE5 ( if it exists ) and then using a filtered block to change to the alarm wire.

This is to prevent the alarm being unplugged, even by someone removing the front plate of the NTE5.

An alternative would be to use the NTE2000 and connect the cable going to the alarm to the filtered terminals, this does however leave the possibility that someone could leave the front plate off after testing etc and cause the alarm dialler to be disconnected.

 

[drgl]

Alarm should be filtered so either hard wired to the filtered connections on an NTE2000/2005 :- http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/BTNTE5ADSLfaceplate.html

Or a cheaper version :-http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/xte2005cloneadslfaceplate.html

Or hard wired filter :- http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/ADSLfilterhardwired.html