Telephone extension, socket to socket - how?

[henry13]

Refurbed a flat, and to avoid tenants running wires all over the place we ran a 2-pair phone cable under the floorboards.

The idea is:

An extension socket box just by where BT may enter the building and place the master socket;

Connected via the two pair to a similar socket where the phone or internet may be needed.

When BT install their master socket, a very short cable (terminated in plugs to fit the sockets) connects master to the nearest socket and hence the more distant extension one, so no messing with BT's box.

(Yes I appreciate that we could just terminate the actual cable and plug it into BT's box - but due to a misunderstanding, we do now have a flush mount socket box in place )

Now here's The Big Issue...

...which, I suspect, isn't one to anyone of you guys who know a thing or twenty about phone lines, unlike me.

There are six numbered connections inside the extension boxes.
I have four wires to play with.

No prizes for guessing the question to follow...

Which to use?

Thanks in advance for your time!

 

[Jackrae]

You need 2,3 and 5 connected Just curl up the 4th wire

Wire on terminal 3 provides the ring signal from the master socket to the extensions. If you miss this wire out the extensions will still work but won't ring

 

[henry13]

Could not have asked for a more concise and straightforward reply.

Many thanks Jackrae, appreciated!

 

[TonyW2]

2 and 5.
3 if you want to, but not needed for modern phones and may slow broadband.
4 is unused but can be used to neaten the cabling or just fold back unwanted wires

 

[TonyW2]

Fast typing !!!

 

[henry13]

2 and 5.
3 if you want to, but not needed for modern phones and may slow broadband.
4 is unused but can be used to neaten the cabling or just fold back unwanted wires

Interesting re broadband!

 

[OwainDIYer]

(Yes I appreciate that we could just terminate the actual cable and plug it into BT's box - but due to a misunderstanding, we do now have a flush mount socket box in place )

Even though you've got a flush mount box, the NTE removable front faceplate usually has a small groove in it to accommodate a surface cable going into a flush mounted NTE neatly.

This would be much neater.

 

[henry13]

Thanks for the input unfortunately either I have not explained myself well or I did not understand your post, either way my bad...

By flush mount box I mean a plasterboard-type single electrical 3-pin socket outlet back box.

And the new cable poking out of this hole.

I am just now thinking, that the fact that the hard (impossible) to replace now-buried new cable will not be at all accessible may be a bonus as it can't be damaged, cut short, or anything. You never know, in this very same flat I once found a new wall that the tenant had put up (!!!).

Please do let me know what you meant (if still applicable).

Also, is there any difficulty in sourcing a male-male phone cable to make this setup work?

Thanks again

 

[OwainDIYer]

Using a plug-plug phone cable -
- you will have to get one of the plugs 'upside down' or wire the socket backwards as a plug-plug lead will reverse the connections, so you must introduce a second reverse
- the plug in the 'extension' side must have its latch cut short so that it is captive and you don't have an exposed plug with line voltage.

 

[SimonH2]

You may find that a standard NTE5 will fit the flush box. It will depend on the specific socket (the design varies a bit), and whether the box is recessed or comes flush with the surface of the plaster - but I'd say there's a good chance it will fit (both my rental properties have the NTE5 in a standard flush box).

But presumably there isn't an easy way to get the BTOR dropwire to the backbox ?

 

[henry13]

Using a plug-plug phone cable -
- you will have to get one of the plugs 'upside down' or wire the socket backwards as a plug-plug lead will reverse the connections, so you must introduce a second reverse
- the plug in the 'extension' side must have its latch cut short so that it is captive and you don't have an exposed plug with line voltage.

I think I understood this

I can reverse-wire the wiring in either one of the "extension" socket boxes, so as to effectively cancel out the reverse-wiring in a standard lead...

Is there a problem with line voltage? I mean, socket to phone set leads always have exposed plugs (they are both male).

Thanks

 

[henry13]

You may find that a standard NTE5 will fit the flush box. It will depend on the specific socket (the design varies a bit), and whether the box is recessed or comes flush with the surface of the plaster - but I'd say there's a good chance it will fit (both my rental properties have the NTE5 in a standard flush box).

But presumably there isn't an easy way to get the BTOR dropwire to the backbox ?

Unfortunately your last statement is correct! It's not yet installed and the wall is finished. Other issue of course is direct-wiring the extension wire, apparently this is not allowed, which is where this all started from.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Is there a problem with line voltage? I mean, socket to phone set leads always have exposed plugs (they are both male).

Yes, but they're supposed to be captive at the phone end so you need a pin or something to unlatch them.

Phone line and particularly ringing voltage is supposed not to be touchable without the use of a tool.

The BT dropwire can be lead into the back box through the recess on the front of the NTE that's usually supposed to be for extension wiring, but whether the Openreach person will be happy to do that or not ... tea and biccies might help. Or you could leave a little channel in the plaster he can feed the wire through to the back of the box, and make good later.

 

[SimonH2]

Other issue of course is direct-wiring the extension wire, apparently this is not allowed

Actually it is - that is precisely what the NTE5 is designed for.

When telecoms was deregulated, all extension cabling had to be plugged in (and still does). But naturally enough, people complained that having to plug in a flex was untidy. BT's answer was the NTE5 which is actually a plug and socket designed to look like a single item. The lower section of the front unscrews, unplugging from the main part and leaving just the master socket behind. Since you wire your extension cabling to the terminals on the plug in bit, it gets unplugged with it.

Result, you get to hard wire your extension cabling, while it's actually plugged in.

 

[plugwash]

Yes, but they're supposed to be captive at the phone end so you need a pin or something to unlatch them.

Phone line and particularly ringing voltage is supposed not to be touchable without the use of a tool.

I remember older phones coming with a RJ style connector with a short tab as you describe but all the recent equipment i've seen has cables removable without the use of a tool. Further I was recently looking at an openreach guide for new build FTTH installations and they were suggesting using PLUG-PLUG leads to connect the phone ports on the ONT to the user's extension wiring.