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Installing an nte5

I recently bought a property and have ripped out the BT master socket before i knew i wasn't really supposed to. I now need to re-install one but need a little clarification.

I know which master socket i'm after but i need to replace the wire from the junction box outside the house, inside to the socket. Can anyone give a pointer as to what kind of wire is required/best and any guide to doing it if known? I've searched but can only find how-to's around internal extensions.

Thanks!
 
Oh dear.. hmm.

I suspect BT really aren't going to like what you've done or will attempt to do in the very near future, although in this instances the easiest but obviously also most costly rout would be to call them out and blame it on a building accident in order to save face :) .

Sadly there's a mass of different ways that BT can install phone lines into a home, which makes it difficult to know precisely where you fit in. But I do recall this guide having some information about the cable types that might be useful, I used it myself a few years back after damaging the Master Socket.

http://www.rob-r.co.uk/other/UKphonecatwiring.htm
 
BT use a jelly crimp in the external boxes like these:- http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/BT8Ajellyconnector.html (not recommending the supplier, they were just the first link that came up on google)

You can get internal cw1308, or external petroleum jelly filled cw1128 telephone cable. If you use the petroleum jell filled stuff though, you should terminate it as short as possible indoors, preferably less than 1m. I believe the rules state that it must be terminated within 3m of the external entry point of the wall, due to the fire hazard.

Not sure which type of wire BT usually use from the external box, mine still has a ghastly length of turquoise cable the BT installer chopped off from the trimphone he replaced when he wired in the NTE5. I'd probably use internal stuff unless it is a long run.
 
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Mel said:
I believe the rules state that it must be terminated within 3m of the external entry point of the wall
Indeed - something that I wasn't aware of when I moved home in 2006. Thanks to a combination of the previous occupant's cowboy cable TV installers and the landlord's cowboy double-glazing installers, the existing BT line was badly damaged, not fit for use, and they put a new one in from the pole. I'd already figured out where the computer was going and, in the hope of keeping the distance between the main socket and PC to a minimum, had a word with the engineer who turned up.
Me: "I'd rather not have the main socket on that outside wall if possible - any chance of it going in the alcove there?"
(Points to spot a good four metres from the point of entry)
BT engineer, luckily, was one of the old brigade, a really pleasant and helpful guy.
Response: "Well, the rules say we have to fit it within three metres of where it comes in..." (enormous wink) "...I'd say that's about three metres, wouldn't you?"
Me: "Oh yes, definitely!"
:D

So, you never know, it might be your lucky day too. :smilet:
(Edit - oops, forgot that this is something you're doing yourself - scratch that last line, not relevant. I'd stick to the three metre rule to be on the safe side, in case you need an engineer round at some future date. A main socket in an unauthorised spot might make him look more closely at it and realise that it wasn't an official BT job!)
 
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Don't know about any 3m from point of entry, but my master socket is more than 3mtrs away, fitted by BT openreach, in fact i was asked where i wanted it locating, and where do bt get off with saying it's a potential fire hazzard ? elf & saftey nonsense is all that is, a 50v cable with no amps, not much chance of it ever busting into flames , infact i would be suprise if such a case of that even exists
 
Don't know about any 3m from point of entry, but my master socket is more than 3mtrs away, fitted by BT openreach, in fact i was asked where i wanted it locating, and where do bt get off with saying it's a potential fire hazzard ? elf & saftey nonsense is all that is, a 50v cable with no amps, not much chance of it ever busting into flames , infact i would be suprise if such a case of that even exists

It is a requirement only if PETROLEUM JELLY FILLED external cable is used, because of the flammability of the filler.

I would think I must have read it in either some wiring regulations or building regulations. Here's another poster in another forum stating the same thing:- http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=64985

Although you can still use jell filled CW1308 outside not many do because you have to change to internal cable within 3mtrs of entering the building as the jell is highly inflammable.

From that thread you'll see you can in fact get a non-petroleum jelly filled phone cable for internal and external use :- CW1308B which would clearly be the best thing to use, as it will avoid the issue. Presumably that is also what BT would normally use.
 
I thought i'd try my luck and speak to BT technical/faults but they couldnt understand what i was asking (they said i'd need to speak to billing?!), so thought I'd try speaking to another suppier on the off chance.

I tried Orange and they've offered to include any repairs etc needed if i sign up with them. Not bad considering they're probably my cheapest option.

Thanks for the info though, there's some good stuff in there i'll be using.
 
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BT Retails tech team is separate from their engineers at Openreach and thus wouldn't be able to help with your query (not to mention that front line staff at big ISPs aren't very technically minded), while BTOpenreach generally don't engage with individuals unless you grab one off the street.

Orange Home Broadband offered to include any repairs needed? I'd make sure to get that confirmed / clarified in some sort of writting first because it's highly unusual :) . If for some reason the repairs mounted up to say.. £300 then I can't see them keeping to the commitment.
 
Well I suspected the same myself and so contacted them online via the live chat, and asked & confirmed everything twice. I now have a nice transcript of the confirmation emailed courtesy of orange!
Fingers crossed and I'll update to say how things have gone.
 
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