I have recently extended my BT socket from the dining room, into the living room of my house. I connected BT cable into the back of the master socket and run the cable externally, up, across and down through the external wall, into a new socket in the living room. I have my phone line, broadband and Sky connected into this socket through a microfilter. I recently noticed that when making phone calls, the broadband drops connection. Suspecting the filter to be at fault, I purchased a new one but the connection still drops. The BT cable I used is for external applications but is approximately 20m long. Could it be the length of the extension that's causing the dropouts?

Phil

It's very unlikely the length of extension cable will be having this effect. It is much more likely to be a dodgy connection. Double check the connections you have made in the master box are being made to the correct wires.

the sure fire way would be to just remove the master socket and join the wires which went into it straight to the extension cable preferably with solder joints and heat shrink. Now remove the extra socket you fitted and replace it with the master socket.

The master socket belongs to BT and they take a dim view if you play with it. They say you should use a splitter socket and pre-fabricated cables.
I had problems until I got BT to move my master socket closer to my 'puter and fit a posh one with a built in filter
Just my 2p.

[Edited on 5/3/13 by Confused but excited.]

I had exactly the same problem and it did my head in - how could there be a difference - they are just wires. Eventually one of my mates son who works for BT moved the master socket and it cured it totally.
Still don't understand why!

Cheers!

I know the connections are/were right. I've had it wired for a few weeks like this and everything was working fine. However, my phone appears to be no longer working - sort of. I cannot make or receive calls. The phone doesn't ring out or in but registers the calls as missed calls. Could these faults be related?

The BT master socket has been replaced with a decorative socket by the previous house owner.

Phil

A master socket should have components across the line that will protect equipment from high-voltage transients ( from lightning discharges for example. It's likely that the decorative socket will not have these components and a transient may have damaged your phone. First, I should try a known good phone in its place.

Cable length will make a difference. You will always get some sort of loss in cables, even uber-expensive ones (just not so much). Maybe not enough to cause you a problem but as a couple of the guys have said on this thread, moving the socket seemed to be the solution.

Gotta be worth a try chap?

HTH

I don't really want to pay BT to move the master socket. Last I heard, it was about £150

You can do it yourself ( but I didn't say that )

You can buy a new master socket from Maplin.



[Edited on 5/3/13 by Macbeast]

I can fit a new master socket but the configuration will still be the same as present. ie, an extension from the master socket. I don't understand how this will cure the problem though..... the internet will still drop surely?

Phil

you havent changed the telephone cable as well have you Phil I bough new phones and used the old cables they were incompatible and I couldnt use the phone. Filters as you say can cause this problem as can a long run of cable. are you sure the cable hasn't got a break in it anywhere

Have you got a micro filter in both the matter socket, and your new extension socket? Only having a filter in one socket can cause problems

Just a couple of tips that might or might not help, have you used twisted pair on your extension line, if not and its just basic four cables you could be picking up interference from outside sources like mobile, dect, power lines etc.
also just connect 2 & 5. Leave 3 & 4 empty. As this will just act as an aerial again to pick up outside interference.
Double check all connections. Got to be a good solid connection.
20m should be ok. But it's best to keep all runs as short as possible.


Andy