cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Do I need a VDSL Filter if I have no landline phones?

Ian06
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 189
Thanks: 108
Fixes: 4
Registered: ‎06-04-2021

Do I need a VDSL Filter if I have no landline phones?

I wondered if I have no internal phones / wiring do I need a VDSL filter or can I just plug the router straight into the test socket on my Openreach NTE5C ? 

We've decided to give up using the landline as our mobiles have unlimited call minutes.  We don't need the landline so planning not to connect anything to it anymore, but do I still need to use a filter for the VDSL?

7 REPLIES 7
jab1
Legend
Posts: 19,269
Thanks: 6,341
Fixes: 290
Registered: ‎24-02-2012

Re: Do I need a VDSL Filter if I have no landline phones?

@Ian06 If you have a NTE5C, what kind of faceplate do you have? Personally, I would never leave my modem/router permanently connected to the test socket, but if you do, yes, you need a filter.

John
Ian06
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 189
Thanks: 108
Fixes: 4
Registered: ‎06-04-2021

Re: Do I need a VDSL Filter if I have no landline phones?

@jab1  Thanks.

I have a mk4 faceplate, but had problems with it.  I think it was not fitting properly and had loads of errors on the line.

I have a dongle type vdsl microfilter I can use.  Thanks

Dan_the_Van
Hero
Posts: 3,163
Thanks: 1,578
Fixes: 91
Registered: ‎25-06-2007

Re: Do I need a VDSL Filter if I have no landline phones?

 

I agree the NTC5c with MK4 filtered faceplate is the worst and I have plugged the micro filter directly into the test socket to remove the single point of failure

The purpose of the ADSL/VDSL filter is to remove the ADSL/VDSL tones from the connected phone, so it could be argued a filter is not required if no phone is connected. But as you have one I use it just as a media converter.

Dan.

MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 16,361
Thanks: 6,288
Fixes: 451
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Do I need a VDSL Filter if I have no landline phones?

You dont actually need a filter if you have no phone connected. In fact the filter doesnt filter the dsl connection. However , you do need an rj11 socket in which to plug the dsl cable from the router and a dongle style filter is usually the simplest way of converting the BT style connecor to an rj11

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

jab1
Legend
Posts: 19,269
Thanks: 6,341
Fixes: 290
Registered: ‎24-02-2012

Re: Do I need a VDSL Filter if I have no landline phones?

@Dan_the_Van / @MisterW  thanks for the added advice.😉

John
Ian06
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 189
Thanks: 108
Fixes: 4
Registered: ‎06-04-2021

Re: Do I need a VDSL Filter if I have no landline phones?

Thanks @jab1 @Dan_the_Van @MisterW ....

I have a 0.5m cat5e cable with BT phone plug on one end and a RJ11 on the other.  I am currently not using a filter and wondered if no filter might cause issues.  There seem to be very minor benefits to attenuation and SNR without the filter but as they vary a bit it's hard to be sure.

I'll probably put the filter in just to be on the safe side, bit reluctant at the moment to take the connection down again unnecessarily.

pint
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 623
Thanks: 61
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎19-08-2007

Re: Do I need a VDSL Filter if I have no landline phones?

If you have no phone connected to your landline then technically you shouldn't need a filter.

 However, it is best practice to have a basic corded phone connected to the line, as during a power failure or emergency a landline phone should still work when mobiles and everything else is down.

Mobile phone masts usually only have short term batteries in the base stations, if at all. That's why weather warnings now carry messages about phone reception may cut out/be lost

 

Your router requires power, unless its connected to a UPS then it will stop, and even if its on a UPS, once that has run out of power so will your wifi.

 

Street cabinets used for FTTC have a battery back up, however this only lasts a few hours, and once that goes so will your internet - assuming your router is running on battery

 

The voice part of the line, and a basic landline phone is line powered, the phone exchange has back up systems, including generator sets to keep the basic bare minimums ( ie voice) going when all else fails