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How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

delboy109
Grafter
Posts: 25
Registered: ‎22-04-2015

How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

Hi everyone ,
New to the site .
I was wondering how do you go about finding out what Cabinet your area is covered by?
I know the exhange in Inverness for my area is MACDHUI but I cant seem to find the cabinet number to see when its going to be getting upgraded?
I put my telephone number in and it has thrown up different cabinets ?
Thanks in advance .
42 REPLIES 42
198kHz
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 5,755
Thanks: 2,813
Fixes: 41
Registered: ‎30-07-2008

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

https://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/ADSLChecker.Telephone?URL=&SP_NAME=a%20service%20provider&VERSION...; seems reliable.
A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simpler system that worked just fine
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benfranklin
Grafter
Posts: 68
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎31-03-2015

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

https://www.dslchecker.bt.com/ is the standard way of finding out which cabinet your line is served from. It's completely accurate if you put in a phone number, it can make estimates if you can only supply an address but this could throw up an anomalous result.
x47c
Grafter
Posts: 881
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎14-08-2009

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

You need to contact your local county council's BDUK office/website to see when or if it being upgraded.
They will only give you a broad estimated 6 month period if it is due for upgrade.
Of course it may
1) be being upgraded as part of the SEP extension program to the main BDUK post 2016  or
2) it might be not being done at all
That said I've no idea how the BDUK process applies in Scotland.....
AndyH
Grafter
Posts: 6,824
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎27-10-2012

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

Cabs 3 & 65 are due to be completed by Sep under BT's Commercial Deployment.
Cabs 70-78 are due to be completed in a similar timescale under BDUK Scotland.
A large number of other cabinets are already live, although 4 are waiting for extra capacity.
matthewleggott
Grafter
Posts: 32
Registered: ‎15-08-2009

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

I have found in some smaller villages/towns some places are wired back directly to the exchange so you never see a cabinet number.  Where my Dad lives there are 3 or 4 cabinets but he doesn't connect to one and it appears its straight back to the exchange which was confusing at first.
benfranklin
Grafter
Posts: 68
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎31-03-2015

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

That'll be the dreaded Exchange Only lines, often abbreviated to EO.
runhare
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 556
Thanks: 69
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎09-10-2007

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

Ok- the link here
https://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/ADSLChecker.TelephoneNumberOutput
gives me a cab number but how can I check where it is? is there a map with them on?
Thanks
benfranklin
Grafter
Posts: 68
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎31-03-2015

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

Not a publicly available one but AndyH might be able to help...
AndyH
Grafter
Posts: 6,824
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Registered: ‎27-10-2012

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

If you post the cab number/exchange, I can give you the streetview link for the cab.
HPsauce
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 7,157
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Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

Dare I jump in AndyH and ask for Cabinet 1 on SMCG please, I've been trying to find it but there are multiple cabinets on opposite sides of the road where I suspect it might be.
AndyH
Grafter
Posts: 6,824
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎27-10-2012

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

It looks like it's here - https://www.google.cz/maps/@51.637035,-0.559956,3a,37.5y,233h,69.13t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s40gYzP8s_kX...
It's a bit confusing as you also have some VM cabs there also from the looks of things.
HPsauce
Seasoned Pro
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Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

Thanks for that, but how sure are you? It's not where I'm expecting it at all!  Shocked
That's significantly further from the exchange than my house and I get up to 20mbps ADSL2+. I thought it was between me and the exchange (roughly).
By the shortest possible route exchange to that cabinet to my house would be 1600 metres. Attenuation is 22dB so right on the limit allowing for no "slack".
Can't track the cable as it goes overhead to a pole across the road then underground.
Oddly the house directly opposite that cabinet (friend of mine) has FTTC from a (definitely different) cabinet not currently on streetview (and definitely not that one), though he's had it 16 months now. No FTTC for me this year.  Cry
Yes there are VM cabinets too and my friend opposite them can't be served by them as the cables go off elsewhere.
There's also now an FTTC cabinet on that junction, the other side of the road, on the corner West of that cabinet by the wooden fence but at the kerbside. But it's connected to yet another BT cabinet nearby (#9 IIRC) that isn't visible in that view. All very confusing.
runhare
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 556
Thanks: 69
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎09-10-2007

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

here's the exchange and Cab No I'm looking for AndyH :
Exchange CROSS HILLS served by Cabinet 14
Thanks
Gus
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 3,240
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Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: How to find out the Exchange Cabinet number for my area ???

Also http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/ it doesn't tell you the cabinet you are on, but does say if they are accepting orders for your cabinet.  Same exchange as the OP, but mine is waiting for an upgrade.
FTTP 500 regrade from Tues 28th November