Incorrect phone socket wiring query

[#1]

Hi All

I have a query regarding how a home phone socket should be wired up as mine doesn't look right to me and thought this would be a good place to ask to help / advice. I'll explain my setup as best as I can but not being that technically minded, there's a chance I might miss something or not explain myself well enough, so please bear with me.

The reason I'm querying the wiring of my phone socket is due to having broadband droputs that affect my download speeds. I was asked by Plusnet to plug my router directly into the test socket of my phone line for a few days while they checked my line. I only have the bog standard phone socket that a microfilter is plugged into, but when I removed the faceplate with the phone line socket, I noticed the incoming phone line wiring was not connected to it. Instead it's connected to the test socket mounting / bracket. From pictures I've seen on the internet the phone line socket faceplate should be connected to the incoming phone line wiring, but mine isn't, I can just undo the screws of the faceplate and pull the faceplate away from the test socket bracket. Is this correct, or should incoming wiring be connected to the faceplate?

I'd be grateful if someone could confirm whether this is correct, or explain why this is not correct if in fact it isn't. 

I look forward to any responses and many thanks in advance.

[#2]

Hi @bigshorty40 - Welcome to the Forum.

Are you able to provide some photographs of your connections as that will lead to a better understanding and hopefully better advice.

[#3]

My set upBack of phone socket faceplateTest socket bracketHope these photos help explain things a bit better. Notice the wires inside the test socket bracket / mounting, that aren't connected to anything.

[#4]

Do you have any phone extensions, used or otherwise.

Brian

[#5]

No phone extensions at all. This is the only phone socket in the house.

[#6 · Accepted solution]

It looks fine to me.

When you fit the faceplate you effectively connect the faceplate socket to the BT wiring via the test socket and the built in plug on the inside of the faceplate.

Extension wiring, if needed, would be connected to the IDC connector on the faceplate.

[#7]

So my phone line socket shouldn't look something like this?

[#8]

No it shouldn't if the wire we can see is the BT incoming cable.

[#9]

I'm pretty sure it is the BT incoming cable.

Thanks to all for the help and info, certainly has cleared this up for me.

[#10]

Looking at the pictures, that isn't dropwire connecting to the back of the NTE.

It looks like internal cable BT or 3rd party. I'm guessing you will have a "BT80" somewhere near where the main BT cable comes in. Might look something like this...

https://bt.i.lithium.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/15560iF3555F249A2222BA?v=1.0

[#11]

You are correct, I'm pretty sure I have one of those BT80 boxes with the 'BT' logo on it right at my front door, then it looks like the cable goes from there to my phone socket.

I've also noticed a blank plate attached to the wall of my hallway. I took the blanking plate off and found what looks to me like a bunch of telephone wires. I've attached a photo to show what I've found, and would be grateful if you, or anyone else can tell me what you think.

Many thanks in advance.

[#12]

I would guess that at some point in the past the Master socket has been moved from the hall. The wiring doesn't look that great so there is scope for a bad joint.

Brian

[#13]

Thanks for the reply Brian. When you say the wiring doesn't look that good, did you mean the wiring in the last picture I posted? If so, then this is the wiring found in the hallway and that is not in use, its not the wiring that goes to my phone socket.

[#14]

If you have what looks like a BT80 socket right at your front door are you sure the cable doesn't go from there to the socket in your hall and then onto your master socket?

Brian

[#15]

I can't see any crimps or joints in that second picture.  Think this might be redundant.