Hi,
I have a 1870's house with pretty old telephony... On the window sill of the master bedroom is a General Post Office BT20/4 junction box connecting the drop wire to the mastersocket (via a couple of meters of ribbed cable). There is no star from the junction box - i have two stands of wire connected on both sides of the junction.
The whole setup woks - albiet with some occasional line noise and ADSL isnt a ball of fire.
I will soon be getting the window replaced and want that old box removed and replaced with something a bit more attractive and secure. the wiring also just runs under the carpet so i would like to get that extended to go either under the floor or neatly along the skirting line.
questions:
1) What would BT now replace the General Post Office BT20/4 with? (space is an issue so i need to know what i would be expecting!!)
2) What is the likely cost of the works?
Many thanks.
Kind of an open-ended question really, Iain. Are you saying you are going to request that Openreach replace all the "old stuff" for the latest fixtures & fittings ?? Or, are you going to report a 'Noise' fault on the line ??
The reason I ask is that the first is a 'Provision' activity that will definitelt incur charges via our Timescale Related Charges process, and the second is a 'Repair' activity, which may or may not have the bill footed by the SP dependant on what was found to be the cause of the "Noise".
From your posting, it would be appear you only possess 'Monopoly wiring & socket' which is all covered under your rental payments. Should any of these items (wiring, socket or junction box) be causing disruption to the service, then they should be replaced F.O.C.
Also, even if there proves to be a fault outside your premises, the engineer should fit a brand new 'Openreach logo'd' NTE5 if you have any other type of Master Socket. We are not in the business of just replacing wiring or sockets for aesthetic purposes or because the EU says the installation is years old. If the circuit passes certain test parameters, then it's good to go.
My genuine thoughts are that if you are
CONVINCED there is noise on the monopoly wiring/sockets, then organise an SFI visit ASAP, preferably before the window work is done. If any damage is done whilst the window is fitted, you will be charged. Other than that, to answer your 2 questions .............
A) We would most likely replace the old junction box (BT20) for an NTE5 Master Socket, where the cable enters your premises, seeing as space is at a premium.
B) I wouldn't have a cluse as we work for all SP's ( approx 298 of) and couldn't possibly keep abrest of all the constantly changing tariffs they employ.
Best I can do I'm afraid.