Kitz Forum

Broadband Related => Telephony Wiring + Equipment => Topic started by: setecio on January 28, 2008, 01:57:12 PM

Title: Microfilter not required by adsl modems ?
Post by: setecio on January 28, 2008, 01:57:12 PM
I was reading http://www.solwise.co.uk/adsl_splitters.htm and the last paragraph states :

Quote
A note about ADSL splitters, also called filters or microfilters.
We are getting calls everyday expressing confusion about splitters for wires-only ADSL services. The following may help:The ADSL service is carried as a high-frequency signal on your ordinary phone line. This high-frequency signal is incompatible with your ordinary telephone and so a filter is required to keep the phone and ADSL signal apart. It is possible to fit just one filter at the point where the phone line comes into your building, to do this you will need to wire in the Face Plate Splitter. This may not be the best option for you if your computer is not near to the main phone point as all of your extensions will be filtered.An alternative strategy is to use a filter at each point where a phone is connected. If you plan to use this method the all-in-one splitter from Solwise is more elegant than the cumbersome dangly-wires products available elsewhere, though these types will work just as well.Note that you don't need a splitter at the point where your modem is connected. The modem can live quite happily with the low-frequency telephone signal. In fact the wires in the splitters American Style ADSL connection are just connected directly to the BT plug that goes into the wall. This means that if you don't have a phone plugged into the same point as your modem, you could save some money and just use a lead with a BT plug on the end to connect your modem. We have leads like this, called RJP/BTP above.

If this is not all clear, please feel free to email or call with your questions.

Is this true ... I know a modem works without a microfilter, but I thought that a microfilter was still advised for the modem connection.

Is it really not necessary ? Could there be situations where it is necessary ? Or is it, as I have understood, necessary for optimum performance ?
Title: Re: Microfilter not required by adsl modems ?
Post by: roseway on January 28, 2008, 02:15:52 PM
You don't need a filter for an ADSL modem or router. In fact the ADSL side of a filter is wired straight through anyway, so there's no filtering on that side even with a filter in place. If you don't use a filter you have to use a different lead to connect the modem, because the sockets are different - the type of lead used with a dial-up modem will often work, but not always because they're not all wired up the same.
Title: Re: Microfilter not required by adsl modems ?
Post by: GT on February 02, 2008, 04:51:38 AM
Whenever I connect a filter direct to the phone socket, as instructed, I cant get a connection
Title: Re: Microfilter not required by adsl modems ?
Post by: roseway on February 02, 2008, 07:49:57 AM
Sorry GT, but I don't understand what you mean. (If you're having a problem, feel free to start a thread on it.)
Title: Re: Microfilter not required by adsl modems ?
Post by: Ezzer on February 02, 2008, 11:45:30 AM
GT if your not getting a connection by using a filter, Are you using a plug in extention lead (with your router/modem at the far end). If so the plug end of the extention lead which goes into a phone socket on the wall should not go through another filter.

Going through 2 filters in line would prevent any broadband signal (the bit where the phone is plugged into on the filter has no broadband comming out of it.

Most ISP's set-up info; talks about putting microfilters everywhere, without any thought of the hundreds of thousands of people who have a plug in extention leads.
Title: Re: Microfilter not required by adsl modems ?
Post by: GT on February 02, 2008, 04:35:44 PM
Sorry GT, but I don't understand what you mean. (If you're having a problem, feel free to start a thread on it.)


I was just saying that I get no joy from using filters, as Ezzer says, they dont work with extensions and most people use them yet the ISP's still tell you to use a filter
Title: Re: Microfilter not required by adsl modems ?
Post by: Ezzer on February 02, 2008, 04:51:51 PM
Just to clarifi cos my post seems to waffle now I've looked at it again.

filter both ends of a plug in extention, no dsl.

if the router/modem is the far end on an extention the filter goes with the router/modem, other end straight into the phone socket.

if you have other equipment in the same socket, use a doubler. the plug in extention straight into the doubler, the other equipment via a microfilter then into the other side of the doubler.
Title: Re: Microfilter not required by adsl modems ?
Post by: roseway on February 02, 2008, 04:55:01 PM
@GT: If you haven't got a filtered master socket faceplate, then you have to have a filter on any socket which has telephone equipment connected to it. You don't have to use a filter on a socket which is used only for ADSL, but there's no reason not to and it provides the right sort of socket for the normal router connection cable (without a filter you have to use a different cable). I can't imagine why you think it doesn't work, but it certainly does. But you can't plug one filter into another and get a usable ADSL signal from the top one, because it would be connected to the filtered telephone socket of the lower one.