Anyone with experience of an intercom system used via BT line?

[LAD]

Hi all,

Please move this post if it's in the wrong place.

I was wondering if anyone is or was in a similar boat to myself.  I live in a small block of flats, and know that before the intercom system was replaced, the old system worked via the BT lines so that a 'normal' phone could be used with the intercom.

This changed a few years ago, but having had a rummage around under the communal stairs I can see a spaghetti mess of bell wire and who knows what all over the place!!

It's got me wondering if my poor broadband experience could be down to this 'cabling'.

So.. is there anybody out there with any experience of such set ups, is there anything I can do to get this tested?

Could my thinking be on the right lines or am I way off base here? 

Cheers guys.

jim

[Rik]

I think you've almost certainly got a problem with your internal wiring, given the 2700's reports, Jim. The problem is going to be resolving it. Ideally, you want to run a new cable from where the BT line enters the building directly to your master socket. Technically, that's a job for BT (unless the master is at the entry point), and you'd also need agreement from the landlord to do the work.

[LAD]

and you'd also need agreement from the landlord to do the work.

That is what I was thinking too.. and that isn't going to be easy! 

I think I've found the entry point under the stairs.

There's a rather thick cable coming out of the ground into a BT box of some kind which then has all the spaghetti wiring around it.

Not sure how to add a pic to the post else I'd pop that on if it was ok to do so, so someone could confirm from a visual.

Cheers.

[Rik]

Use the reply button, not the quick reply box, and hit additional options, you can then add an image file (plus various other formats) up to 512k per post.

[LAD]

Cheers Rik...

Hope this works! 


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[Rik]

That is a horrible mess, and one that only BT can legally fix. One of the cheapest and, potentially, best ways to resolve this might be to order a new line, specifying that it's for ADSL, and that you don't want the existing wiring used. If the landlord will agree, that would get you a clean installation. As it is, that mess is going to be costly to sort out properly, and that assumes you can get permission to have the work done.

[LAD]

Thanks Rik,

Shocking isn't it.

Yeah, thinking about it, that might well be the route to go down, nice clean install. 

The Landlord is not going to want the aggro of tidying that up, and as all the flats only have a single TV aerial line in etc, kitting out the block for modern technology is not high up on their list, especially when most of the other flat owners let out their property so can't be bothered either.

Hehe, don't even get me started with the troubles over trying to sort out Sky HD.... should have known it was never going to happen!! 

[Rik]

All those loose pairs can only be adding noise to the system - it's a total dog's dinner from an ADSL pov.

[LAD]

Well I know it's not an exact science but I've just quickly ran 3 phone number checks online for my number and the 2 pubs within spitting distance of where the flats are.

BT reports possibly upto 2.5 meg for my line, and for the pub's upto 7 megs so there is obv something different in line quality within a less than 50 ft radius.

I'm guessing that combined with the higher demands of ADSL2+ is not really helping my sanity one bit!

Maybe I should just talk to the pub landlord instead and come to some arrangement that involves a broadband/beer package!! 

[Rik]

That might work well. Even if the speeds were no better, you'd not be bothered by them.