Disconnecting old phone extension sockets

[jonno]

Hi

Relative newcomer here.  Sorry if this is not really on-topic, but I'm pretty clueless when it comes to telecomms.

My problem is:

I've recently moved house.  I have a BT line coming into the house via the front living room to a "main" BT socket.  I've also got 2 extension cables running from that socket back out of the house, one of them running externally up the wall & into the front bedroom, round the bottom of the skirting & into 2 extension sockets (either side of the bed).  I don't need these extension sockets or cable any longer as I have a "modern" phone that has remote extions you can plug in anywhere in the house.

To remove the sockets can I just cut the extension cable where it comes into the upstairs bedroom (or at another point on the outside wall) ? 

Someone who knows about these things says Yes, cut away, there's nothing to damage as it's just an extension cable.  Someone else who knows about thses things says No, you could damage or cut off your phone line as the extension cable connects into the "main" phone socket, and that I should get an engineer to come & do the disconnection.

I'd be grateful for any help, and if I do need to get an engineer if anyone can give any suggestions as to who should do the work & (roughly) how much it might cost.

Many thanks in advance


Jonno.

[Rik]

Hi Jonno

Don't cut the cable at the extension, it could potentially put a fault on your line and even if it didn't cause immediate problems, it could still add noise and the potential for degradation.

Disconnect the cables, instead, at the BT master socket. If it's the newer NTE5 type, where the bottom part of the faceplate can be removed, the task is pretty straightforward. If it's an older socket, you would need to be able to identify the incoming exchange pair. If you're not comfortable doing the job yourself, it's probably better to get BT in to do it, but they are not cheap.

If you can post a photo of the innards of your master socket, we can try to give you some guidance.

[Gary]

Would it also depend Rik if the extensions were put in by BT? I mean if the extension boxes have BT logos then its BT property and you would have to get them to remove them? 

[Rik]

BT no longer own extensions, Gary. Everything after the master socket is our responsibility. Twenty years or so ago, this wasn't the case and we paid rental for extensions (otoh, BT maintained them).

[Gary]

Understood, I was never sure when I saw old BT extension sockets what you did about them 

[Rik]

Let's put it this way, when I had an ADSL issue caused by BT-installed extensions, it still cost me £60 to get it put right. That would be at least £160 now, so I'm not complaining.

[Gary]

Let's put it this way, when I had an ADSL issue caused by BT-installed extensions, it still cost me £60 to get it put right. That would be at least £160 now, so I'm not complaining.

My call out which Orange paid for in the end was £120 just to change the master socket to a NTE5 one outrageous prices.

[Rik]

Nowadays, that is £160, unless it falls under the 'regularisation of an illicit socket' category, where it's about £30.

[Gary]

Nowadays, that is £160, unless it falls under the 'regularisation of an illicit socket' category, where it's about £30.

£160 for a job I could do myself (sadly illegally) in a few minutes really, makes you sick 

[Rik]

It's all down to the internal separation, with OpenReach being created so that all providers get the same treatment. Lord preserve us from stupid regulators! 

[Gary]

It's all down to the internal separation, with OpenReach being created so that all providers get the same treatment. Lord preserve us from stupid regulators! 

See hospital financial managers for details as well Rik

[Rik]

I know, I know. 

[MoHux]

........ If it's an older socket, you would need to be able to identify the incoming exchange pair.

IIRC they connect to terminals 2 and 5 don't they?

[Rik]

That should be the internal wiring, Mo. The external pair usually connect to A/B, though if it's a very old socket, all bets are off. Ideally, a photo would help us identify the wires (the exchange pair should be solid colours, unlike the internal wiring).

[MoHux]

Thanks Rik. 

[jonno]

Thanks Rik (& others).

It looks like it is a newer main socket as the "bottom half" seems to have 2 screws that allow it to be removed.  Might undo it tomorrow (Saturday night has other attractions) & have a look.  I'll try to take a photo & upload it, but that might be beyond my technical capabilities.

Assuming it is a newer main socket, should it just be a case of disconnecting a few wires ?  And do the "main wires" from the BT exchange have any distinguishing features ?

Thanks very much for the help thus far.


Jonno. 

[Rik]

Hi Jonno

If it's an NTE5, the exchange pair connect by screw terminal on the rear (so you won't see them when you take off the face plate). The extensions will all be connected to terminals 2 & 5 on the reverse of the face plate, and are connected to the exchange pair when you put the face plate in place (it plugs into the test socket). If you don't need the extensions, use a small pair of long-nose pliers to gently lift the wires from those two terminals, and coil them out of the way against some future need. Anything connected to terminal 3 can be safely discarded. Take a look at the photos in the self-help guide here and you'll get a better idea of what I'm talking about.