"Illegal" lineside working

[Dangerjunkie]

Hi Guys,

I'm a network engineer and have all the correct tools to work on phone systems. I promised my friend that I would get her going on IDNet. Her house wiring is of "questionable" quality and she is miles from anywhere so she needs the best job done in order to get anything decent from her ADSL.

She hasn't had a BT engineer in for ages and has an old-style master socket rather than an NTE5. I'd really like to fit an ADSLNation filtered master socket for her and change all her extension wiring over to CAT5e. If I fit an ADSLNation XTF-68 in place of her master socket I know that's naughty and obvious and I any subsequent BT engineer to take a dim view. If I can get hold of a genuine BT NTE5 (I think I may be able to), fit it myself on the quiet and then change her master socket then fit an ADSLNation XTE-2005 how naughty would that be, Would any BT engineer in the future know the line shouldn't have an NTE5 and how would they be likely to react to it please? It just seems a horrid waste of a hundred and something quid to call an Openreach engineer to just change a socket.

Thanks,
Paul.

[Danni]

I think they'd most likely turn a blind eye, so long as you don't break anything. Unless they have a database of what lines have what sockets, how do they know it wasn't a BT engineer that replaced the socket?

[Colin Burns]

i think the punishment if found guilty is death (line cut off)

[Dangerjunkie]

I think they'd most likely turn a blind eye, so long as you don't break anything. Unless they have a database of what lines have what sockets, how do they know it wasn't a BT engineer that replaced the socket?

I know their automated "middle of the night" line-tester is very clever and can tell them how many sockets you have and what is likely to be plugged in. I know it can tell the difference between a socketed and an old hard wired install. Don't know about between an NTE5 and an old socket tho.

She hasn't had a BT Engineer in during the last 10 years so there is definitely no way she should have an NTE5.

Cheers,
Paul.

[Danni]

I still think most BT engineers are decent people who will turn a blind eye. Certainly the ones I met have been fine.

[Rik]

It's a personal call, Paul. What you propose is 'illegal'. If BT find out they may just give you a telling off, or they may make an example of your friend and cut off the line. Perhaps what you could do is connect an NTE5 alongside the existing master, and disconnect the capacitor in it?

There are several BT engineers on ThinkBroadband, so it might be worth posting over there to get an opinion.

[Dangerjunkie]

Thanks Danni



I guess if they make an issue of it she can always tell them she had someone from a phone shop in to do the extensions and they must have done it then say it was a long time ago and she can't remember who it was.

Cheers,
Paul.

[Sebby]

Something else to consider is that you may be able to get BT to fit a NTE5 free of charge. What you can do is tell them that you want to fit extension sockets but you can't as you have the old-style master socket. I know it's worked for some, so might be worth a try.

[Dangerjunkie]

Thanks

I'll get her to try that.  Someone on ThinkBB just told me the charge is only £25 if you want the socket changed and you have to pay rather than the £100+ territory I was expecting from the charge for raising an ADSL fault that turns out to be your own problem.

Cheers,
Paul.

[cavillas]

I got this from BT just last week after an enquiery.

"We certainly can change the existing hard-wired socket in to the latest plug-in socket. I am afraid; there is a charge for conversion as mentioned: ? Conversion of hard-wired master socket to latest plug-in socket (for one line) - £29.38 including VAT ."

Hope this helps

[Rik]

Useful, Alf, thanks.  

[Inactive]

Great Alf...I like fact.. 

Have another.. 

[Simon]

That's excellent, Alf - may even go for that myself! 

[Inactive]

Same here Simon.

[cavillas]

My head's getting bigger by the post....

[Inactive]

My head's getting bigger by the post....

You can live with it Alf.. 

[Rik]

He'd find it hard to live without it. 

[Inactive]

He'd find it hard to live without it. 

First  of the week.

[Rik]

 

I thought it had been quiet this morning.

[Inactive]

I suppose you had better have a Karma for tipping the 43000 mark, as I said before you will be over the next 1000 in the blink of an eye.

[Rik]

Thanks, In. It'll take another 4-5 days for the next K, unless the forum goes quiet of course.

[Inactive]

Thanks, In. It'll take another 4-5 days for the next K, unless the forum goes quiet of course.

You could always do a Danni and Colin I suppose.

[Rik]

 

[Sebby]

I got this from BT just last week after an enquiery.

"We certainly can change the existing hard-wired socket in to the latest plug-in socket. I am afraid; there is a charge for conversion as mentioned: ? Conversion of hard-wired master socket to latest plug-in socket (for one line) - £29.38 including VAT ."

Hope this helps

Very useful to know. Thanks.

[Simon]

You could always do a Danni and Colin I suppose.

No one wants to talk to him that much, In.