Telephone extension stopped working

[squeekykilt]

Hi all,

I have an extension (four core cable) running from the BT master socket to a slave socket in the living room for a cordless phone and broadband connection. Up to last week this was all running smooth then for no apparent reason the line has gone dead. I tested the phone in the master socket within the linebox and the master wiring is fine but i have no dial tone or connection on my extension socket.

I redid the connections at the linebox (idc terminals) to no avail and have changed the faceplate of the slave socket (screw terminals) as the terminals looked slightly dull so i wondered if they had oxidised impairing the connection but still no signal. My next step is probably to get some new cable and re-wire the whole lot but before i do, any ideas what may have caused the sudden fault?

My only other thought is whether its possible that the blades in the idc connection of the linebox are worn and hence not making proper contact. If so is it possible to buy just the faceplate for the box rather than getting stung by BT to come out and fit a whole new box?

Thanks.

 

[Softus]

My next step is probably to get some new cable and re-wire the whole lot but before i do, any ideas what may have caused the sudden fault?

If you have a meter then it would be sensible to continuity test the conductors. That way you can determine whether it's a break in the wiring or a termination problem.

...is it possible to buy just the faceplate for the box rather than getting stung by BT to come out and fit a whole new box?

Yes. Google for "NTE5".

 

[squeekykilt]

Thanks Softus

If you have a meter then it would be sensible to continuity test the conductors. That way you can determine whether it's a break in the wiring or a termination problem.

I had considered doing continuity test but wasnt sure which terminals to test between. The boxes are in different rooms so i cant test the two ends.

Will have a look for the new faceplate in the meantime.

Thanks.

 

[Softus]

I had considered doing continuity test but wasnt sure which terminals to test between.

Not between terminals, but the wires themselves.

The boxes are in different rooms so i cant test the two ends.

Not so. Either use a wander lead, or join the two ends at the master socket end (disconnect them from their terminals first) and then test at the slave socket end.

 

[squeekykilt]

sorry im a bit slow picking the concept up;

Not so. Either use a wander lead, or join the two ends at the master socket end (disconnect them from their terminals first) and then test at the slave socket end.

So which colours am i testing is it blue with white and white with blue connected at master end and tested at slave end and likewise with oranges, or am i getting this completely wrong? Still not entirely sure which colour does what yet.

Thanks.

 

[Softus]

I would expect there to be either two or three wires connected between master and slave.

The colours are unimportant, but a common convention is:

2: blue (white trace)
3: orange (white trace)
5: white (blue trace)

It will probably all work without pin 3 connected.

At the master end, join blue/white to white/blue, then test for continuity on that pair at the slave end.

If no continuity, then pick a different pairing of wires until you find a pair that is good, and use those wires on pins 2 & 5. If all wires are good and it still doesn't work, then replace one or both faceplates.

 

[squeekykilt]

Ok thats great thanks will try that when i get a chance and report back.

I would expect there to be either two or three wires connected between master and slave.

The colours are unimportant, but a common convention is:

2: blue (white trace)
3: orange (white trace)
5: white (blue trace)

I actually have four wires going between the two sockets;
2: blue (white trace)
3: orange (white trace)
4:white (orange trace)
5: white (blue trace)

But from reading some of the other posts i suspect this fourth wire isnt serving a purpose in my installation.

 

[breezer]

change the cable and have done with it.
chances are its been niked, so one spare coere will work untill it goees down, change the whole cable no problem

 

[Softus]

change the cable and have done with it.

And what if this is a new build with concealed cabling? Not so easy for the average punter then, is it, hmm?

If you don't have a means of fault-finding a problem then I really with you'd b*gger off with your stupid comments and let everyone else get on with it.

 

[breezer]

if the cable is damaged (which it may or may not be) and as you say is a new build and concealed he still can't repair it can he?

 

[Softus]

If this.... if that.....

The WHOLE POINT of fault-finding is to create certainty out of uncertainty. To eliminate the simple and (sometimes) obvious in order to focus on the more complex and less likely causes.

I can't imagine anything simpler than a continuity test, but you seem hell bent on guesswork and replacement of something that might still be working, based on your GAMBLE that the cable is damaged.

Maybe it is damaged, but the C test will expose that, and it's very common for just one conductor (out of six or eight) to be damaged.

I'm struggling to find the words (for once) to express the intensity of your stupidity and the depth of your unhelpfulness.

 

[breezer]

i do understand what you are saying regarding the fault, but it will be quicker to change the cable than to find the fault (after a continuity test has been done, which will show that the cable is open cct)

 

[Softus]

i do understand what you are saying regarding the fault, but it will be quicker to change the cable than to find the fault...

I can hardly believe you're still hammering away at the same vacuous point.

Right then:

1. How long will it take to replace the cable?
2. How long will it take to find the fault?

You must have those answers in order to know which one is the quicker, so why don't you reveal all?

Also, if you replace the cable, and it turns out to be a faulty master socket, how do you then justify your posts on this topic, which have all advocated cable replacement without any fault-finding?

(after a continuity test has been done, which will show that the cable is open cct)

Will? Will show? Can you see into the future? Don't answer that.

The cable is a bundle of conductors, so what proportion of times that you've investigated, just approximately, have you come across a telephone cable (i.e. with six or eight conductors) that have ALL become faulty?

 

[breezer]

quite often when some one has sliced through the cable.

The OP has not mentioned if any "building work" has taken place

suppose for the sake of argument the cable was nicked during installation, and it is corroding it is now breaking down, the other cores will soon follow.

The OP has also suggested that he changes the cable

look at it from another way then

you test the cable it has 1 ccore working out of the 4, what are you going to do ?


or how about:

you find 2 cores working but need 3, you follow the cable and find your childs pet rabbit has gnawed the cable, you strip the cable back and find its 5mm too short, you cut the damaged section out, you then carefully solder a new cable in job done. You then stand back and realise that no matter how carfully you did the job it has a "lump" where you made the new coonections.

what do you do?


dont get me wrong Softus, i agree to a point you should test the cable, but often and for apperance its better to let that mentality of "I will repair it" go, and change the cable. It looks neater and in most cases its quicker

 

[Softus]

quite often when some one has sliced through the cable.

The OP has not mentioned if any "building work" has taken place

But you haven't even asked.

suppose for the sake of argument the cable was nicked during installation, and it is corroding it is now breaking down, the other cores will soon follow.

No they won't. You're making it up as you go along.

The OP has also suggested that he changes the cable

The OP is the one who came on here looking for advice and help, i.e. he knows very little. He appears to be marginally more qualified than you.

look at it from another way then

you test the cable it has 1 ccore working out of the 4, what are you going to do ?

Don't be so bleeding obtuse. You don't know how many cores are working until you test it.

or how about:

you find 2 cores working but need 3, you follow the cable and find your childs pet rabbit has gnawed the cable, you strip the cable back and find its 5mm too short, you cut the damaged section out, you then carefully solder a new cable in job done. You then stand back and realise that no matter how carfully you did the job it has a "lump" where you made the new coonections.

In this scenario you followed the cable back, which is an entirely different scenario to this one:

change the cable and have done with it.

___________________________

what do you do?

I test the cable to determine whether the fault is in the cable or elsewhere.

dont get me wrong Softus

Oh I think I've got you absolutely spot on.

i agree to a point you should test the cable, but often and for apperance its better to let that mentality of "I will repair it" go, and change the cable. It looks neater and in most cases its quicker

I'll have one more go at getting this through to you:

Replacing. The. Cable. Won't. Fix. A. Fault. In. The. Master. Socket.