What is this grey box?

[Jameswren]

I have a grey box with two black cables going into it and I don't know what it's for - does anyone know what it is?

The old NTL cable box is next to it - unsure if that's a red herring or not.

What do I need to do to safely remove it?

 

[Jameswren]

Untitled

• Jameswren
• 15 Nov 2014
• 1

 

[ekmdgrf]

I can't believe they mounted that NTL box on the floor.

What's inside the grey box?

 

[JohnD]

it looks like an incoming NTL cable box that has been plastered round.

If you can see the RHS of it, there may be a plastic padlock holding it shut. If you can see the bottom of it, there may be an "8" shaped cable going in. It may come through the wall or the floor, and will run to a duct under the pavement. It might have notional protection from flexible green conduit and be carelessly thrown on the ground or slightly buried.

There will also be a cable coming out of the grey box and going into the white one. The plaster hides what is going on. The white box may have a coax cable going to your TV decoder and internet router, and there will be a phone socket somewhere. There may be sockets in the bottom of the white box.

You might consider chipping away enough of that new plaster so you can see where the cables are, to give you a chance not to drill or nail into them.

 

[JohnD]

I can't believe they mounted that NTL box on the floor.

I think the photo is on its side and the floor is the chipboard surface on the right of the picture.

 

[Jameswren]

Thanks for the replies and for pointing out the dodgy angle - using my phone and can't be arsed editing the angle!


Another photo of the internals to follow.....

 

[Jameswren]

Untitled

• Jameswren
• 15 Nov 2014
• 1

 

[seasickstevie]

Not that difficult to turn the pics 90deg surely.

 

[ekmdgrf]

As JohnD says, it's a NTHell box.

 

[Jameswren]

Thank you

Safe to cut the cables and leave them buried behind the plasterboard?

 

[JohnD]

When did you cancel the Cable contract?

Does the house have another phone line?

Is it a rented house, or do you own it?

 

[Jameswren]

The box has been redundant since we moved in at very least and that was 3 years ago.

There's another phone line I had installed so not concerned about the contractual issues - my worry is if I blow something up ripping it out!

 

[AndyPRK]

I would try and leave the cables visable somehow.

You may which to have a fast internet connection at some point

 

[Jameswren]

Thanks for the replies.

I've removed the boxes and will glue some plasterboard over the area where the cables were (now pulled slightly behind the plasterboard.

I doubt they'll ever be needed again but I know where they are if I need access.

Now into the bigger job of levelling the floor....