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KRaiP
Mentor

Can't find phone/master socket! Please help!

Hi, 

We've recently moved into a new home, yesterday I ordered Now broadband and our go live date is 02/05/23. Unfortunately on my order, it states that an engineer is not required. I'm a bit surprised by this as I am unable to locate a phone/master socket within the house. I'm assuming since it's believed that an engineer is not required - a phone line must already be installed. I've looked all over the house for the socket - including weird places such as kitchen cupboards LOL. 

I did however find this junction box in the hallway, picture attached in link below, would anyone know what this is? 

https://imgur.com/a/JlcAMCt

Any help or information would be much appreciated.

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11 REPLIES 11
gavs82008
Legend 5
Legend 5

@KRaiP 

Give the broadband team a call for a peace of mind.

https://help.nowtv.com/get-in-touch/now-broadband-calls/switching-to-now-broadband-or-moving-home

NOW Broadband Members can call us 8am–8pm, 7 days a week.

03300 412518
FYI that I do not work for NOW, just a NOW customer trying to help
Jayach
Elite 3

@KRaiP 

Looking at your picture, and the fact the box is labelled BT, the thick wire is probably the incoming phone line and the thin wire should run to your master socket. Possibly the previous occupants didn't use the BT phone line and removed it.

Now will need to arrange an Openreach engineer to reinstall it.

Is it possible you are in a full fibre area? That may explain why it has been removed.

gavs82008
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Jayach 

Good point re the FTTP as our home is a new build and it has only been fitted with FTTP. So I couldn’t get NOW broadband if I wanted to.

FYI that I do not work for NOW, just a NOW customer trying to help
KRaiP
Mentor

Thanks for your reply 🙂

Definitely not in a full fibre area - the house is pretty much in the sticks in a Welsh village 😄

RoyB
Legend

@KRaiP @Jayach 

I think that’s a really old BT installation that predates Master Sockets, and the thick wire is indeed the incoming phone line, but the outgoing (lower) one will go to a wall socket, or may even have been a wire that ran to the handset, from the days when BT supplied and wired those, and we customers had ‘no business to be messing about’ about with the setup.

If so, then most certainly an engineer will be required, to fit a modern Master Socket, as part of your installation.

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.
Jayach
Elite 3

@RoyB wrote:

@KRaiP @Jayach 

I think that’s a really old BT installation that predates Master Sockets


I don't think it is that old, it has BT and the "prancing pixie". The really old ones were marked PO (Post Office)

RoyB
Legend

@Jayach 

After some digging:-

British Telecom took over from the PO in 1981. The telephone socket was introduced that year.

It became BT in 1991, and introduced the ‘Piper’ logo then.

The Piper logo was dropped 12 years later, in 2003.

So this junction box is 30-42 years old, but the expectation would be that the lower cable leads, or led, to a British telephone socket:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_telephone_socket

Unless, as you said, this has been taken out, though that would involve some action on the BT  side of the socket, which might not be popular with them.

 

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.
chilli2
Elite

you will be surprised what areas have FTTP, and likewise equally surprised at the areas that dont

Put your details in here and see what it says

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome

 

As well as giving speed guestimates in the table it will also state if FTTP is available, and/or only available in the text at the bottom

for example

Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential OH Feed with no anticipated issues.

FTTP is available and a new ONT may be ordered.

As a fibre priority exchange, FTTP has priority over other products if available at the address

------------------------------------

Single dwelling OH feed, means house connected via a pole and wire

FTTP available means just that, the ONT is ordered by the ISP ( so you dont need to worry about that)

Fibre priority means you will most likly be able to order an ADSL/VDSL/FTTC connection as they only accept full fibre (FTTP)

KRaiP
Mentor

Followed the link - states "FTTP not available" 😞