My ADSL is super after I disconnected the Bell Wire - UK

This page reports that when I disconnected the Bell wire at my master socket faceplate, My ADSL connection downloads went from a disappointing 136 kbs to a very acceptable 5250 kbs Downstream and ~4000kbps download.

My ADSL download has been disappointing since my line was MaxDSL'd. I have reported the fault to my ISP, and was told to directly connect the modem to the master socket.

When I did a direct connection a few years ago, I got 5000/448 DownStream/Upstream, but with the extensions connected, I got about 3904/448, which decreased over a week.

Here are Plusnet some speed tests plotted before and after the disconnection. It was over 1000 kbps before MAXdsl

Since I was MAXdsl'd it has been bouncing around 800 kbps mostly 500 kbps, and maybe upto 1800kbps for a while after rebooting the modem. When I got back from holiday, my download speeds were down to 136kbps. Rebooting the modem made no difference. Time to sort out the wiring!

Before considering the move of the ADSL modem down besides the master socket, I thought I would try and see if the filters were at fault.

BT speed test reports: - Very disappointing download, given the DownStream is 3648 kbps

 07/09/2007
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Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    IP profile for your line is - 135 kbps
    DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM)  3648 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 117 kbps

If you wish to discuss these results please contact your ISP. 

If you are experiencing problems with specific applications, servers or websites please contact your ISP for assistance. 

During my testing, I noticed that the Solwise Microfilters only had two wires

The Solwise filter only has two wires on the plug but three on the Telephone socket

Only two of the pins are connected

However three are connected in the Telephone socket

The circuit

I thought "Why do I need to extend all the wires to the extension, when the filter only uses two? What happens if I only connect the ones used?

At the master socket faceplate I only connect the BlueWhite/WhiteBlue pair to IDC connector pins 2 & 5. I has disconnected the orange/white wire connected to pin 3.

House Wiring:

House Wiring Pre ADSL:

The Master socket is connected to the slave sockets using BT 6 wire, 3 twisted pair telephone cable as installed when the house was built in about 1991.

ADSL SHOW CHANNEL plots before and After disconnection of the OrangeWhite/WhiteOrange pair AT the Master Socket

My Solwise 715 modem allows you to poll how the ADSL signal is using the available spectrum. You can poll it and it reports "Downstream Bit Load" for each channel. I had been polling this, yet it took some time to plot the numbers as a graph. The better the signal to noise, the higher the bars.

House Wiring - ADSL with my fault - Bell wire connected at master socket, but not actually used:

The Bell is connected to the B wire via the 1.8uF capacitor, which then runs in parallel to the twisted pair carrying the A & B wires to the slave sockets.

Within the master socket, the Bell is connected to the B wire via the 1.8 uF capacitor, which then runs in parallel to the twisted pair carrying the A & B wires to the slave sockets. I guess it acts as an aerial and either picks up interference, or transmits interference, which affects the ADSL signal on the A & B wires.

The ADSL Channels above channel 128 are all over the place. See Spectrogram further down this web page.

With all six wires connected, ADSL SHOW CHANNEL reports:

LOG FILE: adsl_f3_c3.log CONF: NTELITE, Unfiltered Housewiring ( all six wires ) , F3 solwise715+decor

Typical: http://www.speedtester.bt.com/ results: ( also over wireless 801.B !)

 
06/09/2007
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Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    IP profile for your line is - 135 kbps
    DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM)  3520 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 110 kbps

If you wish to discuss these results please contact your ISP. 

If you are experiencing problems with specific applications, servers or websites please contact your ISP for assistance. 

Your test has completed please close this window to exit the performance tester.
 
26/08/2007
============     
Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    IP profile for your line is - 135 kbps
    DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM)  3904 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 121 kbps

If you wish to discuss these results please contact your ISP. 

If you are experiencing problems with specific applications, servers or websites please contact your ISP for assistance. 

Your test has completed please close this window to exit the performance tester.

House Wiring ADSL after this fix - Bell wire disconnected at master socket, and filters providing filtered bell wire:

With only the BlueWhite/WhiteBlue pair connected to IDC connector pins 2 & 5, ADSL SHOW CHANNEL reports:

LOG FILE: adsl_f3_c4.log CONF: NTELITE, F3 solwise715+ Housewiring filter via F3

http://www.speedtester.bt.com/ results: ( also over wireless 801.B !)

This is the same as when I plugged the modem directly into the Master Socket, with the house wiring disconnected, as recommended by Plusnet.

LOG FILE: adsl_f3_c2.log CONF: NTELITE, F3 solwise715+decor

http://www.speedtester.bt.com/ results: ( also over wireless 801.B !)

13/09/2007
================
This was tested end to end over the wireless. I rebooted the eTEC ADSL modem last night and on my Fujitsu got over 5M bits per second.

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    IP profile for your line is - 4500 kbps
    DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM)  5312 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 3768 kbps

If you wish to discuss these results please contact your ISP. 

If you are experiencing problems with specific applications, servers or websites please contact your ISP for assistance. 

On 14/05/2008 I got the best train up of:

--> adsl show rate
Data Path : Interleaved
  Downstream Bit Rate : 7040 Kbps
  Upstream   Bit Rate : 448 Kbps

Conclusions:

Simply disconnecting the OrangeWhite/WhiteOrange pair from pins 3,4 at the master socket improved my Broadband download speed.

The Bell wire was connected to the B wire via the 1.8uF capacitor, which then runs in parallel to the twisted pair carrying the A & B wires to the slave sockets. It acts as an aerial sucking out power from the B wire and adding noise from received signals.

Even if you use filters at each socket, the bell wire may still be distributed unfiltered to the slave sockets.

Some phones require the bell wire to ring, some don't. 75% of my phones did not need the bell wire to ring.

You do need to get the correct type of Micro Filter, they are not all the same circuits. Some feed the bell wire straight through, others have a bell capacitor after the inductors.

My survey of the local hardware shops suggest that you have to be very careful when buying a filter.

Currently they are selling a filter that feeds the Bell Wire straight throughand all are CE marked.

However, No local hardware shop sold filtered faceplates sockets that allowed you to distribute the bell wire filtered as suggested in the SIN 346.

Currently, You cannot buy from local shops, a solution that would get my ADSL to work! I will keep using my Solwise Micro filters.

This tip is in the BT SIN 346 suppliers information note in paragraph 7.3

I am delighted. My two year saga of support questions getting an answer that did not quite tell me the solution is over!

Remember - the extension wiring is your responsibility, not BT's or your Broadband Provider.

Here is a plot of some speed tests I have logged eratically over the last two years. The tests over the last two weeks are on the right. After I fixed the wiring,rebooted the modem on the 09/09/2007, and my BRAS profile was realigned on the 12/09/2007 The speed tests have been spectacular, even over an 801.b wireless link.

STOP PRESS ( 19/10/2007): I rang 151 and 150 to try and get BT to fit me a proper filtered master socket, and failed to find anybody who could help. On my way home, I drove past an Openreach van parked up. I spoke to the chap driving it. I explained my problem and desire to obtain a filtered faceplate.

He gave me an NTE5A, which he said was standard issue. I traced the circuit and noticed that it has an inductor in series with the Bell wire to filter it. This is just what I am looking for!!!!

So BT Openreach are now fitting a faceplate that filters the bell wire. It will work with the micro filters currently available from Maplin and B&Q.

The leaflet that came with it clearly stated "This linebox is the property of British Telecom and contains components which ensure the correct working of your line"!

STOP PRESS ( 02/11/2007): I spoke to another person who said he had a Master socket. it was also labled NTE5A. However, it did not have the inductor mentioned above. This would not work.

Tescos were selling micro filters. Some had 4 wires to the plug, These may not ring the phone if you disconnect the Orange/White bell wire. They are also selling a Microfilter with blue writing on the front. It has two wires connected to the plug. Therefore I think these WOULD ring the bell if you diconnected the bell wire.

STOP PRESS ( 25/01/2008): My tests from my bell labs at home suggest that the bell wire is only needed on older wiring and modern phones ring without the bell wire.

In old houses, the Mastersocket may not be up to the job for highspeed ADSL, and will need an upgrade, if you live far away from the exchange and have long extension housewiring. This page may help.

Combinations of Master Sockets, MicroFilters and Phones:-

My measurements and other tests

Useful links: