Phoned moved due to BT copper going (now gone)

[Radio Fixer]

The master cordless phone, answer machine and call blocker were all in the hall which was most convenient.  Ring easy to hear in the lounge and often passing to pick up missed calls.

Now the Virgin internet modem, always in the upstairs Den near the PC, has been changed to another later type and the above items have to be adjacent to it.  The 'line' cord for the master plugs in the back of the new modem. 

The slave phone just plugs into a mains socket in the hall.  Apart from the other inconveniences the call ring is not as loud and is often not heard in the lounge.

So the question is can the 'line cord for the master be extended down to the hall so I can locate the used items back where they were?

If no one knows then I can always start a conversation with Virgin Media but I expect that to be long and difficult.

thanks   Gary

[Murphyv310]

Hi Gary.
Sorry to read about your problems.
I don't subscribe to Virgin as their pricing is IMO excessive.
I have though heard of the problem you are having and the person in question has had great difficulty in resolving it.
If you do I would be most grateful if you can post up how it's been resolved so I can pass on the information.

[Mike Watterson]

So the question is can the 'line cord for the master be extended down to the hall so I can locate the used items back where they were?

They only rent the name from Virgin. It's UPC/Liberty Global.

But yes, you can run maybe 1km of Cat5.
It only needs Cat3!

I've only had copper for 3 years between 2005 and now.

Even speaker wire, bell wire or alarm wire will work at that distance. The socket(s) (ATA or POTS port) on the cable modem/router simulate the signals provided by a telephone exchange or PABX.

[Mike Watterson]

The standard ATA ports are usually RJ11 and BT has a unique system that needs a capacitor in the BT master socket or the BT type interfaced gear will never ring.
You can either use a BT master socket fed by RJ11 on Modem/Router, or an adaptor that has the RJII plug on a tail and the capacitor inside the inline socket.

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
I'm just wondering Michael if what's going on here is different to my friends problem then.
Their system doesn't use a CAT type cable or plugs, it's screened cable. I tried a length of aeronautical screened cable and it didn't work, the connectors are things I've never come across so I had to splice and solder, after reinstating the original it restored operation.
Very odd.

[Mike Watterson]

The only screened cable associated with Cable broadband is the 75 Ohm coax.
What is at each end of cable and what kind of modem/router?
The common broadband connections are:
xDSL on Cat3 cable from cabinet or exchange.
Fibre to a modem box with Cat5/RJ45 to the Router/switch/airpoint/ATA. The ATA can be on the Fibre "modem" box.
Coax from a trunk tap to the modem using an F-Connector.

Actual analogue phones (POTS) only vary in having DTMF or pulse dialling, and either two wires with no special socket or BT system with ringing capacitor in the so called "Master" socket and BT plugs (pair is outers) instead of RJ11 (pair is inners). Israel uses or used to use the BT plugs, but simply wired 1:1 and no master cap. So UK phones fit Israeli wall socket but don't work at all.

BT had the mad idea their plug was safer for children, but no child can get finger into RJ11, but they can into BT socket.

[jimmc101]

I have exactly the same problem.
I asked Virgin customer services if it was possible to add an extension close to the router so that the other (existing) extensions could be fed via this from the router.
They said yes and I've a technician visit booked for Monday 18th. I just hope that they agree!
I'll post the outcome when and if it's done.

Jim

[Radio Fixer]

Thanks Mike: In a week or so I will give it a go and post how it works out.

Jim I had looked on the Virgin site and saw that they did extensions but ideally I would prefer to do it myself.

thanks Gary

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
Sorry I made a mistake. The one I'm referring to isn't Virgin it's EE and a very odd system indeed.

[Mike Watterson]

Who is EE?