UK Question regarding Internet phone line

[Uplight99]

Not sure if this is right place to ask, but anyway.

Long story short, signed for BT and are getting the equipment delivered tomorrow. This building used to be a pub and has been converted into flats.

BT have run their check and have said there’s definitely a line somewhere in the flat, however I have looked in every room to no avail. It’s possible that the phone point is behind a plasterboard wall somewhere. They said they will get an engineer out to find the line/install one but I might have to wait a couple weeks.

I know it’s just the case of trying to locate where it is in the flat but I don’t know how to approach this. I am am electrician and I know if it wasn’t low voltage then I could probably find it. However as it’s low voltage cable I don’t know the process of finding it, this isn’t really my area of expertise.

Does anyone know an easy way to detect where this would be? If I can find it myself without having to get an engineer out it would be great. Maybe there’s some sort of tool that can detect the cable? Like a cable finder however as I said it’s low voltage so this won’t work

 

[Uplight99]

Anyone can terminate a few cores but you have absolutely no idea what they are doing.

And that’s exactly why I posted the question..

 

[westward10]

And that’s exactly why I posted the question..

No one on here has a clue what they are doing either. You would be well advised to wait until the appropriate people come to assess it, you can't be cavalier to connect a few wires and see what happens you maybe tapping into someone else's line.

 

[Uplight99]

No one on here has a clue what they are doing either. You would be well advised to wait until the appropriate people come to assess it, you can't be cavalier to connect a few wires and see what happens you maybe tapping into someone else's line.

I actually posted a similar question yesterday and there were a couple people who definitely know what they’re doing, so I’m hoping these same people can help me again. I traced the cable all the way from the electrics cupboard outside to my flat, so it’s definitely my phone line. All our neighbours actually have phone line sockets already in their wall, it seems we were the unlucky ones

 

[westward10]

I actually posted a similar question yesterday and there were a couple people who definitely know what they’re doing, so I’m hoping these same people can help me again. I traced the cable all the way from the electrics cupboard outside to my flat, so it’s definitely my phone line. All our neighbours actually have phone line sockets already in their wall, it seems we were the unlucky ones

Maybe it is but you and no one on here have any idea whether that is your line or not.

 

[Uplight99]

Maybe it is but you and no one on here have any idea whether that is your line or not.

Maybe it is but you and no one on here have any idea whether that is your line or not.

I appreciate the concern mate but it’s defiantly my cable, I can access the whole building from my loft including all the communal corridors. I traced the cable back from the box in the electrics cupboard outside all the way back to my flat. It’s defiantly my cable, all my neighbours already have their internet set up with master sockets in their flats, it just seems like the builders ripped mine out for some odd reason and just connector blocked the cables.

 

[UNG]

You’re probably right mate but that wasn’t the answer I was looking for. If it’s just the case of terminating the cores I’m more than competent enough to do so.

So you start out with

this isn’t really my area of expertise.

and 29 posts in you have become more than competent to add a socket to an unverified cable that loops through a box you have found

Have you traced the cable that loops out of the box??

I appreciate the concern mate but it’s defiantly my cable, I can access the whole building from my loft including all the communal corridors. I traced the cable back from the box in the electrics cupboard outside all the way back to my flat. It’s defiantly my cable, all my neighbours already have their internet set up with master sockets in their flats, it just seems like the builders ripped mine out for some odd reason and just connector blocked the cables.

So your comment could possibly be

it just seems like the builders looped another flats telephone cable through my flat for some odd reason and just connector blocked the cables.

Because you do not have the appropriate test equipment and the expertise to prove otherwise it would unwise to just assume that your line connection is on that cable.

Yes you have traced a cable back to the DP but you haven't mentioned tracing the cable that loops out

As mentioned earlier if you could find the DP box lid you may get some information from that if you are lucky other than that it would probably need to be toned from the local cab

 

[Uplight99]

So you start out with

and 29 posts in you have become more than competent to add a socket to an unverified cable that loops through a box you have found

Have you traced the cable that loops out of the box??



So your comment could possibly be

Because you do not have the appropriate test equipment and the expertise to prove otherwise it would unwise to just assume that your line connection is on that cable.

Yes you have traced a cable back to the DP but you haven't mentioned tracing the cable that loops out

As mentioned earlier if you could find the DP box lid you may get some information from that if you are lucky other than that it would probably need to be toned from the local cab

I traced the cable from the electrics cupboard to my fuseboard cupboard. Yes I did trace the cable that loops out, it seems to drop down the wall in my kitchen behind some tiles. I have looked behind all the kitchen worktops and in all the cupboards but can’t find it. I’m assuming the cable that runs from the electrics cupboard outside to my fuseboard cupboard would be for the BT master socket and the one that is looped from that is for an extension for another phone socket? But as I said I can’t find it, could be behind the tiles in my kitchen for all I know. I know I don’t know what I’m doing, but I am an electrician and have worked on data before so if it was literally just the case of terminating the blue and white cores into a master socket then I’m capable of doing so, I have a punch down tool.

 

[UNG]

I traced the cable from the electrics cupboard to my fuseboard cupboard. Yes I did trace the cable that loops out, it seems to drop down the wall in my kitchen behind some tiles. I have looked behind all the kitchen worktops and in all the cupboards but can’t find it. I’m assuming the cable that runs from the electrics cupboard outside to my fuseboard cupboard would be for the BT master socket and the one that is looped from that is for an extension for another phone socket? But as I said I can’t find it, could be behind the tiles in my kitchen for all I know. I know I don’t know what I’m doing, but I am an electrician and have worked on data before so if it was literally just the case of terminating the blue and white cores into a master socket then I’m capable of doing so, I have a punch down tool.

So as before you are making assumptions on the destination of the looped cable as you have not located where it terminates
I would suggest if you have one that you connect an engineers butt phone to the cable you have found and carry out some tests

 

[shaun1]

Are you on the ground floor? If not then there is a possibility that the cable that drops down your kitchen wall goes down to a flat below? Although this is less likely, it is a possibility, but it sounds like you have enough there for the BT engineer to get you connected. There is no advantage to you fitting the socket as it will still need patching in the cabinet in the street and/or at the exchange, which will all be done on the instalation day.

You have traced all the cables which should speed things up.

 

[snowhead]

Looks like there's just been a thread clean up.

Back to the O.P
I think the O.P has discovered enough to make it a relatively simple job for B.T now.
It's unlikely any new cables will be required and B.T (or one of their contractors) will be able to confirm the wiring within minutes and get things up and running without causing any damage to any equipment or disconnection of any other tennants line.

 

[ruston]

If that line has not been allocated to you, is it likely that it is active? If it is active to someone else you may be doing something illegal.
You have found the line, I would wait for BT to connect it .