BT I-Plate Interstitial Plate

[Taz]

I installed the i-Plate this evening. No real improvement in sync speed. However, my line attenuation has dropped by a tiny 0.5dB.

BUT...the big thing that I have noticed is far fewer errors recorded by my ADSL modem. I am using DMT Tool to monitor these errors. Web sites seem to load much faster too although that might be because of a placebo effect. So, the only hard data I have is that FEC errors are greatly reduced. I've only had the i-Plate installed for a couple of hours so i'll keep an eye on the errors over the next few days.

I also loaded up Rainbow 6 Vegas 2 on my Xbox 360 and searched for multiplayer games online and got a pageful full of 'green pings'. I've never had that before. Perhaps it was coincidence. Online play was silky smooth with no lag. Again, I could have been lucky but I'm of the opinion that it was a tenner well spent.

One thing to bear in mind is that when you take the faceplate off your master socket, ensure there is enough cable slack to fit the i-Plate. You need around 3 inches of cable slack to easily manoeuvre the i-Plate into position.

[sleepyhead]

I been wondering if I should get this to see if it stabilises the line where I am. Thanks for the heads up on the cable slack required.

[Taz]

I been wondering if I should get this to see if it stabilises the line where I am. Thanks for the heads up on the cable slack required.

No probs. The device has a cutout at the bottom where the cables slot through so you don't need to detach any wires from your master socket at all. You will find that your master socket faceplate will stand proud of the wall by around 1"-1.25" inches after the i-Plate has been installed. So you'll also need to ensure that you had no furniture tight up against the wall previously (I had to shift a sofa forward by an inch so that it didn't foul the master socket after the i-Plate was fitted).

Bear in mind that for some people it will make no difference whatsoever. It seems to have made some difference for me.

[kopite]

We just had word back from one of our customer who has fitted an I-plate and their speeds have jumped up by 2 meg

[sleepyhead]

Not to sound like a complete numpty but...

My house has 2 master sockets? Well they both look like the one on the link posted on the first post.

Would it matter if I use either or is there something more to it that I am missing?

[moogle]

one's probably an extension. they're connected in series (one after another) so the one at the start of the wire entering your house is the master socket. The other is just an extension and usually yields lower sync speeds than the master socket.

[sleepyhead]

That is REALLY crap then...because that makes the master socket right by the front door. lol.

[moogle]

that's the usual place ;D
with those extensions the signal deteriorates the longer it is (slower net speed). Very gay but thats how it is. I did a DIY job with some phone cable and moved it further towards where I wanted the router to be. But you're not supposed to but I'm not paying £150 or whatever it is for a BT engineer to come and move the box a few metres.

[sleepyhead]

that's the usual place ;D
with those extensions the signal deteriorates the longer it is (slower net speed). Very gay but thats how it is. I did a DIY job with some phone cable and moved it further towards where I wanted the router to be. But you're not supposed to but I'm not paying £150 or whatever it is for a BT engineer to come and move the box a few metres.

So...how am I supposed to leave my Gateway/Modem/Switch/Router thing in the hallway? It literally is the hallway by the front door. If I put a little table there, no-one can get in and out. lol. And the cables!!! It would be so untidy!

Guess I should try moving where the Gateway is before I buy the I-Plate.

[moogle]

So...how am I supposed to leave my Gateway/Modem/Switch/Router thing in the hallway? It literally is the hallway by the front door. If I put a little table there, no-one can get in and out. lol. And the cables!!! It would be so untidy!

Guess I should try moving where the Gateway is before I buy the I-Plate.

It's exactly how I had it. Reached the limit when my little brother decided running past was a good idea and sent the router and cables flying!

Disrupted my good game on CoD4..

But they probably put it there not anticipating we'd ever use it for broadband.

[Agent]

Its quite easy to reconfigure the master socket to the other one, but its a violation of BT's agreement / equipment.

[peterb]

So...how am I supposed to leave my Gateway/Modem/Switch/Router thing in the hallway? It literally is the hallway by the front door. If I put a little table there, no-one can get in and out. lol. And the cables!!! It would be so untidy!

Guess I should try moving where the Gateway is before I buy the I-Plate.

You need to determine which really is the master socket - look to see where the incoming telephone cable enters the house.

Howevewr, on the assumption that it is the one by the front door, you can change the extension cableing for cat 5, and leave the bell wire disconnected. Then install the router at the existing cable.
That is legal.

If you want to break the service T&C, you put a little junction box inplace of the master socket, and extend the two cores - again using cat5. You then place the master socket where you want.

You do that at your own risk!

[xiphrex]

I bought one of these I-plates and was looking forward to installing it but somehow my master socket seems to have disappeared!

I am sure it once existed but I think in the building work we had done 4 years ago it was replaced but now it seems I dont have a BT NTE5 type master socket - they all look the same and look like a usual phone socket without a split.

Will BT come and install a master socket properly if I ask them? Or will they charge £200 for an engineer to come out?

[TAKTAK]

I bought one of these I-plates and was looking forward to installing it but somehow my master socket seems to have disappeared!

I am sure it once existed but I think in the building work we had done 4 years ago it was replaced but now it seems I dont have a BT NTE5 type master socket - they all look the same and look like a usual phone socket without a split.

Will BT come and install a master socket properly if I ask them? Or will they charge £200 for an engineer to come out?

it will be the socket nearest to where the phoneline enters the property...

[xiphrex]

it will be the socket nearest to where the phoneline enters the property...

But do you know if BT would come out and install the BT NTE5 type socket on that if its not already?

As I have checked and the master socket is just a normal socket inside the wall, which means I cant attach this I-plate to it.

[TAKTAK]

But do you know if BT would come out and install the BT NTE5 type socket on that if its not already?

As I have checked and the master socket is just a normal socket inside the wall, which means I cant attach this I-plate to it.

http://dslzoneuk.net/socket.php

click through the flash to where you click your box type, is it the one on the right?
(step 2)

AFAIK ^^ that guide does what the 'iplate' does anyway... so even if you can't use the i plate... you can still do what the iplate does...