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Thread ID: 129802	2013-03-14 05:31:00	Master splitter install nightmare	wratterus (105)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1332678	2013-03-14 05:31:00	Sorry for the essay that I'm sure is about to be written... I'm getting a bit sick of the sub-standard DSL at our place, along with disconnections that Telecom swear aren't their fault, and decided it's time to install a master splitter. Crack open the demarc box, straight away things are looking pretty daunting. (See the first image.) After some more investigation, it would appear things aren't quite as bad at it first seems. The 2 pair cable with the red/black and blue/white goes directly to one point (happens to be behind the TV) and only the blue/white pairs are being used. Unfortunately the modem can't go there - there is ethernet cabling wired to a different location in the house that I don't fancy extending (no ceiling crawl space, high ceiling in that part of the house, also brick walls and concrete floor, so next to impossible). The two core bit of cable that looks like speaker wire goes up the same bit of conduit, but then into the ceiling space that a mouse could barely fit into, then seems to disappear, never to be seen again, so where that cable goes is a bit of a mystery. I don't know if it's even plugged into anything. (see image 2) I went hunting in the ceiling and found many weird and wonderful things, such as a small Cambodian child, and phone cables being extended with stranded speaker wire and being joined with chocolate blocks. It was about at this point I felt a little silly for blaming Telecom for the disconnections. (And called Tear Fund.) There are 4 jackpoints in the house, and one out in the shed out the back too, but I can't really see where the cable for the shed even comes from, so that's another problem. Because the cables are extended so much, I can't even make heads or tales of which cables are going where inside the house. My one hope, one particular jackpoint (which just happens to be where the modem is situated now) has some proper two pair phone cable going to it, with only one pair in use, and the colours match one of the cables that is in the demarc box, so my first question is this. Is there likely to be two two-pair cables coming onto the property from the cabinet, or is there likely to be just one of the yellow/black brown/white coming in, and the other two pair cable of that colour going somewhere else in the house? I can see the two-pair that I'm hoping goes from the demarc, back underground to a different part of the house come out of the ground and into the wall of the house, but I can't tell if thats going from the demarc into the house, or from the house out to the shed. It's a bit of a mess. Any help would be appreciated. :p 4846 4847	wratterus (105)
1332679	2013-03-14 06:07:00	Edit - After some further investigation, it seems the two pair cable I was hoping came from the demarc into another point in the house actually goes from the house out to the shed, and the point it splits off from seems to get it's signal from a cable that runs down to the opposite end of the house!!! That is the one extended with speaker wire and chocolate blocks...this is not looking good. So I assume there are two two-pair cables going to the demarc from the road? Is there any way of checking that? If that's the case, then it seems the whole house is basically being fed by one bit of what appears to be solid core speaker wire. Gets better and better. :p My main concern, is I can't see how on earth to get a new cable from the demarc to anywhere useful in the house.	wratterus (105)
1332680	2013-03-14 06:48:00	Is there any chance of contacting the previous owner/occupant? (Some variety of mad scientist?) Otherwise I think you may have to invite Chorus around. If you start disconnecting any of those mystery cables I suggest you check the bare ends first with a tester to make sure they're not carrying mains power. If they don't light up put a phone across them to see if that's your incoming line. But keep track of them all in case your phone goes dead. (Afterthought - could that small Cambodian child shed any light on the cabling systems?)	coldot (6847)
1332681	2013-03-14 07:08:00	Start by describing the house. Basement for access? Any roof space for access? How about access around the house under a weatherboard? Better post a plan showing where you want to have your filtered and unfiltered outlets.	coldot (6847)
1332682	2013-03-14 09:07:00	The cable that looks like solid core speaker cable will be the original old wiring that would have been installed originally. Are you paying the wire maintanence fee on your phone bill? If you are might be easiest just to log a fault with your ISP and get them to send someone to your place to check it out. Can't tell from the photo but does the speaker wire looking cable actually have anything connected to it at the demarc box?	CYaBro (73)
1332683	2013-03-14 09:27:00	Thanks for the reply, unfortunately the Cambodian only spoke very broken english so that didn't go far. No idea about the previous owner. The floor is a concrete pad, the ceiling in half of the house is very high and there is no ceiling access whatsoever. This is the same part of the house with the demarc point on it. The rear 2/3rds of the house does have ceiling access, this is of limited use though as it's 10m+ from the side of the house with the demarc point on it. I'll try and do a little sketch. Imagine you're looking at the house from above. I know a little, but this is way over my head... I was thinking it's time to call Chorus too. 4848 I can't see how it's possible to get a new line from the demarc into the house, there is nowhere for it to go, no ceiling, can't go under the floor.	wratterus (105)
1332684	2013-03-14 09:33:00	The cable that looks like solid core speaker cable will be the original old wiring that would have been installed originally. Are you paying the wire maintanence fee on your phone bill? If you are might be easiest just to log a fault with your ISP and get them to send someone to your place to check it out. Can't tell from the photo but does the speaker wire looking cable actually have anything connected to it at the demarc box? Yeah we do have the wiring maintenance charge. It certainly does, hopefully these pics might make it a bit clearer. one of the two pair phone cables goes right into that speaker cable stuff, although it is connected to the other two pair in part too with gel splices, which is the main thing confusing me at the moment. 4849485048514852	wratterus (105)
1332685	2013-03-14 10:33:00	Poor Wrat, what a mess. Shame no crawl space in the ceiling, do you know anyone that trains mice? Or someone good with micro-electronics who can build a small device to crawl through for you?	nedkelly (9059)
1332686	2013-03-14 19:48:00	Trained mice is the best idea yet. I'm thinking that running either some Cat5 or two pair phone cabling around the outside of the house and into a different location would be an option and just use that for the DSL jack, not try and fix the rest of the house wiring.	wratterus (105)
1332687	2013-03-14 20:01:00	Trained mice is the best idea yet. I'm thinking that running either some Cat5 or two pair phone cabling around the outside of the house and into a different location would be an option and just use that for the DSL jack, not try and fix the rest of the house wiring. Around the outside would certainly be the quickest and cheapest option. One of our experts will comment on the legalities of doing so no doubt.	CliveM (6007)
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