Hiding somewhere in your house may be an old phone junction box. In my job as an independent telephone engineer, customers ask what they should do with it. Usually, it sits on a window ledge and prevents work on a window frame or blind installation. Therefore, I thought it was time to answer some FAQ,
What is it? What does it do?
Technically, a BT52A It’s a junction box, with screw terminal connectors. It connects pair of wires on the outside the property to those on the inside. That’s it. It could be over fifty years old.
Back then, hard-wiring connected your solitary telephone to this box (and you didn’t dare move it). Cordless phones were the stuff of science fiction. Films were sent to your house from a 650-foot-high transmitter on a local hill. They didn’t come down a pair of wires less than a millimetre thick. No buffering, but not much choice. Furthermore, attaching anything at all to the GPO network was utterly forbidden for Joe Public. Hence the inflexible wiring. Very different times.
Typically, this box was installed near where your phone was. It had a 2 metre cable, a dial, and a bell that could be heard in the next county. A government department (“The General Post Office”) rented it to you. The Official Secrets Act applied to them. Yes, really
Why is it still there?
The engineers that have visited your property over the years simply couldn’t be bothered to remove it. Therefore, if it works, don’t fix it. Elsewhere in your house, they probably fitted a master socket.
If it’s old, why does it still work?
It is merely a very well-built connection box. Amazingly, the one in the photo above was carrying a broadband download of around 75Mbps.
Do I have to move it?
Not if it works, unless it is in the way of some renovation work.
What can I replace it with?
A BT 78A or BT80A connection box.
Do I have to have some kind of box where this one is?
No! The man from the GPO put it just where he wanted to, way back in time.
“You are privileged to be allowed access to The Government’s Apparatus. Hence we will place your telephonic device where we want to. God Save The Queen”. “
“Telephone tables” could be bought to give your device some dignity.. Therefore, your phone was mounted on it like a football trophy, vase, or stuffed owl.
Time for a change?
Nowadays, there are imaginative ways of getting your wired technology just where you want it. Therefore, it’s time to decide where you want your incoming line to arrive on your property. This often determines where your broadband will be filtered, and your router/hub located. Also, this is determined by the coverage your router’s wifi will give you.
Therefore, time for a major rethink. I have blogged about this elsewhere. It’s a hot topic. You don’t have to live with this 1950s old phone junction box, restricting where your router goes, located by a long-departed GPO “workman”.
Anything else?
Don’t try and get this moved by your provider. They really, really won’t understand. I speak from the experience of dealing with customers who have spent hours on a call to an operative 3000 miles away who can’t cope with anything which isn’t on their script. A BT52A, and old phone junction box from 1965, certainly isn’t.
“Who ya gonna call…?”
(Sadly, these guys can’t help)
However, independent experienced telephone engineers can help with any issues surrounding your old phone junction box. If you are in The North East, it might even be me. Please get in touch.
Very helpful and good advice for the layman BT seem unable to help .
Thanks for all your help and advice on my BT wiring , problem sorted thanks to you
You’re welcome – it’s so gratifying to get some response from real-life situations, and having met a need.
Meanwhile, if you are able to spare some time to write a short Google review, this will help other folks find the blogs and user’s responses. It also helps me continue giving free advice. Simply Google “Telecom Green” and look for the stars on the top right-hand side.
I got one of those in the bin cupboard as it was sound strange as G.fast was rock solid maximum speed of 224Mbps down and 37Mbps up
Well, if everything is well, leave it as it is. I have seen high speeds running over 60-year-old kit.
I did asked the engineer to removed that off in the bin cupboard but he say no best leave it. G.fast are reliable say the engineer. Great line copper.
My ancient BT52A has a bare wire connected to the middle terminal and when I traced it outside it’s wrapped around a thick wisteria trunk. Is this some kind of primitive grounding? I didn’t think the phone had to be connected to earth?
Thanks for the info on your site by the way. My phone stopped working but broadband was ok so I just went round wiggling wires at junctions and it worked itself out – probably wires touching.
Yes, it may be an earth. There was a shared service called “party lines” which involved an earth in it’s operation. Basically, two subscribers used the same line due to lack of capacity in the local network. I can’t recall the role of the earth…
Glad to know that my scribblings helped you get back on the air! Rob.
Hi good afternoon, I’ve just started to decorate my hall way and accidentally pulled the wires from the junction box, I’ve now lost my now tv internet and not sure what wires go where ? Coming integer box is orange/white, white/orange, blue/white and white blue. The wires pulled out are orange, blue, green, and brown and don’t know which goes where. You help would be very much appreciated
Hello,
Orange and blue are a couple, as are green and brown. You only need a working pair to get things working again, jointed to the orange/white or blue-white/white blue. Without being there, it’s hard to determine how the incoming cable has been wired. Even experienced engineers will have to use a “trial and error” method to work out what will work with what. However, the principles are generally the same.
I hope that this is helpful. Rob.
We have an old junction box above the front door The wire from the outside goes I, but there are two wires coming out I followed them One gies to the new Master socket where we have our router and cordless phone base connected. But here is the problem our internet speeds are astonishingly slow, a new master socket was fitted last year. The engineer did not check the old junction box at all. The other wire from the old junction box goes upstairs to two extensions, completely bypassing the ‘master socket’ fitted many years ago and no longer used. First would this cause a ‘leak’ for the internet signal, making it unstable, I assume on the old extension boxes upstairs there is ‘bell circuit’ Also if thus is the case could I simply ‘snip and tape’ the old wires being careful not to cause a short circuit. Thanks and kind regards Mark
Do you have a dial tone? Broadband will run on one wire only (at around 30% of possible speed). I have blogged on this recently. If your broadband works slowly, but there is no dial tone, you mya have lost one of your “legs” (wires) from your incoming pair.
You should have two wires going to your master socket. I can’t quite work out how the wires could be routed via other sockets and still give you a circuit.
The best solution would be to isolate anything you are not using (or can substitute with a cordless service), and cable with new and quality items from the most appropriate external point to your master socket.
If you need the services of an engineer near you, please mail me with your postcode.
Rob.
Hi Rob. Thanks so much for the useful info – I’ve been trying to find answers online for a while. According to all sorts of tests by our broadband provider, our service and speed are normal. However, it feels like we have dial-up speed internet in our home, and it cuts out and sometimes we have none. Could this be to our old wiring and ancient junction box? (As described in your post, installed in the 1960s.) And if so, what can we do? (Your point about customer service personnel knowing zero about these things is probably spot on!)
Thanks for your kind words.
If you isolate everything in your house from the master socket, do the problems persist? Isolation can be done by removing the front off the master socket, then plugging into the socket behind it.
If the problems persist, I would recommend a visit from an Openreach engineer, arranged via your service provider (who will say that, if no faults are found, that you will be billed for the visit). They will conduct a “pair quality test”, which will identify any problems on their network.
If the problems go away, then the issue may be with your internal equipment. In this case, call on the services of an independent engineer who may be able to spot problems.
I hope that this helps.
Rob.
Thanks. That’s great. I have a near identical box by the window, with the coloured wires as you describe and GPO written on the lid. So far, so good. But right alongside, even closer to the window, is another similar sized but more rectangular box which seems to have a pair of fuses in it. The letters INST are written on the mechanism inside the box. The two boxes are connected. Any idea what these fuses are? They are not mains are they? Any thoughts gratefully received.
I’ve found a picture now of the same thing on the BT site: its called a “block terminal with protectors”. But what on earth does it do? How does it connect on to the telephone? I am mystified by this old wiring.
This is probably and ancient block terminal, with a fuse. It looks absurdly over-engineered for it’s role of carrying milliamps, but I think that hte fused bit was to prevent lightening strikes on the bare copper wires of the GPO network setting fire to a customer’s home.
I was perplexed when I first came across one at a customer’s premises.
I simply traced the traffic-carrying wires, (i.e. “what’s in use?”) inbound and outbound to/from the item, then removed and joined them using a BT78a box or similar.
I hope that this helps.
Rob.
P.S. More information here:-
https://telephonesuk.org.uk/connection-boxes/
Thanks so much. Makes perfect sense. I’ll remove them carefully!
Very best
You’re welcome.
I must admit that, as a reasonably-experienced engineer, I was slightly puzzled when I encountered one.
Meanwhile, if the site and responses have been helpful, could I scrounge a very short Google Review, please? I’m trying to get my five-star reviews up to 100, and I’m currently at 92. Simply Google “Telecom Green” and look for the “write a review” link. Thanks.
How do I know if my old junction box ( as your photograph) is working. It is on the frame of the front door which is being replaced so needs to come off? Will I possibly be left with no Internet or phone line? What should I do?
Hello,
Please be reassured that this is quite a frequent occurrence!
The basic way to check if it’s live is to physically trace the cable from outside, through the door frame, through the box, and to wherever your socket in use is.
An independent telephone engineer would be able to replace/relocate the box to coincide with the frame removal/replacement. If you can let me have your postcode, I could see if I have any contacts close to you. Rob.
Thanks N10 1JA
Hi, the terminals on my box look corroded, would cleaning them improve the broadband connection speed?
Yes indeed. Quite possibly, but not most certainly. Corrosion causes electrical resistance which can slow things down. Take the opportunity to cean the copper cores of the cables, too.
I have had reports from customers of how much their speed has increased when all I’ve done is removed the cables for another reason and given everything a scrape with a flat screwdriver blade. I now carry fine emery paper in my toolbox!
Hi I’ve got one of these boxes right above my front door. My internet keeps dropping out and seems to coincide with either the door shutting or when someone walks where the cable then runs under the carpet to the master socket. The cable under the carpet is quite frayed. I’m assuming the cable is the issue. Would my phone provider replace this cable, or is it a straight forward job for someone who has managed to replace several light fittings? Also would it be free from my provider and if not what would it cost? Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can give me 👍
In my experience, the customer service staff at your provider would probably struggle to a) Understand your requirement, and b} find a category to place your request into. Therefore, it may be less-stressful and time-consuming to engage a local independent engineer. They will have all the necessary cable and joints. Ideally, cables should not run under carpets. This might be the time to reroute the incoming cable, so some thought as to the ideal ;location for your socket and router might be wise.
Please drop me a message via the contact page, giving your postcode, and I’ll see if I can recommend someone. Rob.
Yesterday I checked my 89 yr old father’s PlusNet FTTC connected sytem and it enters from a dropwire through the wall into his rear bedroom into a terminal block [one embossed with the ‘T in a circle’ logo].
It’s extended under the floor with cheap cable to the kitchen where it connects to the back of a third party single socket, then it goes via a ‘flat cable’ into a splitter with one connection to a phone base station and one to a PlusNet Router.
Amazingly he gets 35Mb downstrem to his iPad with this sytem, but where does Openreach’s ownership end on a link like that, the terminal block?
Hello,
It’s astonishing that the configuaration you describe actually delivers reasonable speed!
The entry point must have been installed prior to the mid-‘eighties, or a previously-installed master socket was removed.
I would suggest that the point of demarcation is where the dropwire enters the house and terminates on the connection box. Dropwire is normally terminated on screw terminals in situations like this, and normal internal cable run to a master socket. If the master socket is missing, and the first socket is obviously not BT, then the master may have been removed/relocated and replaced.
I hope that this helps.
My Google Reviews are currently at 110 five-star reviews. Could you possibly help to get me to nearer 200, if this information and the blogs have been useful, please?
Here’s the link
He moved into the property (previously empty) in 1982 so I guess that was when the terminal block was installed. I don’t think another socket was removed so that must have been the original entry point by BT. But I’m surprised no new Master socket was installed at either ADSL install a few years ago or VDSL install last year! And I should add that he gets 35Mb because that’s all he pays for…
A lazy engineer may simply have tested at the first socket, got acceptable results, and ridden off into the sunset.
There is the chance that the first socket is a forerunner of a master. These looked like a normal secondary socket, but contained a surge arrestor and diode. The arrestor is infamous for slowing speeds, and if he’s still getting 35, I am very surprised indeed.
Just spoken to my father. He moved in in 1992 and not 1982 so the teminal block with the 80’s BT logo must have been already there. He acknowledges that he recabled the phone sockets himself off the terminal block to new ‘3rd party’ single socket faceplates shortly afterwards, and never had a BT engineer visit at either ADSL or VDSL install.
That’s quite exceptional! Meanwhile, I don’t think he will be reprimanded by The Master Socket Police. The are all kinds of permutations of types of sockets at customer’s premises. A visiting engineer will simply want to get in and out as quick as possible, providing that the line tests acceptably.
The only issue might arise if/when there is a line fault, as there’s no detachable part to isolate the wiring he’s done from the Openreach network. A call centre operative might accuse the customer of creating a fault on their network through their own wiring. A clear physical point of demarcation is always a strong bargaining tool when providers try and put the blame on the customer for Openreach network issues.