Need help with ADSL master filter installation

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iPhysc

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#160494 8-Jan-2015 17:31

We've been getting internet disconnects ever since Dec 2014, so we've tried all the possible solutions provided from Spark Customer Service (replacing filters, disconnecting all devices from phone line except the modem, using a different modem) but the problem still exists. Since we have an alarm in the house and don't have a master filter installed at our premise, I thought I'd give this one a try since it seems like the ultimate solution to disconnecting issues and the filters only cost ~$20 nowadays.

This is a photo of my EPT, and as you can see there is orange,brown and green cable which are just 'lying' around and I know routing a new CAT5 cable from the master filter is ideal but that is unfortunately impossible to do so, I'm hoping to use these cables

Photo of the socket I'd like to get my ADSL to come out As you can see there is orange,brown and green cables wrapped around (and I've checked with other phone sockets that this orange,brown and green cable is present in all sockets).

My question is, can I just use one of these orange/brown/green cables for the ADSL line from the master filter? and replace the current blue line that are in the current phone socket(2nd photo) to orange/brown/green cable? Is there anything I need to do to those orange/brown/green cables in all the other phone sockets that are not going to be used for ADSL?

p.s. our internet disconnects intermittently only around 9AM-4PM, after 5PM we do get a stable internet connection back until 9AM in the morning. If anyone knows/experienced anything similar to this, any help would be great.

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#1210707 8-Jan-2015 17:48

Install the filter in the ETP and run the DSL down the green/white pair. Perfectly acceptable installation.

Having said that, where does that run of cat5 go? Does it go back to a central point somewhere along with all the other outlets? You don't want a situation where all four pairs are star wired somewhere in the house, and the DSL still has all those line stubs, defeating the whole purpose....

Make sure you can get a single run from demarc to outlet - it's OK for there to be a join, but you don't want t's split off to unused outlets

coffeebaron

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#1210709 8-Jan-2015 17:49

Looks like a star wiring configuration. You need to find where all the jack point feeds meet the ETP feed. Trace and join green pair all the way through.

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iPhysc

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#1210760 8-Jan-2015 19:18

RunningMan: Install the filter in the ETP and run the DSL down the green/white pair. Perfectly acceptable installation.

Having said that, where does that run of cat5 go? Does it go back to a central point somewhere along with all the other outlets? You don't want a situation where all four pairs are star wired somewhere in the house, and the DSL still has all those line stubs, defeating the whole purpose....

Make sure you can get a single run from demarc to outlet - it's OK for there to be a join, but you don't want t's split off to unused outlets

coffeebaron: Looks like a star wiring configuration. You need to find where all the jack point feeds meet the ETP feed. Trace and join green pair all the way through.

Thanks you the reply. Are you meaning that I just have to open all the other phone sockets and join the green pairs?

EDIT : in the worst case scenario, if I cannot find the central point where the jack point feed meets the ETP feed, where is first place I should look for? or is there any other options I have?

Jase2985

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#1210767 8-Jan-2015 19:29

no you need to find the star jack point (the one where the ETP goes to which feeds the other jack points) and join the green pair from the ETP to the green pair on the cable running to where your adsl jack is going.

Look in behind the other jack points in the house as it will more than likely be there

coffeebaron

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#1210776 8-Jan-2015 19:51

Or in the ceiling:)
Or under house :)

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RunningMan

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#1210786 8-Jan-2015 20:12

Jase2985: no you need to find the star jack point (the one where the ETP goes to which feeds the other jack points) and join the green pair from the ETP to the green pair on the cable running to where your adsl jack is going.

Look in behind the other jack points in the house as it will more than likely be there

This.

The blue cat5 cable with the four coloured pairs visible at the ETP will run to some sort of junction - this may be a cupboard where a similar cable from each outlet around the house comes back to, or it could be where the alarm is located.

What you are trying to achieve is a single run from the ETP to the outlet for the modem, so you would join the green pair that comes from the ETP (where you put the filter) to the green pair that goes back out to which ever outlet around the house that you want to use, and leave the remaining green pairs not connected. Blue pairs remain as they are already.

In it's simplest form, you may just find the cable from the ETP runs to the alarm, then back out to the outlet you have photographed, but there may be cabling from other outlets also going back to some central point.

iPhysc

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#1210797 8-Jan-2015 20:44

Ok i just had a look at the nearest 3 phone jacks from the ETP but had no luck :/

Also just been up in the ceiling but found nothing but TV antenna cables.

I guess this is just a hide and seek game.

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RunningMan

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#1210805 8-Jan-2015 20:51

Check where the alarm is

Gouda

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#1210806 8-Jan-2015 20:55

Oh man, I'm having pretty much exactly the same problem as you! Random disconnects, started around mid December. No alarm here though. Tried different routers (even got a brand new one!), filters, cables, jackpoints etc but it still persists. Sometimes my line is stable for a few hours, sometimes (feels like most of the time lately) it's only up for 15 minutes before dropping again.
My new router spits out a DSL Log, and when the disconnects happen the 'CRC Down' errors rise to about 12 to 14 thousand(!!) over the course of a few minutes before the DSL drops completely. Probably not a good sign.

We got a guy from Chorus out today, he replaced some stuff on the power pole that connects us to the phoneline, but that didn't do anything. Said he was going to come back tomorrow to replace the whole line between the pole and our house (I think that's what he said anyway). He did suggest a master filter, and they do seem fairly simple to install so I might get my old man onto it (or could try and get Coffeebaron out

)

iPhysc

47 posts

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#1210809 8-Jan-2015 20:58

Thanks for that, will look behind the alarm right now but is it possible to be stuffed within the power socket?

Since the ETP is right behind the garage and theres a power socket located right opposite to the ETP CAT5 cable going into the house.

RunningMan

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#1210812 8-Jan-2015 21:05

iPhysc: Thanks for that, will look behind the alarm right now but is it possible to be stuffed within the power socket?

Since the ETP is right behind the garage and theres a power socket located right opposite to the ETP CAT5 cable going into the house.

Wouldn't (shouldn't!) be in a power outlet (with 240v), but could certainly be behind a similar faceplate in a flush box.

coffeebaron

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#1210838 8-Jan-2015 22:30

Can you access ceiling space above garage? Often ETP feed heads up into there.

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iPhysc

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#1210871 8-Jan-2015 23:37

coffeebaron: Can you access ceiling space above garage? Often ETP feed heads up into there.

No we're in a 2 storey house, so we only have access to the ceiling from the 2nd floor and afaik there is no other 'secret'/'hidden' compartment areas that ETP feeds could be hidden.

Will be checking behind the alarm tomorrow morning. Do I have to check behind both the alarm 'dial pad' and the 'control unit' ?

EDIT : just out of curiosity, how do chorus people find the ETP feeds when they visit customers premises? do they have a tool or something? or is it the same hide and seek game?

coffeebaron

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#1210915 9-Jan-2015 07:44

Cable trace tools + hide n seek.

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plambrechtsen

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#1210920 9-Jan-2015 08:09

As I always say... $200 from Chorus or $150 from the baron is incredibly good value for a master filter install as the hours alone justify the cost to get it done properly.

Just stop being cheap (would you do electrical or plumbing yourself?) And pay the investment to get it done properly.

I have no issues with the baron. Some Chorus contractors can be a bit dodgy. But if they are they need to come back and fix it if they bugger it up.

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