AOL Broadband phonepoint problem
 

I recently received AOL B'Band. Ididn't realise until I received the b'band package that it is essential to plug the connection into the master phone socket. Problem is that it is downstairs and I had a 2nd phonepoint put into the upstairs spare room specifically for internet. I've obviously tried to plug into this socket but I fail to get connected. So now I have a very nice extension lead spiraling sown the stairs which doesn't please the misses! AOL Help wern't much help. They advised me to move the PC so it is close to the master socket. Yeh right, I'll move my desk next to the front door shall I!!! :(
Question:-
Is there an alternative to paying BT to come and relocate the master socket?
I realise I could go RF but that would cost even more than it would to move the master socket.

I heard that there is something on the market to boost the capability of any spare socket. Is this correct?

thanks

Nick

It's untrue you need to use the primary jack for your BB connection.
Yes, it's adviseable but not essential, your problem must lie elsewhere.

Don't expect any useful help from AOL unless you're threatening to cancel your contract. They will blame BT, sockets, spyware etc etc....

I run my AOL connection from an additional socket upstairs with no trouble at all.

A suggestion though may be to run your connection wirelessly? Wireless router and PCI NIC would set you back about £60 but it's even easy t set up with AOL now and any future PC purchases in the household need not worry about connection sharing.

Difficult to properly diagnose without looking at your setup...

When you say 'master socket', is this one of the original BT fitted face-plates on a wall box, with 2 sockets, one for ADSL and one for your phone? If so, this filters the ADSL signal from all downstream telephone points, which is why there will be no ADSL signal at your second phone point. In this case your best bet is to replace it with a standard face-plate and fit individual micro filters to each socket.

If all your phone sockets are just the standard regular face plates, did you plug ADSL microfilters into all of them to which a device (router or standard phone) were connected? If you plugged your router in upstairs, then a standard phone plugged in downstairs without a micro filter could screw up your ADSL.

If you've checked out all the above and need to attempt some re-wiring yourself, it isn't particularly difficult, just a bit fiddly. http://www.clarity.it/ sell wall boxes, cat 5e cabling etc. Just make sure you follow their advice and spend a tenner on a krone tool for making the connections.

Gary.