topic Re: Master socket in Broadband & Landline

Master socket

Albot81 — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:17:04 GMT

Hi there, obtained a new ee hub a couple of months back, full fibre replacing the copper etc. We have a BT openreach master socket in the hallway, old style, and since the swap it seems very erratic. Phone line checks etc done by EE all say ok, but if even gently move the cables near the master socket (hub plugged into a main socket), the hub goes down, internet off. Does the master socket also need an upgrade to allow for thr new hub/fibre, and how to go about this? Also wondered if a replacement hub worth asking for. Thanks folks!

Re: Master socket

XRaySpeX — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:56:44 GMT

If you've got Full Fibre you won't be plugging your router into a BT master phone socket but into an ONT modem fixed to the inside of an external wall. Didn't you have 1 installed? It would look like the square box nearest the mains sockets assembly in :

(Ignore my master phone socket closest; I have it for other reasons).

If you have Full Fibre your landline should be digital & any phones should be plugged into back of router or an analogue adapter. In which case the BT master phone socket is not used & should be dead.

Re: Master socket

Albot81 — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:36:13 GMT

Thanks @XRaySpeX appreciate that. No they just sent out a new hub, but made no mention of an ONT modem? Struggling to get much sense from helplines etc, they just say the line seems fine. Is it EE that would supply this engineer wise?

Re: Master socket

XRaySpeX — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:45:50 GMT

Have you been told your Full Fibre has gone live? Until it has nowt changes.

What is the name of the EE BB plan you have ordered including its speed? Which EE router do you have (read label or post a pix)?

Re: Master socket

Albot81 — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:08:16 GMT

Thanks again, no it hasn't actually just realised we're part fibre still, so master socket ok. Explained to the faults team again though that the hib, a wifi 5 hub? Is very hypersensitive and temperemental, could be the actual wiring he says rather than the hub so sending out a new cable

Re: Master socket

Albot81 — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:12:30 GMT

The top one is the new one, where as the old style bizarrely seems to work without any glitches, albeit at slower speeds. Where i live in Argyll the speeds reach max about 37mbps

Re: Master socket

XRaySpeX — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 18:25:27 GMT

The top pix (new 1) is of a Smart Hub (2023). The bottom pix (old 1) is the original Smart Hub of about 2020 or before. Both are WiFi5. Either will work on Full Fibre as well as partial Fibre. Where did you obtain the new router? Just buying a router capable of Full Fibre from somewhere doesn't turn your BB into Full Fibre. It needs installing 1st by an ISP.

Sounds like your internal wiring is faulty. Rather than waiting for a DSL cable from EE, why not just swap the DSL cables between the 2 routers & spot the differences.

What does BT Wholesale Broadband Availability Checker estimate for your phone no.? Post the whole table, the text below it and the line above it, blanking out your phone no..

Re: Master socket

Christopher_G — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:44:09 GMT

Hi @Albot81

If you got your router directly from us, I recommend speaking with our technical support team, so we can look into it from our side.

Let us know how you get on please.

Chris

Re: Master socket

Albot81 — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 09:35:20 GMT

Thanks everyone. Yes it's an EE hub, I've swapped cables and things for now seem stable, speeds a bit erratic but nothing new for around here. Spoke to the Technical team and they're sending out a new hub and cable due to persistant issues.

Re: Master socket

Peter_W — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:31:44 GMT

Thanks for the update here, @Albot81.

Fingers crossed you should notice some improvements from here, but please do keep us posted on how things go!

Peter