This topic

Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

Terry9999 — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 19:21:38 GMT

I spoke to BT, after receiving a letter warning of loss of service if I don't act due to PTSN shutoff.

They booked an engineer visit and I would be getting a new EE Smart Hub 6.

I'm on ADSL, copper to the cabinet and copper to my house.

I've extended from my current NTE5 master socket, using bottom test pull out part, to a room at the back of the house.
The router is connected to the end of the extension. It's essential that I keep the router at the back of the house.

I don't mean to be rude but I'm not asking about workarounds: powerline adaptors, ethernet cabling, mesh or wifi extenders/APs.

My preparation for Engineer visit:
The extension has a junction box to split the extension to 2 phone sockets one for the office the other for a phone in the bedroom. I've disconnected the bedroom extension at the junction box. As I've read these empty spurs can cause problems for data only lines.

Having an engineer visit has concerned me I thought i would just need a new router as it same copper into my house

Will they need to touch my master socket? it's still copper coming in just carrying data only right?
If openreach one day upgrade my cabinet to FTTC will I still be able to use my current setup.

Many thanks

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

licquorice — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:13:15 GMT

I presume your exchange is being closed with the PSTN shutdown and hence ADSL services from the exchange.

Are you being moved to VDSL or full fibre?

If VDSL nothing changes, if Full Fibre everything changes, your internal wiring will no longer work.

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

Terry9999 — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:36:00 GMT

Don't think exchange is being shutdown.
I'm not being moved to full fibre. My cabinet doesn't even have fibre.
from https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/
FTTP Priority Exchange N
WLR Withdrawal Y
SOADSL Restriction N
FTTP is not available.

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

As a WLR withdrawal exchange, product restrictions apply

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

WSH — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:42:04 GMT

Just as a double check, if you look on here:

https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm

it will tell you the future of the exchange. Where it says "Locality" put the name of your exchange in and click the Locality Lookup button. A link will come up for the exchange. Click on the link and it will give you information on the exchange, including any shutdown date.

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

licquorice — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:44:38 GMT

@Terry9999wrote:
Don't think exchange is being shutdown.
I'm not being moved to full fibre. My cabinet doesn't even have fibre.
from https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/
FTTP Priority Exchange N
WLR Withdrawal Y
SOADSL Restriction N
FTTP is not available.

The exchange is not in a current fibre priority programme

As a WLR withdrawal exchange, product restrictions apply

So why is anything changing then? Do you have telephony with a different provider?

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

Terry9999 — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:53:57 GMT

20CN IPStream: ADSL	21CN WBC: ADSL2+
Market Area: Low Cost, Competitive (B)	Full Fibre Build Start 2026 or Later
Openreach Fibre: From 6th March 2012 Type:	FTTC, FTTP, FoD
SOGEA/ADSL: Stop Selling:	PSTN/ISDN Withdrawn: 31st January 2027
Exchange Exit: Before 31st December 2030	Exchange Future: Closing Down

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

Terry9999 — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:56:18 GMT

letter about lose service because PTSN going by jan 2027. I have BB and phone with BT have been for decades

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

licquorice — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:56:46 GMT

But you haven't got a PSTN service so you are not affected. I don't understand why anything needs to happen.

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

licquorice — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:58:05 GMT

@Terry9999wrote:
letter about lose service because PTSN going by jan 2027. I have BB and phone with BT have been for decades

But you said you only had broadband.

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

Terry9999 — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:01:39 GMT

@liquorice isn't PSTN the old analogue phone line used for my telephone and ADSL BB?
@WSH You were right its scheduled to shut down

I know my cabinet it doesn't look like Fibre like the rest around here.

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

licquorice — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:05:57 GMT

PSTN is the analogue phone service. The title of your post is 'Data only....' therefore the assumption being you didn't have telephony.

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

WSH — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:26:39 GMT

If memory serves, they can’t deliver Digital Voice, (the replacement for the PSTN), over ADSL. As FTTP is not yet available, it sounds like a temporary move to FTTC/VDSL to accommodate the close down of the PSTN in January.

BUT…if the exchange is closing down by 2030 you’ll be better upgrading to FTTP/Full Fibre as soon as it is available.

(Full Fibre doesn’t come from the local exchange or via the cabinet. Out of the 5600 exchanges at the moment, full fibre will eventually only need 1000, so the rest will shut).

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

Terry9999 — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:08:25 GMT

Apologies @licquorice I wanted to convey that the line will only carry data in future. Otherwise I would get answers regarding keeping telephone extensions active around the house.
I want to keep my router active on the extension
What should I call it PSTN shut down?

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

Terry9999 — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:16:30 GMT

@WSH FTTC/VDSL would mean updating the cabinet to fibre no? I've seen no indication the cabinet.
Question the Fibre cabinets are computers so need cooling and fans etc? Mine is old green box type
I'll see what the engineer says. Enig. cannot leave me without working phone/bb I will explain the layout before they start.

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

WSH — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:25:06 GMT

FTTC/VDSL is like a half-way house. Yes, it does come via the cabinet, as it uses the old copper line for the last bit to reach the house, but fibre is delivered from another exchange to a new cabinet next to the old one and then the connection patched across to the old cabinet.

It does seem a bit strange, as I'm surprised they'd spend money on putting FTTC in when FTTP will be available soon. You're probably best to wait and see what the engineer says.

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

Terry9999 — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:33:03 GMT

@WSH Forum post looks like can have DV on ADSL
Digital Voice on ADSL?

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

iniltous — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:46:20 GMT

There was an article/post a while ago , apparently some customers that currently have telephone and broadband , not necessarily a shared metallic path facility where different providers deliver one service each but where the customer had the same provider for both services , but importantly on ADSL with no FTTC or FTTP available , will get a second line installed that delivers a new broadband service from EE , the existing BT ‘line’ then can be changed from ADSL to a PDPL (pre digital phone line ) maintaining the customer’s two services, albeit now on two separate copper pairs , and some sort of billing jiggery-pokery keeps the costs the same as they were .

The article never made it clear why this was necessary, the assumption was that ADSL (exchange based broadband) or SoTAP (ADSL without PSTN telephone) although initially thought to be able to deliver DV , either ultimately proved not to be compatible with DV or the costs involved were not justified for a very small number of customers.

Perhaps the OP visit from Openreach will be to install this second copper pair with EE ADSL(SoTAP) .

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

WSH — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:40:34 GMT

I’d listen to what iniltous says, as he tends to be the expert in this area.

Thought does occur though, FTTP may be closer than you think. My estate was done about four years ago. CityFibre came round, dug the roads up, stuck their cables in. No sign of Openreach. Then, out of the blue, about four months later Openreach email and say their full fibre is now available! I’m retired, so I’m about all day. Didn’t see a thing going on, so you never know, perhaps the install has been going on behind your back.

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

Terry9999 — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:48:03 GMT

@iniltous both my current BB and Tel are with BT and have been for decades.
My new situation will be BT for telephone and EE for Broadband.
Just sort of remember The man I spoke to at BT cust svcs at one stage did mention enig "may install" 2 lines or fibre. I asked why 2 lines and I didn't think fibre was available. He wasn't sure, he was a nice chap didn't want to tell me anything he wasn't sure of.
Hopefully I'll get a good engineer so I can explain situation. If I cannot run route from back of house will have to cancel and get ethernet laid.

Re: Data only switch, I have Copper to house, router connected to extension?

WSH — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:59:03 GMT

If it is full fibre, it's worth being aware that you can have up to 100m of ethernet cat 5e/cat 6* cable between the box they put on the wall, (an ONT or Optical Network Terminal), and the router. The two don't have to be side by side. The ONT will need power, though.

(*If you get ethernet put in, cat 6 has more future proofing, as it can potentially handle more than 1 gigabit).