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Message 1 of 5

Openreach modem and extending it

Hi all,

Hoping someone can answer this for me. Recently moved into a property with an openreach modem and it’s in a cupboard. It seems I have to plug the Hub into this modem, with a short cable and therefore means the hub has to live in this cupboard. Near the modem is a traditional phone socket (see picture). Can I somehow extend from the modem to that phone socket and then connect the hub into another phone socket elsewhere in the house?! 

755AD289-9E18-48A4-AFA4-6A359443BEA6.jpeg

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Message 2 of 5

Re: Openreach modem and extending it

If it's a telephone port, no. If it's an ethernet port, yes. (I don't think telephone cables have enough cores. You need 4 pairs for full ethernet).

A lot of new builds have the modem or ONT in a cupboard, but most are also supposed to have an ethernet port nearby and would typically be connected to another port in somewhere like the living room, on a big multimedia panel.

If your setup has that, then you can connect a patch cable from the ONT to that socket in the cupboard, then setup your SmartHub near the other port and use another patch cable from the SmartHub to that port.

Another way would be to use a long ethernet cable to connect your SmartHub to your ONT, but that probably be a lot less neat, as you'll have to somehow run that cable through the house to wherever you want the SmartHub to be located. Unless you would be willing to try and route it all through walls and ceilings (or pay someone to do it).

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Message 3 of 5

Re: Openreach modem and extending it

Thanks for the reply. 

I haven’t managed to find a network port anywhere, just the traditional bt phone sockets in other rooms (def the thin bt socket not an RJ45). 

So yeh unlikely I can do it without running a cable, which is a shame. 

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Message 4 of 5

Re: Openreach modem and extending it

If the phone port is wired with a 4 pair cable, you could change the 431A socket for an RJ45 at each end. I doubt it will be CAT5E cable (more likely CW1308) but you might get away with it. Worth a try before running a new cable.

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Message 5 of 5

Re: Openreach modem and extending it

That’s actually not a bad call! Will take the socket off and see what’s behind it and then make a decision. 
Thanks for the suggestion. 

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