Demarkation point in frame room - large office?

[dbrb2]

Hello

I've been having problems with our business broadband 20Mbps service. It appears to be a problem with our structured cabling, so may not be BTs problem at all, but the question is this: 

BT phone support were keen for me to run all my tests at the master socket, to rule out whether the issue was with them or not. Since we are a large office, we don't have a master socket. All our BT lines terminate into krone blocks in a large frame, and from there the pairs run across the server room to a breakout patch panel of RJ45s 

I assume the demarkation point is the krone blocks, and the closest I can sensibly get my modem is thus the first place where the cables from these krones are broken out to an RJ45, which we will own...? 

This must be a fairly common setup for BT, but the man on the phone seemed a bit stumped I didn't have an NT5

[MalcolmW]

Hi dbrb2, regardless of whether you have an NTE5 or not it is still possible to continue with diagnostics. It just means that if we can rule out the BT Wholesale Network and PSTN from being the cause of the issue then it falls back on you to prove from the premises.

The one most important test that we can carry out to determine broadband connection problems is to first rule out ALL internal factors. This in ALL cases means connecting to the test socket (NTE5) directly from one PC connected to your router using an ethernet cable. That is assuming you have one which you do not.

It may be that the structured cabling is the cause of your problem. However that is beyond what I can comfortably comment on in a broadband forum. I would like to invite our other forum members to add any comments they may have on this subject.

Please let us know how you get on with this problem.

Kind Regards

Mal

[Redbull · Accepted solution]

Hi dbrb2,

To answer your question... the demarkation point is the first point within your premises where it is 'Kroned'.

Most 'simple' installations are Knoned at either an NTE5 (with a test port) or older style LJU (without a test port).

More complex PSTN installations that have multi-lines for use in telephone switches can terminate on a Krone block which then feeds your Patch Panel.

Modern installations generally have an NTE5 at the demarkation point and then the NTE5 connects to the Patch Panel.

Assuming you have traced the cable at the back of the Port of the Patch Panel where the router is connected to the Krone block then the only place you can test from is the Patch Panel itself, however it may well terminate at an NTE5 - that said it can be very hard to trace where structured cabing comes from if going through walls etc.

From what you explain it sounds like you know which pair on the Krone block the Broadband line is on?

Is you router currently on a patch lead connected directly to the patch panel or is it in another room via further structured cabling to an RJ45 (cat5) socket?

I guess the first thing we need to know is what is it you have a problem with?

Are the symptoms Slow Speeds, Intermittent Connection, No Connection?

Assuming connected... Do you know you sync speed? Bras IP Profile? and Throughput speeds?

As you have already spoken with our technical helpdesk... If you send me a PM with you Broadband Number if I have time today/tonight I will have a look at your circuit stats and see if I can assist any.