Hi all, just seen this
http://www.samknows.com/broadband/news/bt-wholesale-demonstrate-further-improvements-with-21cn-350.html.
Know nothing about it but thought it might be of interest.

Alec

wrote in message news:496E40B7.2CC3B2DD@here.com...
> Hi all, just seen this
> http://www.samknows.com/broadband/news/bt-wholesale-demonstrate-further-improvements-with-21cn-350.html.
> Know nothing about it but thought it might be of interest.
>
> Alec

Hi Alec.  I came across this iPlate business quite a while back and did some 
research via Google, and there are plenty of sites now dealing with it.  As 
far as I can make out, all it's really doing is isolating / filtering the 
old bell wire (third wire) in the telephone circuit.  Modern phones don't 
need this third bell wire, they need only two wires to provide full 
functionality.  The presence of this unneeded bell wire can pick up 
electrical interference within the house from things like electric fires, 
fluorescent lights, washing machines etc. and pass this interference into 
the two wires needed to serve your modem, thus reducing connection speeds.

The iPlate is a nice little earner to sell to people who are reluctant to 
spend a little time researching on Google, or too frightened to use a 
screwdriver.  Apparently, the same improvement can be obtained by simply 
disconnecting the unwanted bell wire in the master phone socket.

Dave.

"Dave (Sgt. Pepper)" wrote:

> Hi Alec.  I came across this iPlate business quite a while back and did some
> research via Google, and there are plenty of sites now dealing with it.  As
> far as I can make out, all it's really doing is isolating / filtering the
> old bell wire (third wire) in the telephone circuit.  Modern phones don't
> need this third bell wire, they need only two wires to provide full
> functionality.  The presence of this unneeded bell wire can pick up
> electrical interference within the house from things like electric fires,
> fluorescent lights, washing machines etc. and pass this interference into
> the two wires needed to serve your modem, thus reducing connection speeds.
> 
> The iPlate is a nice little earner to sell to people who are reluctant to
> spend a little time researching on Google, or too frightened to use a
> screwdriver.  Apparently, the same improvement can be obtained by simply
> disconnecting the unwanted bell wire in the master phone socket.

Hi Dave,

Thanks, you've just confirmed the conclusion I was coming to so the
bellwire has got to go. Presumably the only phones that need it are the
old ones with a bell. I get the impression that modern phones also have
a REN of less that 1 though still marked 1 so you can actually have more
than 4 on one line. I've read that  BT  have started fitting Master
Sockets with a modified Faceplate incorporating this modification so not
needing the iPlate. You can tell them from the original by a small
cylindrical bump near the terminals. Agree with your comment that it is
probably a nice little earner for them when all you have to do is cut
the Orange Wire and tie it back.

Cheers,

Alec