I'm currently failing to get anywhere with BT re a line to the new house, so I've decided that it'll be a lot easier if I just run the cable myself and the next BT engineer to turn up will just connects it both ends and buggers off. The top of the nearest pole to the intended location of the master socket is 200 mtrs, I can buy either 0.5mm or 0.9mm cable. Is 0.9mm likely to provide noticeably better performance, I'm thinking of signal to noise ratio (although there may be other issues that I haven't considered)?

http://www.fscables.com/Signal++Control/Telephone+Cables/CW1128+External+Telephone+Cable/list.htm

Surely BT won't allow that ? Anything their side of the master socket is very much legally their department.

Certainly here in Australia that would not fly and I suspect the UK would be the same.

This is most definitely a question for Cris. But I'd agree with Andy and Shonky.

However in the past BT would put a line in with the master socket dangling from a telephone pole and I've had ISDN's installed in the middle of a car park. If you're happy to have your master socket in a box 200 meters away from your home, you might be okay.

I'd say go with the thicker gauge stuff, but if you're already miles away from the exchange, you're probably starting out in the noise anyway.

Thanks guys. After weeks and weeks of trying to get this job done engineer turned up last saturday, clueless about what the job involved. Once he saw the length and conditions (2 water filled drawpits in a muddy field) he said "best I leave you a roll of cable, run it yourself and rebook the job" unfortunately he only had 78m of cable. He reckons he's attached a note on the job that says what's needed but I know that the next engineer will turn up and end up saying the same.

Interesting. Wonder what the options are that the next engineer says "No, we could never use cable that you had laid"...

I used to know loads of BT engineers, can't think of anyone now though. All I need is an engineer to disconnect the line to the old house and connect the on to the new house at the top of the pole.

Well, we laid the gas pipe, just had to leave the trench open till they'd checked it, we ran the electric cable ourselves, and the water main.

It's not exactly a tricky job, especially if there are no joints.

I've had lots of different install issues with BT this year, their customer service is just shocking, and the automated phone system is terrible. In the old days you could actually speak to the engineers dept and go through the job with someone that might actually know something.

In this instance they cut us off on the day before they were supposed to move the line, when the engineer didn't turn up I rang to complain (no line = no internet = no access to school for children's homework), the woman told me that schools all have homework clubs nowadays so they should do their homework before coming home.

We now have a line but still no internet as Demon say they'll reconnect me on a 12 month contract which will cease the minute BT disconnect my line again.

BT really do have some funny ideas. I booked a line installation at a remote site and was told that the engineer would be on site between 1300 and 1800. Arrived on site at 1230 and was informed that the engineer turned up at 0830, sat in his van for 10 minutes and then buggered off. Needless to say, he didn't come back in the afternoon and I've had to re-book the install. It just makes no sense.