Discuss How many bt sockets allowed per room? in the Electrical Wiring, Theories and Regulations area at ElectriciansForums.net

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M

Mixmaker

Hello everyone! Just a quick question, i am decorating my 2 bed flat, i just wanted to ask, how many bt sockets normally installed in 2 bedroom flat? Is there a limit for that? Or i can have as many as i want?
 
The number of sockets is not limited but the number of telephones that can be connected to these sockets tends to be limited to a ringer equivalence number of 4, or 4 normal telephones.
 
Are they all in use at the same time?

You will find items plugged into the BT points have a REN number and this represents it loading on the line, your total REN count shouldn't exceed 4 REN so as for points - you can have as many as you like but you can only plug so many items into them at any one time if they are not independently powered by another source.
 
The limit is not how many sockets, but how many handsets, there is a maximum "Ring Equivalent Number" (REN) of 4 on a BT line.
Modern handsets can have a REN number of less than 1, the telephone handset normally has the REN number on the base.
You could use multiple DECT (Wireless) handsets from one base station, which means you wouldn't need to install new sockets, but they have the disadvantage that they don't work in a power cut.

** I see I didn't type fast enough **
 
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I think it's fair to say your question has been answered, but just out of interest why would you want more than a couple of BT sockets in this day and age when landlines, especially wired ones, are somewhat old hat?

If you're wanting to use them for data (broadband, sky box, HDMI etc) most people get a load of RJ45 data sockets wired in cat5 or similar, wired back to a media cupboard. That way you have the flexibility to use each socket for whatever you want depending on how you patch it.

Some people call it "future-proofing" although I hate that expression.
 
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Mixmaker "Thanks guys for all the replies, It's greatly appreciated." :)

If you fully explaining what you are trying to do then I'm sure we can help you out better.
 
Is there a router in the loft that you will connect these ethernet sockets to?
Why use cat6? Will cat 5e not do for what you need?
Why not just buy a wireless extender and place this in one of your rooms and wire just to this?
 
Yes,router is in the loft, the reason to wire up is that i can easily plug my computers and tv.Wireless sometime has lose connections.
 
Generally we now run a coax and cat5 to any tv point, as most new tvs have an ethernet connection. All cat5s run back to a location where the router would go, and the coax runs back to the loft or similar.

We run a cat5 out to where the incoming phone line enters the property, then decide where the master BT socket will go with the customer. BT sockets are very old hat, it is cheaper to buy wireless handsets and only in a big house with thick walls would you need multiple BT sockets IMO.
 
How many RJ45 sockets would you put in every room? or how would you wire up 2 bedroom flat?

It's not so much a case of 'X amount in every room', put them wherever you'll need them, ie behind each television, stereo, where you might have a telephone or computer. You probably wouldn't have any in the bathroom, you might have one in the kitchen for an internet radio, maybe 3 doubles in the bedrooms (one either side of the bed and one behind the television), maybe 6 in the lounge (one behind the television, one underneath for a games console, maybe another for a sky box or so you can share a DVD player, one for a stereo and one or two by a desk.
Maybe one in the hallway for a telephone if that's how you use the phone, but I don't think many people do nowadays.

It's up to you really - I manage to get by with one BT and one aerial socket in the lounge.
 

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