Question on cable run past electric

[octbit]

I've been wrestling with some DSL issues for a few weeks now (since the service was installed) and the phone company believes it to be an internal wiring issues. Because it's an older house and I happen to have a big box of cat5e laying around, I've decided to humor them and rewire it.

The issue: I can't possibly replace the wire as is. It's going to have to go through our attic or outside through conduit and, even using buried conduit, the final run will have to come down from the soffit due to obstacles on the ground that I can't dig around. The phone service enters the house about 12'' from the electric meter/service so the only natural way to bring it down is near the electrical conduit carrying our main line. From an aesthetic perspective, I'd rather not run the wire away from the electrical conduit. Is this safe from a noise perspective, though? I'd rather not do all the work to provide them with a new issue to blame me with.

Thanks!

 

[G0AOZ]

I'm going to assume you're in the States...

In the U.K., British Telecom (the biggest telephone service provider) brings the cable into the customer's property and terminates it in a Master Socket. It is their responsibility to position the cable and fix the socket. From this socket onwards is the responsibility of the user. How does this equate with your provider?

The Britsh Master socket (NTE5) has a user detachable front panel, which when removed disconnects any secondary wiring within the property. Removing the panel reveals a single test socket. If one cannot get an acceptable connection/speed when the router is plugged direct into this socket, then one can legitimately complain to the ISP.

Given the choice, I'd try and keep the phone cable away from the electricity service - you just don't know what electrical interference might be superimposed onto your mains power line by outside influences.

It might even be worth buying some screened Cat5e as an extra precaution. Having said that, I have often seen ordinary telephone cable (not Cat5) bunched together with mains electricity cables, and the user's DSL appeared to be completely unaffected.

ROGER - G0AOZ.