Should I solder? Some technical input required.

I

image132

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So a while back I had to fight to get my VDSL working. Eventually a tech came out and one of the things he did was replace my drop (the line from the pole to my house) which meant he had to break the ancient wire block connector that used to be there.

The cable he used was actually quite impressive but he connected to my house just using screw top wire connectors. As someone who's done quite a bit of DIY in my life I've never been a fan of those things. They just never felt like they made a tight enough connection. I've always soldered or used chocolate blocks

Now since the VDSL upgrade my line suffers from CRC errors and I'm wondering if that's maybe not in part to blame. Would soldering the drop and my house wires together make a difference or are those screw tops doing a good enough job?

An example of what he used:

Array_of_twist-on_wire_connectors_aka_wire_nuts_in_different_sizes.jpg
 
A soldered joint will always be a more secure way of fastening two or more low tension connections.
 
image132 said:
I guess what I'm asking is, will it make any difference to my line?
Click to expand...

Doubt it. the amount of resistance lost over a wire nut vs solder joint is negligible. Once the wire nut screw tops are connected, they form a semi-permanent bond. They chew into the copper strands, locking them in.

That's if they're installed correctly. They should be very difficult to remove once locked in place.
 
genetic said:
Doubt it. the amount of resistance lost over a wire nut vs solder joint is negligible. Once the wire nut screw tops are connected, they form a semi-permanent bond. They chew into the copper strands, locking them in.

That's if they're installed correctly. They should be very difficult to remove once locked in place.
Click to expand...

I'm not expecting my line to just suddenly go ultimate tier once I solder this but after doing some research I've read that the CRC errors can be caused by bad connections. Any idea if it will lessen it?
 
image132 said:
I'm not expecting my line to just suddenly go ultimate tier once I solder this but after doing some research I've read that the CRC errors can be caused by bad connections. Any idea if it will lessen it?
Click to expand...

A wire nut joint is as good as it was installed. you'll never identify a bad connection until you pull it apart. If you can, I'd solder and know fore sure that it was joined correctly. Can't always trust these technicians.
 
A Telkom technician used those things on a comms cable?

At both ends? The pole side and at the connection point at your house?
 
daniellgr said:
A Telkom technician used those things on a comms cable?

At both ends? The pole side and at the connection point at your house?
Click to expand...

I have no idea what he used at the pole. I was at the bottom of the ladder so I couldn't see into it. I know for sure he used it in my house though.
 
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