September 11, 2026
You’ll find your test socket inside your master socket. It’s the point where the internal wiring in your premises connects to the phone line outside.
By plugging into your test socket, you bypass all the internal wiring in your premises. This makes it the ideal point to test your internal wiring for faults.
If your master socket has a removable faceplate then it has a test socket.
You can tell if the faceplate is removable if it has a split in the middle with a screw in each side
Follow the steps below to connect your phone to your test socket.
- Unscrew the faceplate using a screwdriver
2. Gently pull down the faceplate which will reveal the test port
3. Plug phone into the test port
If your phone works in the test port, it could be a faulty faceplate or internal wiring causing the issue.
If your phone doesn’t work in the test port and you’ve tried an alternative handset in the test port, which also doesn’t work, there’s probably a fault in the local area.
If you’re still experiencing issues after following our guides, we may need to do some line tests and send an engineer to help you.
Please click here for more information on how to carry out your line test.
Please be aware if an engineer attends site and the fault is located with internal wiring/equipment, a call-out charge is applied. Anything on the Openreach network will be repaired free of charge
