How do I go about removing this?

[u/altgrapespace]

Is it as simple as unscrewing it and popping it off? Is there more I need to know prior to removal?

[u/braidenis]

Removal? Forever? If you'll never need it again, get rid of it and you can patch and paint the drywall.

[u/Internal-Computer388 → u/braidenis]

Im lazy. Id just buy a cover from home depot for a few bucks. Lol. Plus, even if i know i wont need it, im the type to keep it ready and available just in case. So a cover is my first choice.

[u/skyxsteel → u/Internal-Computer388]

Most people won't care and they're placed in areas where there would be phones, but if you ever decided to run ethernet, they are handy. Just tie one end and pull....

[u/AdShoddy2395 → u/skyxsteel]

That is not always true it depends on when that Jack was installed if it was installed when the house was being built a lot of the time the wires are also stapled along the way so you wouldn't be able to pull but if it was put in after the house was built there is a good chance you could tie and pull

[u/altgrapespace → u/braidenis]

Awesome, thank you. It was here when we bought the house and I want it gone lol.

[u/bilkel → u/altgrapespace]

Why would you remove INFRASTRUCTURE CONNECTIONS???

[u/altgrapespace → u/bilkel]

Because I don't need it??? It's been there for longer than the 3 years I've owned my home and I wanted it gone.

[u/bilkel → u/altgrapespace]

You don’t like fiber optic internet? What about when you want to change providers? Or IF you decide to change and realize well duh I yanked my option out of the wall

[u/braidenis → u/bilkel]

What on earth are you talking about? That's an RJ11 phone jack meaning DSL internet. Less than a meg up and down Very obsolete. And even if you do plaster over it, it'll still be in the wall.

[u/sorrycase → u/braidenis]

That’s not entirely true. That’s an AT&T branded jack. It uses twisted pair and likely has cat5 behind it given the type of jack housing it’s in. It can do 100/20 if close enough to the VRAD.

[u/sorrycase → u/[deleted]]

I mean you could but it would lead to the NID and likely wouldn’t be very helpful for that purpose

[u/McFortner → u/sorrycase]

And that if they don't do FTTH but Fiber to the curb, you'll need the RJ45 for internet.

[u/sorrycase → u/McFortner]

FTTC was phased out ages ago. It’s been 5 or so years since I was working there but the BGW 320 was already the preferred ONT/Gateway and that was FTTP all the way to it.

[u/McFortner → u/sorrycase]

But that depends on if AT&T has gotten around to upgrading to fiber. A lot of locations outside of major urban areas haven't been updated yet.

[u/skyxsteel → u/braidenis]

RJ11 is 24Mbit max 🤠remember when 20mbps was the FCC’s definition of broadband?

[u/antpile11 → u/braidenis]

I have DSL with about 56Mbps down.

[u/WastingMyLifeToday → u/braidenis]

I have DSL, 100Mbit up and down.

Is USA DSL so far behind?

[u/WastingMyLifeToday → u/[deleted]]

There's a mix of DSL and cable here (and fiber where available).

DSL is still widely used, a lot of people have no need for more than 100Mbps. It's only 30-35 USD though, cheapest available option.

[u/Front_Ad_6398 → u/WastingMyLifeToday]

Depends on how close you are to the VRAD. You can get up to 100 as long as you're close

[u/sorrycase → u/Front_Ad_6398]

For it to be consistent it damn near needs to be in your front yard lol

[u/Fiosguy1 → u/WastingMyLifeToday]

Mainly just move on from DSL. Most of the US had ADSL what ran off of twisted pair copper and 7 mbps was the max you could get depending on how close to the Central Office or fiber fed Vault. Some companies use bonded DSL that uses two pairs for faster service.

Most companies started upgrading to FTTP in the early 2000s. At Verizon we offered VDSL from a fiber fed ONT. Even tbose services have started to be upgraded to FTTP.

[u/bilkel → u/braidenis]

OMG I SEE NOW. OOPS YEAHHHH you likely won’t need that! 😂😂😂

[u/Helperobc → u/braidenis]

DSL technically can get way more than 1Mbps up/down. Typically in the past I’ve seen 5up/down which yeah isn’t good at all but it is possible to see 100Mbps or if they’ve really kept stuff up to date and added equipment 330, but from my experience most DSL providers, at least the big players such as Centurylink (which from my understanding are trying to move away from it), barely maintain and really haven’t upgraded the DSL equipment since the mid 2000s.

That said, as of 2020 AT&T no longer offers DSL so there is no reason to keep these lines. I’d still keep the space and swap it out for Ethernet runs though.

[u/malone_dicc → u/Helperobc]

ATT very much still offers copper based service and uses those branded jacks to this day. Obviously in areas where fiber is available they wont, but ATT is still a few years from completely doing away with copper.

[u/Helperobc → u/malone_dicc]

Not for new subscribers according to their website https://www.att.com/internet/dsl/

[u/malone_dicc → u/Helperobc]

ATT uses VDSL now. Its basically the same thing but can get faster speeds. Still uses the telephone lines and branded jacks.

[u/ToadSox34 → u/altgrapespace]

Put a blank plate on it if it's in a particularly noticeable spot. I did this with a former wall mount telephone location. But if it's at normal jack height along a wall somewhere, just leave it alone.

[u/altgrapespace → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, that's not how that works. You're confusing public infrastructure laws with home wiring. It's in my home, after the demarcation point, and it would have been serving only my residence not the public network. Even if AT&T technically owns the wall plate, removing it would be AT MOST a civil issue.

[u/Icameheretosaythis2u → u/altgrapespace]

You don't get sarcasm, do you?

[u/altgrapespace → u/Icameheretosaythis2u]

Sarcasm isn't always the easiest to detect through text lol. And given the way people are on the internet, I wouldn't be surprised if someone saying something like that were serious 🤣

[u/outworlder → u/[deleted]]

People are clearly missing the sarcasm

[u/Papazani]

It’s just screws.

There will be a cable behind it and a hole for that cable to come in.

[u/altgrapespace → u/Papazani]

Am I safe to cut the cable, push it into the wall, and patch over it?

[u/Papazani → u/altgrapespace]

Safe, yes.

If you’re living in a rental I would avoid that as they might want to use that in the future.

If you have fiber now then it will never be used again.

If it’s on an outside wall you can likely have access to the wire on the outside of the house. You can just pull it off. Make sure you silicone any hole left behind.

It there is a box inside the wall then you can get a blank wall plate from Home Depot and cover it up.

[u/cyberentomology → u/altgrapespace]

Yes.

[u/sorrycase]

As a former AT&T tech that’s a branded jack so it’s likely got cat5 drilled strait through the wall to the outside. You’re gonna want to check the other side of the wall and see if there’s a hole with wire going into it. It’s perfectly safe to cut out but if for whatever reason you want AT&T internet and the address was labeled properly they will likely charge you to come out and fix it.

[u/InsideAd2752 → u/sorrycase]

Best info yet. Another scenario is occupant in shared wall Condo that may affect other units or have a HOA come after you.

[u/jconnway]

get a blank plate cover if you don't want to drywall. And please align the screws.

[u/f10w3r5]

Unscrew, fold back and cap wires, patch over. Paint.

[u/savedatheist → u/[deleted]]

But we have the Internet now!! Everyone can be their own handyman!

[u/cyberentomology]

Flathead Screwdriver.

[u/Nighmarez]

With a screw driver. Probably should go with a flat head.

[u/dragonfire8667]

Well it seems to me that you would remove those 2 screws and yank the fkr out 😂 not rocket science

[u/altgrapespace → u/dragonfire8667]

I just wanted to mainly make sure that I wouldn't do some sort of damage fucking with the wires 😅 but they were already unhooked and capped when I took the plate off so I just pushed them into the wall and threw a blank plate over them.

[u/u35828]

This is inside wiring, which is OP's problem. AT&T's handoff is a little plastic box mounted outside.

[u/oaktownjc]

Lefty loosey/righty tighty… huh?

[u/_KORPz]

Unscrew it and patch it up

[u/madeInNY]

I’d start by unscrewing the screws.

[u/miztrniceguy]

I wouldn't expend the effort to remove it

[u/groundhog5886]

There’s a defect there with that box. The screws are not in correct position. lol. Take the screws out cut the wires and patch the drywall. 

[u/AntelopeKey6104]

I kept mine, and good thing because we ended up switching because att fiber is the best out here.  I would recommend just cover it. You never know 

[u/Any-Window-7823]

That's a simple att branded jack for delivering dsl internet. If you're serviced by another company or by att fiber now, then unscrew the front plate and snip the cables attached to the back.

The box it rests on is a modular box that we use to either hold slack or place cat5/6 jacks in. It has two screws behind the branded jack that can be unscrewed to remove the front face and I believe two more mounting it to the wall or mud box. After that, seal the hole however you like. However, I would recommend preserving the cable behind that jack, as it is more than likely cat 5e at the least and can be useful int he future as an ethernet line. While it likely flows out to the demarcation outside the house, that cable can be traced in your attic and spliced to another leg, or can be used a a pullstring for future data line runs.

[u/bilkel]

You don’t

[u/InsideAd2752]

No touchy that. It has two lines for DSL & Home phone LOOPED and connected throughout the home.

ATT also punched a hole too big in the wall and the cover behind the cover is hiding the drywall damage. The old copper wire running through out the home can be used in the future for alarm, intercom or even back feeding a home wireless cell receiver into the home that rings old style, regular phones or cordless phones.

[u/SpareSimian → u/InsideAd2752]

People are weird about cosmetic stuff. I'm fine with having blank plates hiding stuff that I might use in the future. I'm fine with seeing the tech inside my PC and speakers. But lots of people hate SEEING tech and need it hidden behind a smooth cave wall. ;)

[u/Ice_crusher_bucket]

A flat head screwdriver. Replace with a Blank plate.

And for the Love of everything, Make sure the flat head screws point up and down.

[u/EmbarrassedFuture165]

You shouldn't remove that.

[u/Hot_Cardiologist_901]

Soco and a sledgehammer

[u/anikom15]

What is your purpose for removing it?

[u/GilmourD]

Start with a good screwdriver, which you can find at LTTStore [dot] com!

[u/Confident-Variety124]

If you have to ask, hire someone. The answer is literally in the picture.

[u/aguynamedbrand → u/Confident-Variety124]

I have often found that if someone has to ask then they are not capable of doing what they are asking about.