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Chat => Tech Chat => Topic started by: roseway on October 01, 2006, 01:46:17 PM

Title: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 01, 2006, 01:46:17 PM
I've been having terrible trouble with my connection today. The phone line has gone all crackly and it's made the ADSL connection unstable. I've pulled off the NTE5 faceplate and connected directly to the inner socket to make sure that it's not my wiring (it isn't) and reported it as a fault to BT. I couldn't do this on the phone because they were swamped with problem reports - NOT good news - so I had to report it at bt.com/faults using my dodgy internet connection.

Happy days! :wall:
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: Astral on October 01, 2006, 02:02:19 PM
We've had big electrical storms overnight down west overnight which is moving east from what I gather from other MB's. Last heard of approaching Bedford. Don't know if that might have anything to do with your problem.
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 01, 2006, 02:25:33 PM
There haven't been any electrical storms here, but it's very windy which probably explains the large number of problem reports.

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: kitz on October 01, 2006, 02:37:27 PM
ughhhhhhhh

not good...  hope you manage to sort it eric :'(
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: Accordion on October 01, 2006, 03:50:01 PM
We've had big electrical storms overnight down west overnight which is moving east from what I gather from other MB's. Last heard of approaching Bedford. Don't know if that might have anything to do with your problem.

They got me during the night (I'm near Bedford). Our dog is frightened by thunder, jumped onthhe bed between us and sits there trembling (he's a bit big and takes up too much space).  Then he tried to hide in the wardrobe, rustling bags around etc.

We've had a couple of big downpours this afternoon too. I think I'll buy a boat .......
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 02, 2006, 07:26:53 AM
I got a call from BT later to say that there was no fault found. I pointed out that there was audible crackle while we were talking, and I had removed the NTE5 faceplate and confirmed that it still crackled when using the inside socket. So now an engineer visit is scheduled for Wednesday morning. It's still crackly this morning, by the way.

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: kitz on October 02, 2006, 11:36:43 AM
good for you sticking to your guns with BT.
In my experience they try fobbing you off at any opportunity.
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 02, 2006, 02:55:09 PM
The crackle went away for a few hours this morning, and my router stats returned to normal. However we've had some heavy rain since lunchtime, and now the crackle and instability have returned. So I think it's pretty clear what the problem is.

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: kitz on October 02, 2006, 08:05:43 PM
w-a-t-e-r  problem  ;)
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 03, 2006, 07:16:07 AM
Indeed. No doubt when the engineer comes tomorrow it will have dried out. Ho-hum... :'(

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 04, 2006, 07:12:03 PM
Latest update on the mini-saga: I waited in all day, and no engineer arrived. He was supposed to come in the morning, and after lunch I checked the web fault tracker to find that they had rescheduled the appointment to "The engineer will try to contact you before 6:00 pm today". He didn't. :(

I phoned 151, and after pressing several buttons I got to speak to a nice recorded message machine who made a new appointment for tomorrow afternoon. Don't miss the next thrilling instalment! The line is still crackling, by the way.

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: soms on October 04, 2006, 07:29:54 PM
Any of your neighbours have the same crackling?

Could shed light on where that moisture is getting in - which might speed up the process of indentifying and then fixing the problem.
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: kitz on October 04, 2006, 07:34:34 PM
>>> no engineer arrived.

You know its damned annoying how they do that...  they did it twice on me too  >:(
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 05, 2006, 07:35:40 AM
Any of your neighbours have the same crackling?

Good idea, thanks. I'll ask around.

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 05, 2006, 06:58:44 PM
The engineer eventually turned up at 4:15 and immediately told me that he was due to go off duty shortly. He did several ringback tests and then informed me that he could hear some crackling but it was intermittent. I could have saved him the journey!
Someone else is due to come tomorrow.

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: kitz on October 05, 2006, 10:25:39 PM
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emotionless.co.uk%2Femotes%2Fv%2Fwall.gif&hash=b59d0691a76da7519e126aa5846d9cacac18ead1)
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 06, 2006, 07:19:30 AM
It feels like that, for sure.

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 06, 2006, 09:38:20 AM
There's been some progress. Another engineer turned up this morning, and he seemed more keen to fix the problem than the other guy was. While he was here it started raining heavily, and immediately the line went crackly. He thinks the problem is at the pole across the road and I probably need a new drop wire. He couldn't do this himself because the pole is leaning over and has a 'dangerous' sticker on it. The next stage is a visit from a lorry with a hoist to check out the connection at the pole.

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: kitz on October 06, 2006, 10:08:11 AM
>> I probably need a new drop wire

Hopefully this will resolve the problem..  seems like a likely suspect.  Wonder what caused it to go *bad* though?
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 06, 2006, 11:02:58 AM
The present drop wire has been up there a very long time, and the strong winds on Sunday kicked off the problem, so I guess it's quite possible that all the shaking about has loosened the insulation to the point where it leaks.

Eric

PS I've just had another look at the BT fault tracker, and it now says "The problem is probably with the BT network", and the repair is scheduled for next Tuesday. In the meantime the phone is usable if noisy, and I've semi-stabilised my ADSL connection by tweaking the router for a higher target noise margin. So I'm actually feeling moderately optimistic. :dance:
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 11, 2006, 07:47:08 AM
I ought to have known better than express optimism. Yesterday afternoon two BT guys turned up in a lorry and replaced  about 100 metres of cable from a pole down the road to my master socket. When they tested the line afterwards it was as clear as a bell, and I eagerly switched my router back on and waited for a solid, stable sync. And waited, and waited... The line is just as unstable as before, and the phones are crackling again :'(

Before I report it again I'm going to do some more testing indoors, and as I've read one or two reports of crackling caused by the ADSLNation faceplate I'm going to buy the Clarity one and try that. Happy days.

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: Accordion on October 11, 2006, 09:31:57 AM
You certainly know how to have fun Eric, I won't join in with you though .....

 :no:
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 11, 2006, 09:45:11 AM
Oh come on Dave, you know you would enjoy it ;)

Eric
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: kitz on October 12, 2006, 04:13:56 PM
>>> one or two reports of crackling caused by the ADSLNation faceplate I'm going to buy the Clarity one and try that

hmmm thats not good..  was it any  brand in particular of theres?
Funny enough I get an email from them this w/e asking if I would link to them from my site like I do with clarity and solwise.


>>> You certainly know how to have fun Eric,

if hes happy getting his wires in a twist... leave him alone ;)
keeps him occupied and out of mischief :) ;D
Title: Re: Line problems
Post by: roseway on October 12, 2006, 07:02:29 PM
>>> one or two reports of crackling caused by the ADSLNation faceplate I'm going to buy the Clarity one and try that

hmmm thats not good..  was it any  brand in particular of theres?

It was a couple of comments on their user forum, and referred to the XTE-2005 faceplate filter, which is the one I've got.

Quote
if hes happy getting his wires in a twist... leave him alone ;)
keeps him occupied and out of mischief :) ;D

No, I can still find time for mischief :P

Eric