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Author Topic: BT Exchange - Long Line  (Read 4938 times)

OJ McSplodge

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BT Exchange - Long Line
« on: January 06, 2007, 01:41:30 PM »

I am currently on a BT exchange that 'As the crow flies' is 2.5km away. However, the distance  when measured by an engineer is over 6km. (as discussed with Kitz on other sites)

The problem I have now is my phone line is very quiet and therefore I requested for the gain to be turned up. This helped at my recieving end but the person at the other end said it was still quiet. (no great shakes)

Okay, since the gain was turned up, my broadband connection drastically got worse to the point that my SNR Margin is at 2 constantly and with my Downlink Attenuation on 59dB. Therefore, on MaxADSL, my speed has dropped to less than 300kb/s.

I have requested for the gain to be turned down now to bring the broadband back up.

Here goes. My BT Engineer that visited my home to test the line, told me that a new exchange has been built literlly 1km from my home. It is literally over the road.

I have rang up BT Sales to ask when this exchange will go live and if I could switch over to it, but they said they do not have privvy to this information.

My question is, does anyone know who I would contact to beg to go onto this new exchange. I say beg because this is a new estate with houses being built all the time and therefore it will run out of space straight away.

I am quite desperate now. I have to compensate my phone for my broadband or vice versa... sort of defeats technology in the 21st Century.

I was going to try and ring BT Openreach, but can not find any direct dial numbers. I have my phone connection with TalkTalk and Broadband with BT.com.

There must be someone I can contact that I can discuss the new exchange etc.

Would be grateful of any help.

Thanks in advance.
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roseway

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Re: BT Exchange - Long Line
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2007, 07:05:54 PM »

I would have thought that the best way to deal with a quiet voice line is to get a new telephone. There are lots of them which if anything are too loud, and some have volume controls. They also often have oversensitive microphones so the people at the other end would hear you better as well.

As to your chances of being connected to a different exchange, I don't wish to depress you but I don't rate your chances very high. BT don't have any legal responsibility to provide you with ADSL, so if the voice line works OK they won't have much enthusiasm for spending money switching you over. :(

Eric
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OJ McSplodge

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Re: BT Exchange - Long Line
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2007, 08:19:48 PM »

Thanks for the reply Eric.

Reference new phones, have bought 3 new ones and the best, two of which were BT models but still very quiet.

My problem is I can only have the phone working correctly with gain up or just have Broadband working correctly with Gain down. Surely thats a problem!

The BT engineer I spoke to said if I begged enough then he reckon they would switch me over but the big problem is speaking to the right person and to do that I need the right number to call.

Will keep trying

OJ
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roseway

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Re: BT Exchange - Long Line
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2007, 07:47:26 AM »

Yes I agree that it's not a very good situation. I suppose that if you report it as a voice fault they'll just turn the gain up again, unless you can make it absolutely clear that the outgoing volume is a problem, not just incoming. I'm assuming that there are no obvious crackles or other voice issues. You do have your phone(s) connected via ADSL filters, don't you? Have you tried replacing these? A filtered master socket faceplate would be the best technical arrangement.

I suppose that one possible, though risky, option is to apply for another telephone line. They might supply it from the new exchange, but there won't be any guarantee of that. I'm afraid I have no idea who you could speak to in BT.

Eric
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soms

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Re: BT Exchange - Long Line
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2007, 11:02:09 AM »

Quote
I was going to try and ring BT Openreach, but can not find any direct dial numbers. I have my phone connection with TalkTalk and Broadband with BT.com.

Given this information it would be TalkTalk who would have to get something done. TalkTalk are your Service Provider (SP) and it is up to them to provide you with first line support.

The likes of Openreach through regulation will only ever work on the behalf of your SP, be it BT, TalkTalk or anyone else in the case of both broadband or fixed telephony services.

[qoute]Here goes. My BT Engineer that visited my home to test the line, told me that a new exchange has been built literlly 1km from my home. It is literally over the road.

I have rang up BT Sales to ask when this exchange will go live and if I could switch over to it, but they said they do not have privvy to this information.

My question is, does anyone know who I would contact to beg to go onto this new exchange. I say beg because this is a new estate with houses being built all the time and therefore it will run out of space straight away.[/quote]

The problem here is not just switching you over but the provision of a physical link to the new exchange. New estates have all their infrastructure installed underground and quite alot of the cables are put in by contractors or builders by default and then BT just connect them up when providing a service.

This would be the biggest obstacle to getting you moved, as they probably aren't going to supply a new connection in any form to your premises when you already have service and if they did someone would have to pay for this.

Personally I can't see your SP TalkTalk giving you much help with this, giving they only supply your phone service which can be made to work.
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OJ McSplodge

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Re: BT Exchange - Long Line
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2007, 11:08:35 AM »

Thanks again Eric.

With reference to filters, I have tried 3 new ones, two of which supplied by BT. I went through quite a few tests as recommended by Kitz for the ADSL part but with no joy.

As mentioned before, I had a BT engineer visit my home and I did ask if he could install a NTE5 Face plate, but he said he was not Broadband qualified and therefore could not install it.... It's just a socket different type of socket with the filter built in - nothing technical to have to be broadband qualified, I could be wrong.

Yes, a second line is an option. If I am successful, I could swap the broadband over to that line. Knowing my luck, they will put me on the same exchange I am on already... that would be a joy.

Although, with all the problems I have had with the broadband, I decided to reboot my modem last night as the SN Margin was at 1 and my speed dropped to about 100kbps. When it re-connected, my throughput level had changed from 500kbps to 1500kbps. I had transfer rates of 180KB/s. I took full advantage of this and downloaded as much as I could before it goes back to normal again - normal being the rubbish connection that I am used to...

Lets see what happens!!!
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