BT line fault and possible costs

tghe-retford

I'm currently having a major problem with my Internet connection since Wednesday, where my connection will disconnect whenever the phone is picked up. As a result, my speed is low. I asked a number of experts on a specific ADSL forum and after ruling out dodgy filters (I have four of them), they suggested that it wasn't a problem with the ADSL but a line fault (hence me posting in the Home Phones section).

I tried using my phone in the test socket without the ADSL filter and, low and behold, I did hear loud static and then crackling on the line. I am a little stuck at the moment because I have called other people I know if I could borrow a spare phone and no-one can, so I can't say for sure if it is a phone fault, though checking last night, having my phone disconnected, my Internet connection still kept disconnecting because of noise on the line.

The noise isn't occurring all the time, it happens every now and again randomly and can't be tied to any event in my house or around (ie. Central heating, street lighting which is known to knock out ADSL).

My worry is, that if I do have to call BT to check for a fault and they send an engineer out, and the fault is chargeable (I understand faults can be charged if it is part of the customers equipment or on the customer side of the master socket, though searching through Google I have seen people been charged for work on BT's side of the master socket). The charge on a weekday would be around £200-500 in total (considering call out and time spent at my house to fix the fault) as detailed in the BT price list.

Source: http://www.serviceview.bt.com/list/public/current/Misc_boo/1393_d0e1.htm

Considering I don't earn a lot of month from work, anything like those charges would be devastating and I just couldn't afford it. Would BT allow me to spread the cost every quarter until it is paid off by my direct debit (they did allow me to do this for the installation of the master socket in my house in September 2005), or am I faced with a huge bill that I couldn't ever pay off?

moonrakerz

I had problems with my Broadband a couple of years ago. I was pretty certain that the problem was not mine nor the ISP's, so I got BT out.
The engineer installed a new dedicated ADSL socket direct from the point where the line physically entered the house. Took him 3 - 4 hours in total. Cost to me was zero - good old BT !

DonnyDave

So you have only 1 phone??

Have you ever experienced the noise when you are talking on the phone?

You could try listening to the line. For silent line test dial 17070 and select the appropriate option. Press secrecy so you don't introduce any noise yourself and listen in a quiet room.

Heinz

tghe-retford wrote: »

I am a little stuck at the moment because I have called other people I know if I could borrow a spare phone and no-one can, so I can't say for sure if it is a phone fault, though checking last night, having my phone disconnected, my Internet connection still kept disconnecting because of noise on the line.

Argos do a cheap corded phone for £2.97

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5521649.htm

tghe-retford

Thanks for the advice, I have tried everything that BT and the experts at another ADSL specific forum suggested, and the fault still occurs intermittently.

I called BT faults (with the fault still apparent on the line as I talked to the advisor) on the test socket, they did their tests and called me back to say everything is OK and the fault is on my side of the master socket (hence, chargeable).

All I can think to do next is try another phone and see if work will be nice enough to loan me a working one for the time being, and then call them again.

DonnyDave

tghe-retford wrote: »

I called BT faults (with the fault still apparent on the line as I talked to the advisor) on the test socket, they did their tests and called me back to say everything is OK and the fault is on my side of the master socket (hence, chargeable).

Rubbish!

It's probably a faulty connection between your premises and the exchange, hence it's a BT fault. I had a similar crackling on the line that came on after they changed the pole to which it connects. It got so bad that the dialtone cut out and it was only an incoming call that "blew off" the fault on the line.

The person I spoke to was adamant that there was no fault and I had to push to get it reported.

I suggest that you get another phone just to be sure and then report it.

I presume that you don't have any other extension in your house and it's just the master socket.

tghe-retford

DonnyDave wrote: »

I presume that you don't have any other extension in your house and it's just the master socket.

I live in a one bedroom flat and only have the one master socket, which is used for my ADSL connection and my phone.

ravenfire_2

Ive been having a similar problem with my BT line recently, but only since I upgraded to the 8MB service! I have the exchange not far from my house and there were workmen there up until recently but BT have tried to blame it on my filters as well which I know its not as Ive tried changing them! Hope you get it sorted

BritBrat

If you have taken the front plate off the BT box and pluged the phone into the socket inside and it makes a noise it's a BT problem as you are connecting directly to the incoming line.

As you are in a flat are you sure you are the only person on that line?

Just making sure by asking.

moonrakerz

DonnyDave wrote: »

Rubbish!

I think I would tend to agree with that pithy comment !

The problem I had (see above) was cured by running a new ADSL line for my Broadband - the reason the engineer did that was that none of the 3 sockets in the house was the master ! Guess who installed the 'phones originally ????

tghe-retford

BritBrat wrote: »

If you have taken the front plate off the BT box and pluged the phone into the socket inside and it makes a noise it's a BT problem as you are connecting directly to the incoming line.

As you are in a flat are you sure you are the only person on that line?

Just making sure by asking.

Thinking back to the installation, the BT engineer had to break into the downstairs outside cupboard to get to the box (I can't find out what its called but me and my downstairs neighbours connect to it. I don't believe I share my line with anyone else (my flat is split into separate properties as they are council houses).