Phone noise, routers and microfilters

mgfvvc

After months of broadband instability and intermittent noise on the phone, the noise this week has been constant.

I have gone down to the master test socket and run quiet line tests. With the phone only or just the phone and an ADSL microfilter there is no noise. If I plug in an ADSL router, when I turn it on, you can hear the noise starting as the ADSL light comes on.

I have tried 3 different routers, 2 of them brand new, with brand new ADSL microfilters and I get the same results every time. I assume the microfilters should be stopping noise leaking onto the phone line and I am puzzled by why it happens, even with new microfilters.

I assume if noise is leaking onto the phone line then the phone is probably interfering with the ADSL?

Is there anywhere I can go with this, apart from booking a BT engineer?

kwikbreaks

This is a line fault. A bad joint in the line is rectifying the ADSL signal and you hear the result as noise.

Try the full test at http://speedtest.btwholesale.com/ -with any luck it will confirm there is a fault. I had 5 visits from Openreach without the problem on my line being fixed and eventually ditched it for cable. I'm back on VDSL fibre now on a new BT line though.

Oblivion

Perhaps the 'bell wire' is still connected. It is not needed with modern phones and if connected it can introduce cross-talk noise when an ADSL router/modem is connected.

A quick google will show you how to check and how to disconnect it.

kwikbreaks

The bell wire can introduce RF noise which will reduce the sync rate. It can't introduce audible noise. The fault described cannot be fixed by the user.

stator

If the normal line tests don't show a fault you'd be best hiring an independent (ex-bt) telecoms engineer. The call out fee will be a lot less than BT and the engineer should be able to tell your provider what the fault is and get them to raise a case with Openreach to get it rectified.

AndyPix

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I'm back on VDSL fibre now on a new BT line though.

<pedant/>


VDSL != Fibre


VDSL uses copper infrastructure, and the ISP's are very naughty advertising it as fibre because it isn't


</pedant>

bod1467

<pedant>
kb refers to it as VDSL fibre ... this can equally mean VDSL technology delivered over a fibre (partial, like FTTC) connection.
</pedant>

kwikbreaks

Actually it's just plain old fibre to the cabinet and VDSL twisted pair from there to a modem.
Unlike VM "fibre" which is DOCSIS over fibre to a cabinet and coax still carrying DOCSIS from there to a modem.

They are both advertised as fibre but neither are as pedants just love to point out for some very obscure reason. Possibly just in an attempt to impress. It doesn't.

stator

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Actually it's just plain old fibre to the cabinet and VDSL twisted pair from there to a modem.
Unlike VM "fibre" which is DOCSIS over fibre to a cabinet and coax still carrying DOCSIS from there to a modem.

They are both advertised as fibre but neither are as pedants just love to point out for some very obscure reason. Possibly just in an attempt to impress. It doesn't.

No, it's genuine annoyance about being bombarded with messages trying to sell something that we can't get and also just the fact that it isn't fibre.
A bit like those stupid "hover boards" that don't hover.
Words have got to mean something. :mad:

kwikbreaks

In the case of "fibre broadband" I'm sure you are well aware what the purveyors are actually selling even if they don't themselves. If you are going to get irritated by every technological half-wit you meet then your life will be a misery indeed.

GunJack

FTTC - fibre to the cabinet (i.e. the pcp) copper to the premesis, cheaper (commonly called "fibre broadband")
FTTP - fibre to the premesis, way dearer and still pretty rare (but still fibre broadband in common terms)
Cable - bit of a misnoma, as any piece of electrical wire is "cable", they just use co-ax to the premesis (and a different modulation type)

...if everyone else is allowed to be pedantic, so am I