Other ways to get broadband

moneyistooshorttomention

More googling later and what I think I need to have the engineer check tomorrow is:

1. The telephone line junction box where they have joined the old (probably aluminium) original telephone wire to these houses to the new (should be copper) section of wire. Looking for poorly sealed cable joints. I know water gets into that box - and it does rain rather a lot here. When I queried this to them back along I basically got a "Don't worry your little head" type response from them and that it doesnt matter. I'm inclined to think it does matter - at least if there's a poorly sealed cable joint.

2. Check the joint box they put on the exterior wall of my house - in case damp is getting in that way. It's certainly not flush to the wall of my house and I wonder if that might be letting water in. The exterior house wall is nubbly with render (rather than being brick). But that is how a lot of houses here are/it already was when I bought it - and they should be doing anything necessary with sealant or the like to "bridge the gap" if that is something that matters (courtesy of all the rain here).

I shall be watching those engineers closely tomorrow for sure.

Is there anything else specific I should be looking out for tomorrow? - in case they don't.....

DoaM

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/guides/bt-master-socket

Which image (Step 1 Left or Right; Step 2 Left or Right) most-closely resembles the phone socket in the hallway? Ditto for the extension?

Do you have a phone plugged in to the hallway socket? If yes, do you have a micro-filter there too?

moneyistooshorttomention

DoaM wrote: »

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/guides/bt-master-socket

Which image (Step 1 Left or Right; Step 2 Left or Right) most-closely resembles the phone socket in the hallway? Ditto for the extension?

Do you have a phone plugged in to the hallway socket? If yes, do you have a micro-filter there too?

"MAIN" SOCKET
Step 1 - the right-hand one

Step 2 - the right-hand one

Step 3 - pretty flush to wall

Step 4 - the one on its own on 3rd line down

"EXTENSION" SOCKET
- Totally plain. No markings. Just the thing the microfilter plugs into.

Microfilters on both sockets.

Both have been done in 2013. The "main" socket is in same spot that a dead "old style" one was. That dead "old" one wasnt in use - there was a right odd mishmash bodgers set-up in the house when I bought it. New wiring to "main" socket done by BT Engineers. A secondary phone is plugged into the "main" socket. My "main" phone is in my study off the "secondary" socket.

EDIT; In fact I wouldnt be unduly surprised if there are ways available to "unofficially tap into" phonelines and get a free service - as the way this house was when I bought it was wierd basically. I promptly had things done the "regular" way and all "wierd" stuff ripped out.

DoaM

I suggest removing the faceplate from the hallway socket. This will probably (should) have wires* on the back of it that run to the extension, and will probably have a phone plug on it which fits into the "test" socket in the box.

Get a corded, analogue phone (maybe £5 from Argos) and plug that into the "test" socket. Dial 17070 and choose option 2 (quiet line test) - the line should be silent. If there's any noise (pops, squeaks, buzzing etc.) then you need to report a LINE fault to your landline provider. Getting this fixed will help with Internet issues.

* You only need 2 wires between the master socket and the extension, 1 each connected to terminals 2 and 5. Anything else (e.g. on terminal 3 - the "ring" wire) serves no purpose with modern phones and simply acts as an aerial to pick up noise.

GunJack

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

3. I'm guessing there is a joint in the line - where they've removed a section of old line nearest my house and replaced it, and then, presumably, joined it to the old line the rest of the way down to the green box.
There will be more than just the junction boxes you can see close to your house, especially if the line is an underground one


4. What is FTTC? Fibre To The Cabinet, the most common way of implementing fibre broadband in the UKWhat is D side line? What is E side line? (I'm guessing that D side means from the box to my house and E side would be going away from the box in the direction of town??). close...I thought I'd explained it n the post. Your (and other people's phone lines run from your house to the big green cabinets (PCP) you see in the streets, before going from them to the local phone exchange. Your house to the PCP = D-side, PCP to exchange = E-side

What is PCP? See above

British Rail (you're getting there

...and I must get a new keyboard with a fully-functioning "i" key, I keep writing posts and have to go back and edit to insert multiple "i"'s in :rotfl:

GunJack

DoaM wrote: »

* You only need 2 wires between the master socket and the extension, 1 each connected to terminals 2 and 5. Anything else (e.g. on terminal 3 - the "ring" wire) serves no purpose with modern phones and simply acts as an aerial to pick up noise.

If it was wired in 2013 or later, there shouldn't be a ring wire connected, but worth checking

coffeehound

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Okay will do arciere - if I still have problems after tomorrows engineer visit.

Whew - just had my 3rd time today of fighting to get back online:(.

You can appreciate just how much I need the Internet - now that I'm living in such a remote area - hence the frustration with it:mad:

Relatives who live in a remote location have had a similar frustrating experience over many years trying to get their landline working.

Eventually they opted for satellite internet. It involves a dish being installed on a south wall and cables being run to an electronics box on your desk. I understand there are a few satellite service providers now and prices are reasonable.

debitcardmayhem

GunJack wrote: »

British Rail (you're getting there

...and I must get a new keyboard with a fully-functioning "i" key, I keep writing posts and have to go back and edit to insert multiple "i"'s in :rotfl:

use the osk gunny

iammumtoone

lammy82 wrote: »

I had a similar problem and it was only when I reported it as a 'noisy phone line' issue to my phone provider/ISP that they actually got it sorted. Then the internet drop out stopped.

I will remember this tip if I ever have problems. Might be too late for Money as they have already complained about internet connection, but it wouldn't hurt to put in a additional log about the phone not working (if that is the case)



I think the problem is with internet connections there are so many things it could be, so it is easy for BT blame anything apart from the line. With a phone connection its simpler, just get another phone and if you have the same problem it has to be the line.

moneyistooshorttomention

coffeehound wrote: »

Relatives who live in a remote location have had a similar frustrating experience over many years trying to get their landline working.

Eventually they opted for satellite internet. It involves a dish being installed on a south wall and cables being run to an electronics box on your desk. I understand there are a few satellite service providers now and prices are reasonable.

Worst case analysis and I was wondering if this was a possibility - ie getting it via satellite. My landline telephones are working - albeit still noticing the odd bit of noise on the line.

I don't like satellite dishes on houses - but if worst comes to the worst then I would do so. I'm guessing they make small/not too intrusive ones these days.

I'm still in my email exchange with the "tough and expensive" Internet provider another poster recommended and, now I've established they do cover this area, then I've sent back detailed query re pricing.

I've been writing down contact details of a few "independent" phone engineers (ex BT people) - though they seem to be sparser on the ground in Wales than the rest of the country - as another possibility re investigating cause/providing "official evidence" so to say to a provider/I did notice and write down details of a good way to change "secondary" phone socket to "main" phone socket status and that might be useful to stop comments in their track from Plusnet engineers seeking for any excuse to say it's my fault (when I know it isnt).

Do you know the names of these satellite providers please and I'll google to check them out in case of need? I can fully sympathise with your relatives on this one - as I certainly think that "the smaller/the more remote a place is = the greater the need for good Internet". Probably all the more so to some than others - when we've moved from an area with a lot of facilities/don't have a car/do intend to keep fully in touch with the rest of the country!