Broadband keeps dropping, could it be plastic bag on line?

Fortyfoot
Fortyfoot Posts: 1,957 Forumite
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in Broadband & internet access
I have complained to EE and an engineer has called but failed to identify a fault. I had a look outside today and saw a plastic bag on the phone line, could this be the cause?

If so who's responsibility is it to remove it? What is their contact number please?
pole.jpg

Thanks,

Fortyfoot
«13

Comments

  • trigger_fish
    trigger_fish Posts: 3,172 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    I would have thought that it was the responsibility of Bt Openreach to remove it if they thought it could cause any problem which I doubt.

    My Talk Talk drops out now and again. Even the phone itself but not for quite a while.
  • Nilrem
    Nilrem Posts: 2,565 Forumite
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    As said if it's to do with the line it'll be openreach (as it's outside the property), but a plastic bag is extremely unlikely to be an issue, as it's non conductive and the wires are insulated anyway.

    The only reason it might cause an issue as far as I can see is if the wires have bad/damaged insulation and the bag is trapping water causing a possible short, but that's unlikely (and you'd probably have issues even without the bag).

    Depending on the actual fault (is it dropping due to SNR being out of spec?) it could be you've got a damaged conductor that's being affected by heat, movement of the cables overhead, or water ingress.

    We have a sudden issue with our phone a while back that was traced (fairly quickly) to water getting into a junction box outside which had led to corrosion and intermittent shorts when it was wet/humid.
  • iniltous
    iniltous Posts: 3,071 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    edited 7 October 2017 at 8:26AM
    You cannot call Openreach directly, you go via your ISP , in itself, as others have said, a plastic bag, blown by the wind into the wires and trapped isn't likely to be causing a problem, if a wire was snapped and hanging into the road , you could report it as dangerous directly to OR but not litter tangled up in the wiring.
    You can call EE again, but if you insist they call OR out (on a line that is testing OK) and OR find no fault on the external network, you probably would be charged for the visit ( OR charge EE for wasting their time, EE probably pass the charge onto you, ) they even warn you when reporting a fault of this possibility.
    Provide more details of the problem, and what steps you have taken so far yourself to eliminate your own kit, and wiring etc as the cause
  • Fortyfoot
    Fortyfoot Posts: 1,957 Forumite
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    As the problem was not resolved when EE engineer came they have arranged for BT I think, to call and carry out tests. They have arranged to come when I get back from holiday.

    It has not dropped this afternoon, it was down most of the morning when it was raining.

    Fortyfoot
  • Nilrem
    Nilrem Posts: 2,565 Forumite
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    Fortyfoot wrote: »
    As the problem was not resolved when EE engineer came they have arranged for BT I think, to call and carry out tests. They have arranged to come when I get back from holiday.

    It has not dropped this afternoon, it was down most of the morning when it was raining.

    Fortyfoot
    That sounds very much like it's water ingress into a joint in the line somewhere, probably somewhere it's draining out of fairly quickly afterwards.
  • Fortyfoot
    Fortyfoot Posts: 1,957 Forumite
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    edited 21 October 2017 at 1:33PM
    Update.

    We got back from holiday yesterday lunch time and the internet has been fine since. The BT engineers was booked for this pm. I waited in all day and eventually rang EE at 7.30 and was told that the call out had been cancelled.

    I was about 1/2 hour on the phone with EE, he kept going off line to do some tests. He has arranged for a BT engineer to call some time after 8am tomorrow.

    Update

    Engineer called, from Open Reach, a really nice chap, he said "it's not the plastic bag"!

    He replaced the old socket which if I remember right he said had "star wiring" which allowed the broadband signal to split and bounce back from two other extensions, this confusing the modem. He has put a new socket on which has blanked off the broadband from the other extensions so the broadband only goes to the modem.

    I hope that I have explained this clearly.

    DSC_2937.jpg


    Fortyfoot
  • Fortyfoot
    Fortyfoot Posts: 1,957 Forumite
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    edited 28 October 2017 at 4:07PM
    Broadband down again, it's wet and windy, just had over an hour on the phone with EE, it probably took half of that time for them to read the notes.

    It was a nice lady in Plymouth, she double checked with her boss about the plastic bag and her boss said "unlikely".

    So back onto mobile data for the football this afternoon.

    Next BT engineer's appointment is booked for Tuesday morning, 8am to 1pm. Some one could take out some bets on the outcome!

    Update, the engineer came on time, played about with his equipment for half hour. He said that he had reset some of the settings and that it would now be ok and that it was unlikely that it was anything to do with the plastic bag. He said they had a man who removes unwanted objects from line and he would request that he called.


    Fortyfoot
  • Fortyfoot
    Fortyfoot Posts: 1,957 Forumite
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    It's wet and windy again and guess what the internet is down. So nearly another hour on the phone with a lovely lady called Chantelle from Plymouth.

    Since the engineers call the weather has been mainly still and dry up to today.

    Yes we have another appointment for 8am to 1pm on Tuesday morning.

    I have asked them to send an engineer who has a ladder and is not afraid of heights!

    I am considering doing away with the landline as the 4g on EE is just as good as the landline broadband.

    Fortyfoot
  • Nilrem
    Nilrem Posts: 2,565 Forumite
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    It's sounding more and more like like it's water ingress somewhere causing a short as it's happening when it's wet but seems to be ok when dry.
  • Fortyfoot
    Fortyfoot Posts: 1,957 Forumite
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    Nilrem wrote: »
    It's sounding more and more like like it's water ingress somewhere causing a short as it's happening when it's wet but seems to be ok when dry.
    Well you could be right, two young lads came from BT this morning and against all the comments from the previous BT engineers "No it's not the plastic bag" it looks like it was.

    After extensive and very expensive repairs every thing seems to be fine, just waiting for the wet and windy weather to see if it works.

    Up the pole one of them went, the trainee by the way. The lid/cover of the box on the pole was missing and could not be found, may be this could have led to the ingress of water? He cleaned up the box and finished up with a quick spray of BT's WD40.
    [IMG][/img]btbox.jpg
    The box is so old they do not carry spares, except for, yes you guessed it, Plastic bags!
    [IMG][/img]btbox1.jpg

    Job done.

    [IMG][/img]btbox2.jpg

    Message attached to pole, may be a carrier pigeon would be quicker?
    [IMG][/img]btbox4.jpg

    Lets hope that the new plastic bag works, the young engineers seemed to think so, they were great, thanks.

    Fortyfoot :beer:
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