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Sooooooo
On Friday out of the blue we lost internet connectivity.
Crackle on the (telephone)line and modem not showing any connecivity from the line.
Cue countless telephone calls, text messages(!), line tests and a new modem/router.
Plug in the new wireless router (replacing an old modem & Apple Airport) and hey presto internet.
New micro filter etc
Now .... the micro filter, router and our only phone are plugged into the main socket.
When we receive or make a phone call the internet drops out. Sometimes reconnection only occurs after the phone call end other times it reconnects mid call.
ISP say there is no fault on the (telephone) line
BT Open Reach engineer says there is no fault on the (telephone) line
Telephone line is intermittently crackly.
ISP tell me a (Internet)line engineer is booked for next week to check the (Internet)line but I've been told to expect a cost if the fault lies internally.
Whats likely to be the issue?
I've, at the prompt pf the ISP, removed the face plate on the master socket and I still get a crackly line despite there not being an issue.
There is probably no more than 1.5m of cable in the house before the master socket all untouched.
Help!
I had the same problem, I was with BT and had one of their awful home hubs. Upgraded to the newest version at my cost, still dropped out every time the phone rang.
In the end, I bought an AirPort Extreme to handle the wifi, which helped. What totally fixed it though, was moving from BT to Virgin.
Faulty microfilter.
You've got buckley's with BT with any sort of third party Internet connectivity issues (even though it's probably BT Wholesale anyway), but if you've got a crackly line they'll track it down. Your best bet is to never mention the Internet again and keep complaining of noise on the line till they've replaced it all.
Most probably the microfilter.
Am assuming you're not using a cordless phone and wireless internet.
But like Cougar said, most likely it's the microfilter. Simplest and most obvious first point of troubleshooting anyway.
Things to note:
1. BT owns the line up to the point of the master socket (aka NTE 5) - this is true whoever your ISP is (hence the fact you have to pay line rental). After then, it's down to you (internal wiring). If your wiring is at fault, it costs you (£50 IIRC), if it's BT's wire, it costs BT.
2. Line tests done remotely aren't the same as field tests. Your ISP's engineer will also test for crackles on the line. This is a fault, and will cause broadband to drop out (and phone calls to be difficult).
3. If the ISP's engineer finds a fault which is on BT's patch, then a BT engineer will be ordered, and they'll come out to test and will no doubt find a fault in one of the junction boxes between the exchange and your house.
4. This ridiculous charade happens because (1) BT still owns the "last mile" from the exchange to your house (2) BT's line checking hardware and software isn't nearly as good as it should be.
It sounds distinctly like a BT line fault (it's very wet at this time of year), and it will only cost you time to be at home for engineer visits.
On the subject on microfilters,
Many ISP-supplied ones are of appalling quality. I'd strongly recommend one of [url= http://www.adslnation.com/products/xte2005.php ]these[/url] to replace your master socket faceplate and microfilter.
BT also sell one (called the iPlate IIRC) but all it really does is isolate the bell wire. The ADSLnation one is much better.
another thing to remember is - bt openreach have 30 days once reported to fix a fault on the line by your isp
my parents who were orange(broadband and phone) experianced complete loss of phone and internet for 26 days on 2 occasions - which when you run a business from home is a pia.... since moving to bt any issues have been delt with in 24 hours.....
coincidence maybe but too much of a coincidence for my liking
It's almost certainly the one into your house from the pole - had this and took over a month to get them to finally find it.
They fracture at the pint it meets your house as the stress relief wears and fractures the cable internally.
With the amount of wind recently chances are that is your fault.
Starts as a crackle on the line which plays havoc with the SNR of the broadband.
good chance hammy - i had an orange callcentre monkey tell me there was nothing wrong with my parents line - despite me telling him i was holding one end of the cable in my hand at the time where it had snapped.
yes, we had a line fault that was exactly that, the line from the pole is a long, swinging bit or wire, and the original fixings had simply perished / worn through / split.
Fixed no problem, quite soon, but PlusNet / BT were quite slow to accept it was a line outside the house that was the problem. Really did start to wonder if it was internal (and thus going to cost).
Thanks guys.
kcal - MemberReally did start to wonder if it was internal (and thus going to cost).
I have to say this does/did worry me but If its still patchy when everything is in the master socket then it does beg the question.
On a side not I am using a cordless phone and wireless router from the same micro filter, but then I always have done!
Will change the micro filter again and see if that helps.
So would the consensus say stick with the booked engineer and monitor it for a while?
I have up until 1500 the day before to cancel the engineer.
Bloody technology!
I would say its a line fault given the noisy line (doesn't always show up as a fault condition during tests)
Worth checking if you still get the crackly line when plugged straight into the main socket with internal wiring disconnected
All the wet weather and wind causes lots of problems with the line plant especially overhead.
Keep the engineer appointment and explain about the noise also try to insist they check all the relevant connections
Having worked 38 years for BT and Openreach before I took early retirement last October so its more than a unenducated guess