Landline faults, Openreach
Discussion
We have no real choice but to use a landline for Internet- no mobile data signal at all, 2g voice only, and that's very poor.
We lost the landline completely for a month, but Internet (fttc) still worked. No dial tone, busy signal if someone tried to call us.
Fixed 3 weeks ago, apparently roadworks close to the exchange.
It's gone down again today - outgoing calls are fine, but incoming calls ring once, then drop the call. Internet is fine.
Just had a call back from Openreach, who want me to get permission for them to access the pole, which is in a neighbour's garden?
Trying to figure out how the current fault could possibly be with the wiring at the pole?
Internet is fine, so that pair of wires must be good?
I can make calls, getting a dial tone, so the other pair must be OK?
As I understand it, one pair of wires is voice and data, the other pair is "bell" voltage.
Is that right?
We lost the landline completely for a month, but Internet (fttc) still worked. No dial tone, busy signal if someone tried to call us.
Fixed 3 weeks ago, apparently roadworks close to the exchange.
It's gone down again today - outgoing calls are fine, but incoming calls ring once, then drop the call. Internet is fine.
Just had a call back from Openreach, who want me to get permission for them to access the pole, which is in a neighbour's garden?
Trying to figure out how the current fault could possibly be with the wiring at the pole?
Internet is fine, so that pair of wires must be good?
I can make calls, getting a dial tone, so the other pair must be OK?
As I understand it, one pair of wires is voice and data, the other pair is "bell" voltage.
Is that right?
Or rectified loop on dropwire ( the cable from the pole to the property) possibly. I was a BT/Openreach for 30 years so most of the time it's that
Ring trip where the phone rings once is most of the time caused by corrosion on the cable somewhere. You will find the internet connection will improve once fixed.
Ring trip where the phone rings once is most of the time caused by corrosion on the cable somewhere. You will find the internet connection will improve once fixed.
Edited by 2172cc on Wednesday 6th November 18:04
Edited by 2172cc on Wednesday 6th November 18:04
Thanks. Good to know that they are probably on the right track.
I wonder how they will get access though?
All detached houses here, but neighbour's house has been extended on both sides right up to the boundary.
I guess, if they can't arrange an appointment with the neighbour, they could climb over my fence? Presumably BT/Openreach have a legal right to gain access to their pole?
Shame the Openreach chap didn't knock on my door when he came after lunch. First I knew about it was when his office rang me on my mobile - long gone by then.
I knocked on their door, but no answer. I'll try again tomorrow.
Now trying to get a call divert on my landline, but they can't do it because there's an open ticket for the fault.....
I wonder how they will get access though?
All detached houses here, but neighbour's house has been extended on both sides right up to the boundary.
I guess, if they can't arrange an appointment with the neighbour, they could climb over my fence? Presumably BT/Openreach have a legal right to gain access to their pole?
Shame the Openreach chap didn't knock on my door when he came after lunch. First I knew about it was when his office rang me on my mobile - long gone by then.
I knocked on their door, but no answer. I'll try again tomorrow.
Now trying to get a call divert on my landline, but they can't do it because there's an open ticket for the fault.....
Just to close this:
Openreach engineer arrived unannounced quite late on Tuesday afternoon.
He hadn't contacted my next-door neighbour, but that wasn't even necessary. The pole with real access problems was the next one up the line, and that had been sorted. Openreach office had got a bit mixed up.
He climbed the pole from ladders on my side of the fence, and fixed the fault in 30 minutes.
Junction box up the pole that served me and my neighbour's lines was wet and corroded. Very old box, marked "GPO", probably been there since 1966 when the house was built.
Connections remade in a new box, line tested, call divert removed, and test call made.
Sorted.
Openreach engineer arrived unannounced quite late on Tuesday afternoon.
He hadn't contacted my next-door neighbour, but that wasn't even necessary. The pole with real access problems was the next one up the line, and that had been sorted. Openreach office had got a bit mixed up.
He climbed the pole from ladders on my side of the fence, and fixed the fault in 30 minutes.
Junction box up the pole that served me and my neighbour's lines was wet and corroded. Very old box, marked "GPO", probably been there since 1966 when the house was built.
Connections remade in a new box, line tested, call divert removed, and test call made.
Sorted.
clockworks said:
Just to close this:
Openreach engineer arrived unannounced quite late on Tuesday afternoon.
He hadn't contacted my next-door neighbour, but that wasn't even necessary. The pole with real access problems was the next one up the line, and that had been sorted. Openreach office had got a bit mixed up.
He climbed the pole from ladders on my side of the fence, and fixed the fault in 30 minutes.
Junction box up the pole that served me and my neighbour's lines was wet and corroded. Very old box, marked "GPO", probably been there since 1966 when the house was built.
Connections remade in a new box, line tested, call divert removed, and test call made.
Sorted.
Just in time for the PSTN to be shutdown and you get moved to digital voice which is over the internet anyway Openreach engineer arrived unannounced quite late on Tuesday afternoon.
He hadn't contacted my next-door neighbour, but that wasn't even necessary. The pole with real access problems was the next one up the line, and that had been sorted. Openreach office had got a bit mixed up.
He climbed the pole from ladders on my side of the fence, and fixed the fault in 30 minutes.
Junction box up the pole that served me and my neighbour's lines was wet and corroded. Very old box, marked "GPO", probably been there since 1966 when the house was built.
Connections remade in a new box, line tested, call divert removed, and test call made.
Sorted.
Gary C said:
Just in time for the PSTN to be shutdown and you get moved to digital voice which is over the internet anyway
We will still need the copper landlines for Internet, as BT have no immediate plans for FTTP in this area. I'm sure it'll happen eventually though.We are scheduled for digital voice at some point next year, but it'll be over the existing copper, FTTC.
clockworks said:
Gary C said:
Just in time for the PSTN to be shutdown and you get moved to digital voice which is over the internet anyway
We will still need the copper landlines for Internet, as BT have no immediate plans for FTTP in this area. I'm sure it'll happen eventually though.We are scheduled for digital voice at some point next year, but it'll be over the existing copper, FTTC.
but you said your internet was working so with DV it would have kept working, until it totally failed
clockworks said:
Gary C said:
Yes, certainly
but you said your internet was working so with DV it would have kept working, until it totally failed
That's true. Hopefully it'll last now until Openreach get round to running full fibrebut you said your internet was working so with DV it would have kept working, until it totally failed
We have FTTP via Openreach but its Asymmetric. Youfibre have been running upto 8gpbs symmetrical in our area for the same price.
Pity they f
ked up the install so badly we dumped them.Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff