A few idiot questions - my apologies

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 10:47:18

You can do the quiet line test yourself, Paul. Dial 17070 and select option 2.

Speeds do vary, it's not the norm, but quite a few people see it. Could be line noise causing resyncs or exchange congestion. We'd need your router's stats to tell.

I'd imagine most cables go under, but only BT would know for sure, and they won't tell you.

copperhead · Oct 12, 2010, 13:41:05

Does the line test consist of me listening? - if so there is is slight snag! - I'm partially deaf!
I've spoken to BT and they are talking about an internal fault but they couldn't or wouldn't elaborate.

They seem desperate to send me a new phone but to be honest don't see why

Are these the stats attached ? - I've never actually gone into my router before!!

Cheers
Paul

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 14:38:25

Quote from: copperhead on Oct 12, 2010, 13:41:05
Does the line test consist of me listening? - if so there is is slight snag! - I'm partially deaf!

It does, Paul. Could anyone else do it for you?

QuoteI've spoken to BT and they are talking about an internal fault but they couldn't or wouldn't elaborate.

Be careful, those can be expensive.

QuoteThey seem desperate to send me a new phone but to be honest don't see why

Odd. They don't rent phones anymore, so that's a very unusual approach.

QuoteAre these the stats attached ? - I've never actually gone into my router before!!

They are, and there's something wrong with that line - let me go and talk to support.

copperhead · Oct 12, 2010, 14:45:00

Cheers
Rik

We seem to have a BT rented phone with unknown number of months remaining on the rental!
Without me asking for it - a new phone is in the post!

Hopefully IDNET can help as BT are very hard work to even understand never mind sort the problem

Cheers
Paul

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 14:46:17

You must have had that phone a while, Paul.

I'm just queuing for support.

copperhead · Oct 12, 2010, 14:55:15

Found some paperwork from BT about the hire agreement for the phone

The contract date is 28 Jan 2010 and lasts for a minimum of 18 months
So the phone is max 9 months old.

I didn't sign the contract myself and didn't realise how relatively recent the phone is.

Thanks again
Paul

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 14:58:39

They must have had some sort of deal on. Can you try unplugging the phone and re-booting the router please, I'd like to see the stats then.

copperhead · Oct 12, 2010, 15:05:17

The set up is of as last conversation with BT so the router is running off extension box? is this okay?

New stats attached

Cheers
Paul

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 15:15:42

I think you need to get the voice fault sorted, Paul. Even without the phone, your sync speed is way too low for your attenuation and your noise margin is way above the BT normal maximum of 15db. My suspicion, and support agree, is that you have a line fault so, if the new phone doesn't make things any better, chase BT.

IDNet can raise a fault for you, but at this point, to do so would probably incur the £160 fee.

copperhead · Oct 12, 2010, 15:23:07

Are BT normally this rubbish? - when I first had a problem IDNET suggested ringing them on the off chance there was a fault.
I did and BT said no fault was present on the line - every time I speak to support I feel I'm wasting my time + we don't seem to understand each other
Is BT support based overseas? India?

Phone's due to arrive tomorrow - when it makes no difference do I ring straight away or wait for a while?

On the stats which bit is the sync speed?

Thanks again for your patience
Cheers
Paul

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 15:27:32

BT's support is, indeed, overseas and, most of us feel, rubbish. It's why we're with IDNet.

You can ask, though, to be put through to someone in the UK, which might get things moving for you.

If the new phone makes no difference, ring straight away, I suspect it's stalling tactic.

The sync speed is the one labelled connection speed.

copperhead · Oct 12, 2010, 15:36:45

my reason for sticking with bt for the phone service was that it offered support and the phones were BT phones but what's the point if it their service is this *&**!"

Stalling tactic!! - BT are the only game in town for infrastructure I thought - are they that stupid that they think I will go away?
Is this a common practice for BT?

I'm quite a reasonable kinda guy - but I will not be a happy bunny if I find out that the fault was BT to start with!!

Cheers and thanks
Paul

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 15:43:17

IDNet's phone service is often cheaper, Paul, and the support is from people you already know. The one voice fault I've had saw a BT engineer here and the problem (noisy line) fixed in under 2 hours. So, I suppose I'm bound to answer there's no real point in sticking with BT.

Yes, BT will do anything in the hope that you will go away. I do not believe the phone will fix anything as your connection was slightly worse with it disconnected. Hence, I feel they are stalling but have a good idea that they need to get an engineer to look at the line. Unfortunately, customers are not a priority for BT, cutting costs is.

copperhead · Oct 12, 2010, 15:59:48

Righto - look forward to my phone arriving and seeing what's what

When I first rang BT I asked them about a loose wire in the master socket as they have proved so useless
I've attached a photo of the wire here - probably nothing but just in case

Thanks
Paul

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 16:05:49

That looks very odd to me, Paul. Solid green and brown would imply that it's the exchange pair, which should be connected on the rear of the faceplate. I think you said you have an extension? Was it installed by BT? What number terminal is the green wire connected to?

copperhead · Oct 12, 2010, 16:35:43

New info I didn't know

The extension is split outside of the house at a round junction box (see attachment).
The black wire then follows a window round and up through an exterior wall to the extension socket.

All this work was done and recommended by BT - the brown seems attached at the back but not the plastic bit that unscrews.
The green is attached to number 3 terminal

Cheers
Paul

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 16:39:18

Terminal 3 is the ring wire terminal, Paul, you don't need that, so gently pull it out and coil it up. If that work was done by BT, it's not to their own specifications, the extension should be wired from that faceplate, so going to the test socket is a waste of time for you.

copperhead · Oct 12, 2010, 16:55:54

Talked to my Mum who agrees with me that it was definitely BT who put it in the extension - we're not sure how long ago thinking about 15 years ago.

Will the phone still work ok without any wire connecting to the plastic front? - BT via India gave me a brief lecture about those cables belonging to them not us when I spoke to them the first time.

Cheers
Paul

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 16:58:57

Anything connected to the faceplate of the NTE5 belongs to you. The demarcation point is the test socket, Paul. Unfortunately, your wiring is adequate for voice, but not ideal for ADSL. I'd suspect corrosion in that junction box at this point.

The phone will still work, it's hard wired through the faceplate.

pctech · Oct 12, 2010, 17:09:08

I've moved from Phone Coop to IDNet for my phone lines Paul and its worth doing, much cheaper.

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 17:10:23

Same here, Mitch, but in my case from BT. Plus, I always know who I'm talking to.

copperhead · Oct 12, 2010, 17:20:35

BT have a lot to answer for if they've been telling porkies

(just about giving them the benefit of the doubt for another day) - I'm getting grief from every direction
Done virtually no work all day so I'm heading for a late night to beat a deadline for tomorrow.

I'll get my broadband sorted and see where I'm at time wise to move the phones.

Thanks all for your help so far

Cheers
Paul

pctech · Oct 12, 2010, 17:21:58

mailed in with a couple of questions when things were being set up and had responses from James who was very helpful.

I'm sure they are great to deal with by phone too.

Rik · Oct 12, 2010, 17:24:40

We're here if we can help, Paul.

copperhead · Oct 13, 2010, 12:04:13

Spoke to BT - spent about 40 mins on hold.

They couldn't manage to put me through the English desk - didn't have a clue what I was going on about.

After being pinged around their phone system ended up speaking to the broadband technical support - who after me repeating the previous conversations I'd had volunteered to do a line test.
Bearing in mind this being the third line test I've had done - my hopes weren't high.

However surprise, surprise a line fault was found!!!!!!!!!

- over eight days since I first made a request for a line test.
Either on the line or the exchange apparently

At this point the Indian bloke's language skills failed and I couldn't understand what he was saying despite me asking him to repeat 4 times - only bit I got was 3 working days where at that point I started laughing!
Any ideas how BT will procede from here?

Cheers
Paul