Land line down

peasblossom · Dec 18, 2018, 20:08:11

Anyone else got this? South East, internet fine, land line a very unhappy bunny. It blips at me to indicate an incoming call but I cannot do anything about it. The line is silent. I have tried another phone. No joy there either, not even a dialling tone. The status feed indicates it probably isn't just me.

Have emailed support. Hope their email is working!

Simon · Dec 18, 2018, 21:27:07

Mine seems fine in Sussex. It may just be a problem at your local exchange.

nowster · Dec 18, 2018, 21:57:18

No DC path, but there is an AC path, so radio frequencies of the ADSL signal are getting through. I've seen that before. It'll be a bad joint somewhere.

You need a DC path to "sieze" the line and get a dial tone.

peasblossom · Dec 19, 2018, 09:50:19

Support report that there is an external fault.

dudwell · Dec 19, 2018, 10:53:18

I recently had the same, no landline phone for about 3 days but internet perfect. Worrying because mobile coverage here in the Sussex countryside is marginal. It turned out to be an exchange fault.

nowster · Dec 19, 2018, 12:07:57

Quote from: dudwell on Dec 19, 2018, 10:53:18
I recently had the same, no landline phone for about 3 days but internet perfect. Worrying because mobile coverage here in the Sussex countryside is marginal. It turned out to be an exchange fault.

That might be the strapping within the exchange. There's a similar splitter arrangement at the DSLAM end.

Also, if you have FTTC, the phone service is still provided at the exchange and the DSL service is combined in at the street cabinet.

zappaDPJ · Dec 19, 2018, 15:54:24

Our landmine is working but for the last week or two there's been a continual background pulse (every 1-2 seconds) when the phone is in use. I haven't reported it but it's slightly annoying.

Simon · Dec 19, 2018, 16:11:12

Quote from: zappaDPJ on Dec 19, 2018, 15:54:24
Our landmine is working but for the last week or two there's been a continual background pulse (every 1-2 seconds) when the phone is in use. I haven't reported it but it's slightly annoying.

Just be careful where you walk...

Ray · Dec 19, 2018, 16:23:23

zappaDPJ · Dec 19, 2018, 16:47:30

I can't even blame auto-correct for that one.

Gary · Dec 22, 2018, 10:21:08

I don't even use my landline any more for calls, have not used to for quite a few years, just no point with unlimited calls on a mobile these days. If it wasn't the careline I would get rid of it all together.

Simon · Dec 22, 2018, 11:48:35

Quote from: Gary on Dec 22, 2018, 10:21:08
I don't even use my landline any more for calls, have not used to for quite a few years, just no point with unlimited calls on a mobile these days. If it wasn't the careline I would get rid of it all together.

That's fine if you have a good mobile signal throughout the house. I can only make or receive calls on my mobile from one end of the property, so it would not really be practical to get rid of the landline even if I could.

Gary · Dec 23, 2018, 08:23:38

Quote from: Simon on Dec 22, 2018, 11:48:35
That's fine if you have a good mobile signal throughout the house. I can only make or receive calls on my mobile from one end of the property, so it would not really be practical to get rid of the landline even if I could.

WiFi calling? Works with Android and iPhones, that way you can still use your mobile even with hardly any signal over your wifi connection. Or change networks unless in a black spot of course.

Clive · Dec 23, 2018, 09:06:12

They don't even install landlines into new builds. Apparently the exchanges are all being shut down during the next few years if what I read in the newspaper is true.

Glenn · Dec 23, 2018, 09:12:06

Shutting down the traditional PSTN exchange in favour of a VOIP network.

nowster · Dec 23, 2018, 14:06:03

IF BT get their finger out, it's possible to shift the telephone service to the premises end. The core "21CN" network is now VoIP based anyway. Many BT HomeHubs have VoIP ports, as do Virgin Media Superhubs.

VoIP kit has been cheap for over a decade. The trick however is keeping latency and packet loss low.

I suspect there are few PDH links left, with pretty much everything converted to some form of ATM or even Ethernet/MPLS.

However, if you're providing POTS¹ at the premises, there has to be some form of battery backup to keep the phone "line" working in an emergency situation.

__
¹ Plain Old Telephone Service

peasblossom · Dec 29, 2018, 13:53:35

Quote from: peasblossom on Dec 19, 2018, 09:50:19
Support report that there is an external fault.

Forgot to report back. BT Openreach arrived the next day and fixed it.

Clive · Dec 29, 2018, 17:22:05

What an excellent result!

peasblossom · Dec 29, 2018, 18:24:43

Quote from: Clive on Dec 29, 2018, 17:22:05
What an excellent result!

Very much so!