ADSL Disconnects with phone calls

Hi All.

First of all I would like to say I am sorry for this lengthy post, especially as its my first, but I have quite a complex ongoing issue with my adsl, and am quite frankly coming at the end of my tether with it. I will try and stick to the facts, but as I'm sure you will all appreciate this is sometimes not so easy to do when you just simply know you are getting the run around.

If there are any knowledgeable telecommunications professionals out there that could help me out I would really appreciate it.

I have changed the names of the engineers to protect their identity, as all of them have been really good, although they probably caused the problem (generally speaking), I firmly believe they have done all they are trained to do so far.

A bit of history first...

I got BB installed in 2006, firstly with a fixed 1Mb package and all was fine. When max rolled out in my rural area I was able to enjoy a stable 2.5-3.5MB bRAS profile.

In 2007 I stared my own business, and swiftly upgraded to a business package to improve Video conferencing and marginally faster uploads etc. This has been great for the last 2 years and I have had no problems with my ISP or the stability of the connection.

My problems however started when I returned from holiday in January, when I noticed that my ADSL was loosing sync every time the phone was answered or an outward call was made.

I reported the fault to my ISP and an engineer was booked.

First Engineer Visit...

Feb 13th, Graeme the BT Engineer visited, Checked the line and internal wiring and gave it the all clear, acknowledged fault was not in my property and that with the suite of basic tests he had equipment to perform, he couldn’t find any obvious faults on the line (split pair etc.) He then went to the exchange where he replicated the fault with an attenuator on the line card? He claimed to have also carried out a shift and lift, but unfortunately the fault persisted. His prognosis – Faulty equipment at the exchange somewhere.

Called ISP again and booked another Engineer visit.

Second Engineer Visit.

Feb 20th. Fred the BT engineer called to say he couldn’t attend appointment due to snow. I explained symptoms and what had been tried, and he said he would pick up the missed appointment on the following Monday, and would not need access to my property. Not quite sure if this actually happened on Monday, but the fault still persisted thereafter.

Called ISP again....this time I demanded an SFI...

Third Engineer Visit.

Saturday Feb 27th. John the BT engineer visited. He Initially though it was a split pair issue, he stuck a Modulator into the Master Socket and went to the exchange. Returned 1hr later. Said he had replicated the fault at the Exchange with an attenuator plugged into the line card. His prognosis was that the line card was possibly faulty on the DSLAM. He also said that an order for one will have to be placed and this should be fitted by Wednesday 3rd March, but it probably would'nt be him that does the job...looks like I did'nt get the SFI after all..

Wednesday came and went....so I called ISP...

Thursday 4th March – Did some tests..ADSL Sync still being lost when making/receiving calls. Called ISP to get update and was told that line notes said fault was clear!!!!! Arranged with ISP for SFI engineer to come on Saturday Mar 6th.

Forth Engineer Visit.

Saturday 6th March – Fred the BT Engineering calls and says they believe the problem is still a split pair between my property and the exchange. He said he was speaking to John and had established that the attenuator they use isn't balanced and he had replicated the fault on a known good connection into the DSLAM...He also said that sometime in January they (BTopenreach) had laid 250m of cable from a junction box along the road, to enable a BT business line in another property and at that time a split pair was corrected on my line. He also claimed that my circuit was apparently improved by no longer being "imbalanced" with a redundant pair. He said he worked on tracing the split on Saturday and then again on Monday. He then called on Monday afternoon saying he had found a split, had tested the line at my property, and that the BB didn’t disconnect at property with the equipment he had. (Observing a light on a USB modem!)

What strikes me odd about this, is that I must of had a split pair before and that obviously did'nt cause any issues, so whats different about this split pair?

Monday 8th March – Arrived home, dialed 17070 option 2 to make a PSTN connection, BB still dropping after 10-15 seconds on outward calls, re-establishing sync, and again dropping 10-20 seconds after hanging up. Repeated test several times with consistent results so I called the BT Engineer to report fault was still present.

Fifth Engineer Visit.

Tuesday 9th March – BT engineer Fred arrived at my house to investigate fault again. I demonstrated the fault to the engineer with several different routers and filters. Engineer carried out pair quality test which he said passed, did the 5 minute line test which also passed. and checked the adsl with his Speed touch modem. His modem apparently didnt drop, but I noticed the same with both netgear routers... the light stays on but if you look at the stats page you can see the connection bail out. I'm quite amazed that BT and OFCOM have agreed that watching a sync light is proof that a connection is maintained given the variance of EU router and modem sensitivities.
Anyway Fred didnt like getting beat, so he changed master socket faceplate and extension socket faceplate. Checked everything, and basically confirmed no fault within my property. While he was here, I also changed the router and micro filters again, fault still present, but no surprise there. By this time Freds boss was ringing to get him to go to another job so he finished up by saying that his tests passed standards agreed by OFCOM, although he agreed there was a definite fault, the source of the fault was out with his understanding, and he was sorry he couldn’t do any more. He suggested that the fault could only now be with my ISP. PING PONG begins...

Wednesday 10th March - Called ISP to find out where I go from here. They told me Id had sync for 11hrs and fault was clear...obviously they don't sleep and have periods when they don't use the phone...anyway, they called me and watched the connection drop in real time..so they know that nothing has been fixed.

Wednesday 10th March – Changed router for Draytek 2600plus as it has Syslog function that can log DSL activity. Draytek router registering DSL loss of Physical layer (sync) and loss of gateway IP shortly after making or receiving land line calls, as with all previous routers (DG834, DGN2000)

Ok now the techie bit...

Prior to this issue, I was getting stable sync at 3776k DS and 736-832k US with target SNR of 6db. Attenuation of 51dB. I could use the phone happily and not get drops. I changed nothing and all was good in ADSL land.

Since the issue was noticed, the DLM has been doing its job and slowly pushing the target SNR up to 15db, naturally the sync speeds have suffered, and my BRAS profile is now down to 1500k. I am well aware that unless i get this issue fixed, it will probably not get any better and using the connection for my business is going to be difficult at times.

Interestingly when I open a voice call the SNR lifts from 14-15dB to 16-16.5dB then drops to about 6-8dB before loosing sync completely. During the call the sync is re-established at a slightly higher rate but with the same SNR of 14-15dB. When I clear down the sync drops again after around 10 seconds... when it re-syncs the SNR goes back to 16dB then settles back to target SNR of 15dB.

I believe the problem is possibly one or more of the following....
1. HR fault on the line somewhere that the engineers HAWK cant pick up, and when the POT's line is opened a surge is messing with the xDSL carrier layer, but does'nt quite explain the disconnect when clearing down or can this be explained??
2. DSLAM line card isn't filtering the xDSL carrier layer?
3. There is a problem on the MDF somewhere?
3. BT engineers fitted some sort of device on my line to facilitate the connection of the new BT business line from the junction box because there is a lack of pairs running to the exchange.....I'd like to think this is a long shot, but its far too co-incidental that I get a fault after years of stability after they work on the line. Maybe im too cynical and they have simply moved me onto a pair that was redundant for a reason?? i.e they were poor quality?

Anyway, if there are any knowledgeable professionals out there that could shed some light on the situation then I would greatly appreciate a reply even to correct me on any misconceptions I may have...

For the record, Im not with BT for my landline or BB, and not on partial or full LLU. But surely not being a direct BT customer would have no bearing on the matter.... or would it with a new BT business line going in an area with limited capacity?? I would like to hear any ones thoughts on this matter..

To be honest I feel pretty gutted about this whole affair. I can no longer stream video without pauses, if I start a DL and the phone rings the DL fails. Ive been making all my calls on my cell phone for the last 3 weeks so I know this is going to start costing me money over and above the £100 I spent on a new router to see if it was my problem. On more than one occasion I've had dropped conference calls for work...and the worst bit....as there are no SLA's for business BB packages and no SLA's between ISP's/ BT and piss poor minimum set definitions for BB...I am virtually powerless to do anything compared to individuals who loose connectivity all together.

Anyway I will keep on plugging away at my ISP to get a proper SFI out, but I don't hold out much hope.

Thanks for reading.... I will try keep this post updated as things progress or not...

Best Regards

Pwablo

Comments

  • _ben_ben Posts: 5,758
    Forum Member
    Not sure if this is really any use, but a relative of mine suffered the same symptoms and his ISP stalled for weeks before finally agreeing to send out an engineer. Two engineers turned up, one of them seemed quite happy to declare everything fine and leave, but the other happened to be a family friend and stayed until the source of the problem was found. It turned out to be a high impedance line fault caused by corrosion due to flooding in an underground section of line. The high impedance line apparently stops the microfilters working properly, so ADSL is disrupted by voice calls.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9
    Forum Member
    Hi Ben

    Thank you for taking the time to reply with a suggestion. We have had a lot of snow this year and a lot of flooding in the thaw so your suggestion may be very relevant.

    By high impedance do you mean high resistance?

    I know that my line wires were moved during the other install, so it is possible that they were moved onto a pair which was redundant for a reason.

    I hav'nt had any problems till now getting an engineer. The problem seems to be the 2hr time limit the line engineers get to correct the problem, which is insufficient for a fault of this nature. I have further concerns that once the problem is identified the cost implications to correct the fault may then inhibit the repair :cry:

    Really starting to feel that i've been robbed then told to run in circles at the moment :(

    Best Regards
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 947
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Pwablo1968 wrote: »
    Hi Ben

    Thank you for taking the time to reply with a suggestion. We have had a lot of snow this year and a lot of flooding in the thaw so your suggestion may be very relevant.

    By high impedance do you mean high resistance?

    I know that my line wires were moved during the other install, so it is possible that they were moved onto a pair which was redundant for a reason.

    I hav'nt had any problems till now getting an engineer. The problem seems to be the 2hr time limit the line engineers get to correct the problem, which is insufficient for a fault of this nature. I have further concerns that once the problem is identified the cost implications to correct the fault may then inhibit the repair :cry:

    Really starting to feel that i've been robbed then told to run in circles at the moment :(

    Best Regards

    from what you have described below is a classic HR fault. When you do a quiet line test can you hear the b/band re-training?

    if you had a split pair, this would only cause a reduction in b/band speed / instability (regardless of phone used or not), and possible overhearing issues.

    i've sent you a PM with more help on this.:)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9
    Forum Member
    hi Openreachpeep

    When I perform the quiet line test I can just about hear some digital background noise. I can also hear a few clicks on occasion but overall the voice side seems to be pretty quiet.

    I have had a noisier line in the past and not had this problems.

    I can clearly see what my router is doing, shortly after the call is started and again after the call is disconnected. It detects a loss of the ADSL Layer, starts stacking uncorrected blocks then resets itself at >5000 blocks. Drops the PPPoA connection then restarts.

    2010-03-14 11:21:23Mar 14 11:18:52VigorDSL: ADSL Phy LoX Defect = 0x18
    2010-03-14 11:21:23Mar 14 11:18:53VigorDSL: SNR Margin: 0.0 dB, Loop attn.: 50.5 dB. Uncorr_blocks=6624.
    2010-03-14 11:21:24Mar 14 11:18:54VigorPoE ==> Protocol:LCP(c021) EchoReq Identifier:0x22Magic Number: 0x0 00 00 ##
    2010-03-14 11:21:32Mar 14 11:19:02VigorPoE ==> Protocol:LCP(c021) EchoReq Identifier:0x23Magic Number: 0x0 00 00 ##
    2010-03-14 11:21:33Mar 14 11:19:03VigorDSL: SNR Margin: 0.0 dB, Loop attn.: 50.5 dB. Uncorr_blocks=34983.
    2010-03-14 11:21:33Mar 14 11:19:03VigorDSL: ADSL Phy LoX Defect = 0x58
    2010-03-14 11:21:33Mar 14 11:19:03VigorDSL: ADSL ES=12 > allowed & UncorrectBlocks=34983 > 5000, Reset it
    2010-03-14 11:21:33Mar 14 11:19:03VigorDSL: SNR Margin = 0.0, Loop Atten = 50.5
    2010-03-14 11:21:33Mar 14 11:19:03VigorPoE ==> Protocol:LCP(c021) TermReq Identifier:0x24 ##
    2010-03-14 11:21:33Mar 14 11:19:03VigorDSL: ADSL Booting.....
    2010-03-14 11:21:33Mar 14 11:19:03VigorDSL: main page done!
    2010-03-14 11:21:34Mar 14 11:19:03VigorDSL: Modem Shut Down from ADSL Phy Layer (0)
    2010-03-14 11:21:34Mar 14 11:19:03VigorPPP Closed : Remote Terminating (PPPoA)
    2010-03-14 11:21:34Mar 14 11:19:03VigorDSL: !!MODEM READY!!
    2010-03-14 11:21:34Mar 14 11:19:03VigorDSL: OPTN4=11 adsl_standard=0 adslmode=2 <
    2010-03-14 11:21:34Mar 14 11:19:03VigorDSL: PSDM 0 = 3e77
    2010-03-14 11:21:44Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: XDSL is showtime, page=40.
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: Adsl is on Link. Mode : G.DMT State: SHOWTIME
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: DS/US : 2464000/640000 bps.
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: FDQ is Off, TCM is In Use, EC is Off.
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: CO Fw Ver=0x0, CO ITU Ver=0xb55453:54430000[TI].
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: SET, OPTN 0=80020066, 1=00000992, 3=00000028
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: 4=00000000, 5=00000500, 15=09090909
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: RD, OPTN 0=80020266, 1=00000992, 3=00000010
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: 4=00000011, 5=00000500, 15=09090909
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: INTL, DSTREAM depth=16, codeword=0, latency=0*0.25ms
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: , USTREAM depth=4, codeword=0, latency=0*0.25ms
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: CODE, DSTREAM fast parity bytes= 0, fast codeword= 0.
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: DSTREAM intl parity bytes= 16, intl codeword= 172.
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: CODE, USTREAM fast parity bytes= 0, fast codeword= 0.
    2010-03-14 11:21:45Mar 14 11:19:14VigorDSL: USTREAM intl parity bytes= 16, intl codeword= 184.
    2010-03-14 11:21:47Mar 14 11:19:17VigorPoE ==> V:1 T:1 PADI ID:0
    2010-03-14 11:21:47Mar 14 11:19:17VigorPoE <== V:1 T:1 PADO ID:0
    2010-03-14 11:21:48Mar 14 11:19:18VigorDSL: >> FDQ is Off, TCM is In Use, EC is Off.
    2010-03-14 11:21:50Mar 14 11:19:20VigorPoE <== V:1 T:1 PADO ID:0
    2010-03-14 11:21:51Mar 14 11:19:21VigorDSL: >> FDQ is Off, TCM is In Use, EC is Off.
    2010-03-14 11:21:54Mar 14 11:19:24VigorDSL: SNR Margin: 14.0 dB, Loop attn.: 51.0 dB. Uncorr_blocks=0..

    Both the Netgear routers also loose sync but they dont drop the the PPPoA as appear less sensitive to high uncorrected block counts.
    Because of this the ISP thought the fault was fixed, hence why I am sticking with the Draytek till this is resolved so I know they can see the loss of authentication at their end too.



    Best Regards

    Pwablo
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9
    Forum Member
    Update...

    Got Engineer number 6 to come round yesterday and no fault found. I requested a new LI and the engineer was kind enough to make a referral to the exchange people to carry out the swap. This was conducted around 2pm yesterday but the fault persists.:cry:

    The breakthrough....:)

    I met my new neighbors this morning for the first time, and I asked how their BT b/b install went....the reply I got was fantastic, we got BT Vision in January and we get 4.4MB..

    I asked them if they could turn their Vision box off for 5 minutes and guess what...my issue with disconnections were solved...until they turned it back on that is...

    So now I know why my connection is so bad and disconnects when I try to use the phone...my property and my neighbors share approx 1/2 mile of 2 pair cable from the nearest DP...my previous neighbors could only get 1.5MB b/b whilst I was getting 3.5-4MB, so it appears that BT sent an engineer out to get more bandwidth out of the neighbors line to get BT Vision working, and as a result it has affected my b/b speed and stability, as well as my phone.
    Personally I don't think much of BT just now, as the line is 5.72KM long and 4-4.5MB sync is right on the edge for the line length.
    I do not know what tweaks and boosts (or wire swapping??) the Engineer had applied to the neighbors line (or made reductions to mine???!!) to get it to achieve such speeds to support Vision, but needless to say the impact it has had on me is well out of order!

    I have escalated this issue again with my ISP, and apparently BT have acknowledged that Vision causes problems to other people connection in some situations. (I am assuming by this they mean when there are only a few other cores around the cores with vision running it affects loading or produces noise on the other pair)

    I am waiting word back, but I can smell this escalating further, as I,m sure that its gonna cost money to put right, and someone will have to pay for it.

    Nay happy.

    Pwablo
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9
    Forum Member
    Update

    Got Graeme the Engineer back out again, this time with his coach, they ran a series of tests from both sides of the copper and told me that the insulation was low (under 1/2 meg), probably somewhere on the 2 pair section of cable they said, which is the last leg to my property and about 500m long. They worked at tracing the fault till mid afternoon, and called me to say that they had replaced 15m of cable just down from the DP.

    I was chuffed, hopes were high... and I even left work early to see if this nightmare was finally coming to an end.......

    No such luck, dialed my landline from mobile...dropped 6-8db on SNR without even picking the call up. Dialed 17070 option 2...10 seconds later SNR drops to Zero... ADSL signal drops followed by authentication. Comes back up while still on call, the drops again on hanging up. same old story...

    Back on phone to ISP.

    Less impressed than I was when I previously posted.

    Pwablo
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 310
    Forum Member
    from what you have described below is a classic HR fault. When you do a quiet line test can you hear the b/band re-training?

    if you had a split pair, this would only cause a reduction in b/band speed / instability (regardless of phone used or not), and possible overhearing issues.

    i've sent you a PM with more help on this.:)

    Since BT put a new box just outside my house 3 weeks ago, I have trouble getting online with my Tesco broadband and have terrible crossed lines/crackling, when making or receiving phonecalls, I'm with the post office. When I use the phone I get connected but this connection lasts about 20 mins or if someone rings it disconnect but when they hang up it reconnects. I have phoned Tesco and post office but they can't seem to help.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,207
    Forum Member
    If you have a noisy line call the company that provides your voice servbice and say that you have noisy line and want it fixed. That is their responsibility and so they just get on an do it. DO NO mention Broadband.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9
    Forum Member
    Update...

    After fitting a filtered face plate and leaving my phone disconnected for a week it looks like my long standing fault is finally fixed at last. I have used the phone over the last few days and not had a disconnect once :D

    To make things even better, I called my ISP today to thank them for all the perseverance and patience they have shown, and also to ask if they could start a retrain on my line ( the SNR was stuck solid at 12db and was only fluctuating +/- 1db in 24hrs).

    An hour ago the retrain kicked in and it's now syncing at 5314kbps @ 3db snr. I'm sure this will drop a little as it "settles in" and the SNR target goes up, but compared to the 3mb bRAS I had for the last 4 years finding another 1 to 1.5MB on the line has concluded this fiasco with a huge bonus.

    Big thanks to Entanet....Always full speed throughput and best support service I have ever had to deal with. Another big thumbs up to the Openreach guys too, they have not let this fault get the better of them and everyone of them who has visited has gone well beyond their station to find and sort the problem.

    Happy fella Pwablo
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 128
    Forum Member
    Pwablo1968; I've been following your thread with much interest because I have a similar problem to the one you experienced. What was actually done to fix it though? I ask because in your previous message (23/3) you felt like you were back at sq#1.

    There are a couple of differences between my case and yours though. Firstly, disconnecting the phone doesn't stop the symptoms here. I can plug my router directly into the test socket, then phone the number from my mobile and after a few rings, the DSL connection is dropped and then recreated (usually at a lower speed). Secondly, neither my ISP (AOL) nor BT have shown the slightest interest in attempting to solve this issue. Both blame each other for the fault and I'm stuck in the middle. At least your ISP, in conjunction with Openreach, have actually sent some people to look into the problem. It looks like I'm going to have to change to an ISP with better support before I can even start the awfully long journey to enjoying a stable connection.
  • drexel75drexel75 Posts: 72
    Forum Member
    I was having similar problems but upon closer examination my master socket was actually just an extension socket. I ordered a BT master socket from ADSL Nation and fitted it. Problem solved. Been synced for almost a week now with no noise on phone calls and no dropouts on ADSL. Superb.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 39
    Forum Member
    drexel75 wrote: »
    I was having similar problems but upon closer examination my master socket was actually just an extension socket. I ordered a BT master socket from ADSL Nation and fitted it. Problem solved. Been synced for almost a week now with no noise on phone calls and no dropouts on ADSL. Superb.

    Hmmm..maybe it just had duff connections?

    I think im right in saying the only difference between a master and an extension socket is that the master has a ring capacitor and a surge arrestor of some kind,probably useful for overhead lines if we have a spot of lightening !
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9
    Forum Member
    Pwablo1968; I've been following your thread with much interest because I have a similar problem to the one you experienced. What was actually done to fix it though? I ask because in your previous message (23/3) you felt like you were back at sq#1.

    There are a couple of differences between my case and yours though. Firstly, disconnecting the phone doesn't stop the symptoms here. I can plug my router directly into the test socket, then phone the number from my mobile and after a few rings, the DSL connection is dropped and then recreated (usually at a lower speed). Secondly, neither my ISP (AOL) nor BT have shown the slightest interest in attempting to solve this issue. Both blame each other for the fault and I'm stuck in the middle. At least your ISP, in conjunction with Openreach, have actually sent some people to look into the problem. It looks like I'm going to have to change to an ISP with better support before I can even start the awfully long journey to enjoying a stable connection.

    Hi rkippax

    To be honest I don't know if I can truthfully answer the exact cause of my issue, as it appears there could of been multiple contributing factors. Certainly the "spilt pair", low "insulation" on the line, the "shift and lift" or the "new LIP" on the exchange equipment, when carried out, did not rectify the issue with any immediate effect.
    Turning off the neighbors adsl stopped the disconnects, so I can only surmise that my fault related to noise from their connection and something to do with the different efficiency of filtering between the multiple micro filters I tried and how ineffective they ALL were at coping with external noise.

    In my case this is how I see it....My line had a few issues, and ran fine enough until the neighbors got ADSL running at an equivalent speed to mine. Due to my line having the aforementioned issues it could'nt then sustain the stability, co-existing with the neighbors ADSL, and became the "non dominant pair" in a common 500m section of the cable. Basically the carrier signal became less resilient to external interference, so the phone would then cause it to drop. By changing the faceplate to the BT filtered one I think it basically ensured that the ADSL was being split at the appropriate frequency, and also at the same frequency the neighbors adsl was being split at, as they also have the same faceplate. Leaving the phone unplugged for a week allowed the DLM to establish that the line was now stable and adjust accordingly.
    I think cable capacity and type (amount of circuits in it and core size) as well as the amount of adsl activated pairs it carries, has a lot to do with it. I.e. if you have a real fast connection in a 10 pair cable section, the other 9 pairs will absorb some of the noise from your pair and vise-versa. If you share a 2 pair cable with only one other (in my case), and the connection is much faster, your pair will be absorbing all their noise....in this situation its a bit like a balancing act where both parties have to have an even share of noise from each other. If there are any insulation issues on either pair then one line will become dominant and grind the other circuit down.

    My advise would be to fit a filtered face plate. If that does'nt fix it, report it as a fault with AOL and insist you want an engineer out. If they refuse, tell them you want a "deadlock" letter from them. Know your rights! You can escalate the issue on their ADR scheme if they wont fix your problem. To qualify for the scheme you need this deadlock letter or to wait at least 8 weeks since you first reported the fault. Get a router logging program installed, like routerstats... dial your number and see what your SNRM does when you dial but don't answer. Check what it does when you do answer, log your router activity to a txt file or graph, and build up some data/evidence. Above all, don't let anyone fob you off. If your line is'nt stable and you cant use your phone at the same time as your adsl without it disconnecting you have a fault, and it is your ISP's responsibility to fix it.

    I would also suggest that if its disconnecting when you call with no phone plugged in, its almost certainly a problem on your line, HR or Insulation, or an exchange fault, possibly the line card. You may need a shift and lift to sort your problem out.

    Hope this helps

    Regards

    Pwablo1968
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 128
    Forum Member
    Hi Pwablo1968,

    Many thanks for your very helpful reply.

    Fitting a filtered faceplate was the first thing I tried after experiencing this problem. I've contacted AOL support many times over the past few months to report / explain it to them but after much stress & frustration, it always ends with an impasse. AOL insists it's a voice-line problem because BB is OK until there's an incoming call. BT insists it's an ADSL problem because I can make / recieve calls OK and no faults are found with their line tests. It doesn't matter how much you quote consumer law to them; they're really not interested. It's a pity that BTOR can't be commissioned independently by the consumer because I would happily pay to get this ridiculous fault fixed.

    Tired of banging my head on a brick wall, I decided to look into the possibility of moving BB provider, just to access some proper support. This was a disappointing experience because the providers with good support ratings I looked at wouldn't supply services to this area because of its distance from the exchange (4.5km).

    It seems that many of my neighbours have required better speeds than can be accessed via ADSL in this area and moved onto VM. This is an option for me and although expensive in comparison, it's something I may also have to consider.
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