BT landline - phone(s) not ringing

[Deleted User] · 30/11/10 - 19:20

Can dial out .. but when anyone calls in they hear "ringing" in their phone ...but no phone in our house rings and our BT answer machine doesn't kick in. BT have checked the line and say no fault. I have disconnected both ADSL filters and connected on and/or 2 phones direct into main and extension sockets. Still no ringing ...although if I call from mobile and pick up - the incoming call is there.
I suspected the DSL filters but seems not the problem ...any ideas (apart from getting the BT engineer out ) ?

Broadband is working without problem.

stud u like · 30/11/10 - 19:23

I wouldn't trust BT as far as I could throw them.

They always say no fault when there is and then no apology when you bombard them with calls several times daily to fix the issue.

The last time this happened, I had to get a new line installed but they said the "no fault" rubbish first.

Be more persistent.

chrisjr · 30/11/10 - 19:33

If you have a multimeter and feel so inclined you could measure the voltage across the line pair. At rest you should see about 50V DC. When a call comes in and is ringing you should se about 75V AC.

Though be warned ringing volts can give you a nice tingle if you touch the bare wires or terminals (been there read the teeshirt

)

Mind you quite how you measure those volts without doing something potentially naughty is another matter

[Deleted User] · 30/11/10 - 21:24

chrisjr wrote: »

If you have a multimeter and feel so inclined you could measure the voltage across the line pair. At rest you should see about 50V DC. When a call comes in and is ringing you should se about 75V AC.

Though be warned ringing volts can give you a nice tingle if you touch the bare wires or terminals (been there read the teeshirt )

Mind you quite how you measure those volts without doing something potentially naughty is another matter

Well - I don't ... and I don't ...but thanks for that anyway. I will persist with them tomorrow.

iniltous · 01/12/10 - 21:56

You probably are connected in the exchange to a faulty line card, classic symptoms are caller hears ringtone, but no ringing current is applied to the line, so your phone doesnt 'ring', but if you pick up the caller is there...
The call centre reps are not engineers so dont know squat, they can test the line but this fault condition is nothing to do with the line
Report your line faulty, and to speed up which type of BT engineer is allocated the 'fault',insist they write, 'no ringing current being applied to the line when number called' or something similar

[Deleted User] · 02/12/10 - 12:40

agree with the post above but to be on the safe side unscrew the faceplate on you're main socket and insert a good known working phone and see if you get incoming ringif so the problem is on the network if you do get ringing then the fault is with a piece of equipment /wiring in side the house and if is the latter you;re service provider will be charged by openreach who will then pass the charge onto to you

BT Support · 02/12/10 - 16:00

Hi Croz

I have just seen you post in relation to the problems you are having with your phone line. I can gladly look into this for you to see if I can find any fault from out side and if so arrange for an engineer to call out to fix it. If you want me to take a look at this drop me an e-mail to btcare@bt.com with your account details and a link to your post and I will look into this.
Regards David

spiney2 · 02/12/10 - 16:15

If you can call out, then 50 v is fine! No problem on the Line Termination Unit (ie, it's electircally ok) ..... the problem will be inside BT's software

[Deleted User] · 04/12/10 - 11:26

Thanks to all who offered advice. BT engineeer coming out on Monday morning ...I have diverted incoming calls to a mobile as an interim measure. I don't want to mess around unscrewing stuff in case I am accused of interfering with BT equipment. I have plugged a known working "old fashioned" corded phone into the main socket (without dismantling it) with all other equipment and all ADSL filters disconnected ... still no ringing on the phone so I am convinced it is not an "in the house" equipment fault. Let's see what the engineer finds.

Appleseed · 04/12/10 - 11:58

Croz wrote: »

Thanks to all who offered advice. BT engineeer coming out on Monday morning ...I have diverted incoming calls to a mobile as an interim measure. I don't want to mess around unscrewing stuff in case I am accused of interfering with BT equipment. I have plugged a known working "old fashioned" corded phone into the main socket (without dismantling it) with all other equipment and all ADSL filters disconnected ... still no ringing on the phone so I am convinced it is not an "in the house" equipment fault. Let's see what the engineer finds.

You need to remove the detachable front plate of your
master socket, and then plug your phone into the test socket that will be revealed.
This disconnects all extension wiring and connects your single phone to BT's network.
Only then can you be 100% sure that the fault is with BT (very likely is though)

Heinz · 04/12/10 - 19:17

Croz wrote: »

I don't want to mess around unscrewing stuff in case I am accused of interfering with BT equipment. I have plugged a known working "old fashioned" corded phone into the main socket (without dismantling it) with all other equipment and all ADSL filters disconnected ... still no ringing on the phone so I am convinced it is not an "in the house" equipment fault.

If you haven't removed the master socket front cover, all internal extensions are still connected so you can't be sure the problem's not caused by some of your internal wiring or equipment.

[Deleted User] · 08/12/10 - 10:21

Heinz wrote: »

If you haven't removed the master socket front cover, all internal extensions are still connected so you can't be sure the problem's not caused by some of your internal wiring or equipment.

BT fixed it. It was a problem at the exchange.

chrisjr · 08/12/10 - 11:41

For future reference. If you have an NTE5 style master socket with the two part faceplate you are perfectly entitled to remove the lower section. in fact BT faults themselves will often ask if you have done this and may equally advise you to do so.

As has been mentioned this isolates the incoming line from any internal wiring so you can eliminate faults with your wiring as the cause of any line problem.

You will only get your wrists slapped if you attempt to dismantle the part of the socket left screwed to the wall. Or if you have the old style LJU socket which has a single piece front plate. That type of master socket you are not allowed to take apart.

Joe_Bloggs4 · 13/12/14 - 13:46

If there have been electrical storms in your area the problem might be the bell capacitor. This is fitted inside the Master Socket so you might possibly need a new one.

The older I get the more that things seem to break-down. The problem is that everything now seems to be made as a throw-away item. The most recent example of this is the Tank Unit on my French built car. This gadget has the fuel gauge sender and the "go" and "return" diesel pipes but a bad choice of plastic means that the pipe stubs crack and allow air to get into the fuel. Bad starting then results and the starter motor can get fried. At this point a lot of cars get scrapped. This is very nice for the scrap-man and the car factory but for the owner its a disaster.

ba_baracus · 13/12/14 - 13:50

Indeed, but the fault was fixed 4 years ago and was a fault in the exchange.

Hey there!

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