Hi there, I may have a problem with my BT phone line/master socket...although doing a line test suggests there are no problems.

Our phone stopped ringing, although it has a dial-tone and making calls is no problem. I initially thought it was the handset, so tried a different non-cordless one, and that was the same (i.e didn't ring).

I then took out the ADSL splitter, and plugged the phone directly into the socket. Bingo. It started ringing again. So I assumed it was a faulty splitter.

I bought a new one, and the phone has been happily ringing for the last week, but the same fault has returned again.

We reported the original fault to BT...and they say they can see no problems, and if we do call out an engineer, and the problem is in our equipment we will have to pay £160.

I'm thinking it's unlikely that two splitters can be faulty in exactly the same way...has anyone else had a similar fault? And if so how were you able to rectify it?

Many thanks in advance, and apologies for the length of this post.

kind of the same problem - I don't get a dial tone but the phone rings when plugged into the filter, like you the phone works totally fine when plugged into the main socket. I'm awaiting on a delivery of more filters tomorrow which will bring my total to 5 - yup - after trying 3 filters and 2 phones - they still think it's the filters that are wrong - I personally don't but, I have had to take it up their complaints chain (both my broadband provider and BT) as I've had so many problems getting someone to fix it - i.e. no-one will fix it. I'll see if the new filters work but I'm not holding my breath and fully expect that this will go all the way up to Ofcom for them to decide who is responsible. If you do manage to get yours fixed could you let me know how and what you did as it might be a similar problem to mine, but if you don't - prepare to fight!! lol

Have you tried the filter in the test socket of the master phone socket?

If your socket looks like this http://http://www.webuser.co.uk/broa...nection-faults its easy to do.

If everything works ok in the test socket, you probably have an internal wiring problem.

Hi mrorangespangle,
Will you do as Ajay737 suggested and plug the filter directly into the test socket? If it is a problem with internal wiring this will show that. Let us know how you get on.
Many Thanks
Donna
BT Support

Have you tried it without the BB router plugged in to see if you get the same results?

Hi babinaba, connect directly to the test socket to see if the problems persist, visit http://bt.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/bt.cf...3&p_faqid=9611 and see step 4. Let me know how you get on.
Many Thanks
Donna
BT Support

Thanks for your replies....Will try the test socket, and let you know.

Ant

If you have any wires in the back of the faceplate. Check the number 3 wire to see if its lose as this is the bell wire.

Hi there....

I did as suggested and plugged the ADSL splitter directly into the 'test socket'....The result was the same....

Dialling my home number, the phone didn't ring when plugged into the splitter...but did when the phone was plugged directly into the test socket.... So no joy really.

Any ideas, greatly appreciated.

Ant

Do you have anything else plugged into the filter such as a Sky box?

All I have plugged in is my phone and BB router.

When you test to see if it rings, have you answered it to see if the call is coming through.

As speckledhen said earlier, have you tried it with the BB router unplugged? There's a remote possibility that it could cause this problem.

Wire 3 is not needed if the phone is modern and/or it is connected via a microfilter. (Which it is in this case.)

I haven't tried it with the router unplugged...will give that a go.. I have nothing else plugged into it like a Sky box... I will also test to see if the calls come through...many thanks for your help...I'll report back tomorrow!

Ant

I know, just trying to cover any possibilities.

A mate of mine has the master socket in his bedroom (installed before the internet arrived) and BT ran an extension from it downstairs with the wires into the back of the faceplate.
He was getting about 6.5MB but now his router is synching with the exchange at 2MB. He gets just short of 8MB in the test socket.

BT want £125 to come out as its internal.

If BT installed the extension in the first place and it screwed up his Broadband then, under the various Sale of Goods Acts BT are responsible for fixing it. As long as he reported it within a 'reasonable time'. (No good moaning after several years have passed.) Perhaps that gang of muppets that BT laughingly call 'support' haven't heard of that in India.

Thats his problem, it was about 3 years ago.

Hi Ajay737, I can run some tests on your line if you wish. In this case I would kindly ask you to forward your query, BT details and Forum name to btcare@bt.com. May I also advise that the BT accelerator should resolve the speed issue with your mate's extension. For more information please feel free to visit www.bt.com/accelerator

Regards Rodney

Thanks for the offer Rodney but I've no problems with my line.

My mates problem is the extension which runs from inside the master socket on the bedroom window sill and I think runs outside and down into the dining room into a socket also on a window sill.

It was fine when he first got BB but something, possibly water has now started to cause slow speeds and is getting worse (it shoots up to just short of 8MB in the test socket).

So he will have to pay for it as BT won't budge on the charge which he's annoyed at as they should have moved the master socket downstairs instead of putting in the extension when it was done about 3 years ago.

Hi Ajay737, thanks for your reply. I am pleased to learn that you have no problems with your Broadband. The Accelerator plate may eliminate any problems with the extension; it's certainly worth a shot.

Regards Rodney

Just had a look at the web site and the Accelerator isn't an option as he's with O2, same as myself.

But thanks anyway Rodney.

Your ISP is neither here not there as far as a BT Accelerator (iPlate) is concerned. It is simply a non-wiring method of correcting the Ring Circuit problem. Current pre-filtered faceplate contain exactly the same fix as well.

However, an identical result can be obtained by removing the Orange & White Wire from connector 3 at the Master Socket.

Cheers for that beerhunter but I've tried removing the bell wire and all it did was stop the phones from ringing.

Their was also only 4 slots in the back of the faceplate (I was expecting 5) numbered 2, 3, 4 and five. Their were wires in numbers 2, 3 and 5.

It looks liked a botched job to me.

Many modern phones make no use of the bell wire. Also a lot of microfilters have their own ring capacitor built in so again make no use of the bell wire.

And there should really be six terminals for a phone extension. But since pins 1 and 6 are not used they are rarely fitted. I did wire up a business system a lot of years ago that used pins 1 and 6 as a data pair to carry all sorts of extra gizmos to the phones but have never seen them used in a domestic system.