DSL Disconnects when a phone call comes in, please help.

indiawala · 08-13-2005, 01:26 PM

Hello everyone, I would appreciate any help that any of you can provide.

I have SBC DSL, the high speed kind, and about 30% of the time when a phone call comes in I get disconnected of the internet. It reconnects really quickly, usually 15 secs or so, but in the meantime I have to restart anything I was in the middle of.

I tested the filters, replaced them w/ some spare ones that they sent me. All the lines in my house have the filters on them. I don't know what else to troubleshoot.

I don't have a phone jack in the computer room, so I run a telephone cable from my bedroom to the computer room, the cable is a 50 foot cable. I don't know if this is the reason for the disconnections. If so, what can i do about it? please help

thanks

seth

**johnwill** · 08-14-2005, 06:18 PM

I strongly suspect that a sub-standard DSL installation is indeed the reason for your problems. If that long phone cable is flat cable, I'm surprised the DSL connects at all!

I install DSL using a home-run direct from the service entrance to the DSL modem, and a single filter at the service entrance to isolate all of the phones on that circuit.

ellwynd · 08-15-2005, 08:34 PM

The length of the phone cord is most likley the problem as John said. One thing you might think about if you can't shorten the phone cord. Try putting the modem in your room and running a longer ethernet cable. They can safely run longer distances.

**johnwill** · 08-16-2005, 02:20 PM

Twisted pair will run as far as you like, the phone company probably has several miles of it between your house and the CO.

ellwynd · 08-16-2005, 07:48 PM

Absulutly correct. But almost all phone cords are stranded lines. Not the solid core twisted pair used in running a phone line to a jack. That is also why you can get more distance out of Cat5. but now that i go back and read your post you were most likley talking about the cat5 cable not the phone line.

**johnwill** · 08-17-2005, 05:35 PM

I realize most standard extension cables are simple flat cable, that's why I specifically mentioned it in my first post.

ang_hammarad · 08-20-2005, 07:51 PM

cat5 wiring is only good for keeping the DSL signal from bleeding over to a different pair within the sheath. Example: If you run an office and have 4 phone lines(numbers) going to a jack at a particular location, and one of the pairs of wire, say green/white white/green, is your DSL line, the twisted pair will keep the signal from bleeding over onto the other voice only lines in the wire run. To soley run cat5 wire for a residential application is un-needed....after all the network(SBC cables) that brings your service to you is cat 3 at best.

I would suggest, as johnwill did, to put one single DSL filter at the network interface and connect all "phone" only wires to the filter and connect the DSL wire to the unfiltered module in the interface, then remove all inside filters. Cleaner look inside and easier to troubleshoot.

**johnwill** · 08-21-2005, 07:28 AM

More importantly, having a home run to the DSL modem is as good as inside wiring gets. The only other thing I might suggest is to look into DSL splitters, they're similar to filters, but I've been told they're better. I've personally never used one.

ang_hammarad · 08-21-2005, 08:29 AM

Putting a filter into the network interface will eliminate the need for a splitter. The filters that SBC send with the self install kit are splitters and filters. They have 2 places to plug in...one for computer(non-filtered) and one for phone(filtered).

I also agree with the other post about trying your computer in a different location. The best would be to get it as close to the network interface as you can and plug it directly into the module in the NID(network interface device). With the computer plugged directly into the NID, call your Number and see what happens. Reminder....The phones inside the house will not work while the computer is plugged directly in. You will be testing the network(SBC's wiring) and your wiring at the same time. If the problem is duplicated at the NID, your trouble has a greater chance of being in the network. The modem may still be defective, but you have tested at the NID and now have proof that the wiring, jacks, and other equiptment inside the house are not the problem.

08-13-2005, 01:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
indiawala Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1 OS: Win XP	DSL Disconnects when a phone call comes in, please help. Hello everyone, I would appreciate any help that any of you can provide. I have SBC DSL, the high speed kind, and about 30% of the time when a phone call comes in I get disconnected of the internet. It reconnects really quickly, usually 15 secs or so, but in the meantime I have to restart anything I was in the middle of. I tested the filters, replaced them w/ some spare ones that they sent me. All the lines in my house have the filters on them. I don't know what else to troubleshoot. I don't have a phone jack in the computer room, so I run a telephone cable from my bedroom to the computer room, the cable is a 50 foot cable. I don't know if this is the reason for the disconnections. If so, what can i do about it? please help thanks seth

08-14-2005, 06:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,969 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	I strongly suspect that a sub-standard DSL installation is indeed the reason for your problems. If that long phone cable is flat cable, I'm surprised the DSL connects at all! I install DSL using a home-run direct from the service entrance to the DSL modem, and a single filter at the service entrance to isolate all of the phones on that circuit. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

08-16-2005, 02:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,969 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Twisted pair will run as far as you like, the phone company probably has several miles of it between your house and the CO. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

08-16-2005, 07:48 PM	#5 (permalink)
ellwynd Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 18 OS: WINXP	Absulutly correct. But almost all phone cords are stranded lines. Not the solid core twisted pair used in running a phone line to a jack. That is also why you can get more distance out of Cat5. but now that i go back and read your post you were most likley talking about the cat5 cable not the phone line. __________________ Sometimes the most obvious solution is the hardest to see. Last edited by ellwynd; 08-16-2005 at 08:00 PM.

08-17-2005, 05:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,969 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	I realize most standard extension cables are simple flat cable, that's why I specifically mentioned it in my first post. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

08-15-2005, 08:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
ellwynd Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 18 OS: WINXP	The length of the phone cord is most likley the problem as John said. One thing you might think about if you can't shorten the phone cord. Try putting the modem in your room and running a longer ethernet cable. They can safely run longer distances.

08-20-2005, 07:51 PM	#7 (permalink)
ang_hammarad Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: midwest Posts: 36 OS: OS 10.3.9	cat5 wiring is only good for keeping the DSL signal from bleeding over to a different pair within the sheath. Example: If you run an office and have 4 phone lines(numbers) going to a jack at a particular location, and one of the pairs of wire, say green/white white/green, is your DSL line, the twisted pair will keep the signal from bleeding over onto the other voice only lines in the wire run. To soley run cat5 wire for a residential application is un-needed....after all the network(SBC cables) that brings your service to you is cat 3 at best. I would suggest, as johnwill did, to put one single DSL filter at the network interface and connect all "phone" only wires to the filter and connect the DSL wire to the unfiltered module in the interface, then remove all inside filters. Cleaner look inside and easier to troubleshoot. Last edited by ang_hammarad; 08-20-2005 at 07:55 PM.

08-21-2005, 07:28 AM	#8 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,969 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	More importantly, having a home run to the DSL modem is as good as inside wiring gets. The only other thing I might suggest is to look into DSL splitters, they're similar to filters, but I've been told they're better. I've personally never used one. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

08-21-2005, 08:29 AM	#9 (permalink)
ang_hammarad Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: midwest Posts: 36 OS: OS 10.3.9	splitter and filters Putting a filter into the network interface will eliminate the need for a splitter. The filters that SBC send with the self install kit are splitters and filters. They have 2 places to plug in...one for computer(non-filtered) and one for phone(filtered). I also agree with the other post about trying your computer in a different location. The best would be to get it as close to the network interface as you can and plug it directly into the module in the NID(network interface device). With the computer plugged directly into the NID, call your Number and see what happens. Reminder....The phones inside the house will not work while the computer is plugged directly in. You will be testing the network(SBC's wiring) and your wiring at the same time. If the problem is duplicated at the NID, your trouble has a greater chance of being in the network. The modem may still be defective, but you have tested at the NID and now have proof that the wiring, jacks, and other equiptment inside the house are not the problem.