[worthal]

My broadband and telephones have been working fine for months. Returned today after being away for two weeks ,broadband is still fine but none of the phones work. All wiring etc is unchanged.
I have 3 in seperate sockets connected with BT ADSL MF30 splitters. When lifting a phone plugged directly into a socket (i.e no splitter) while using the internet I get the expected sound of the internet; when plugging into the socket with the splitter I hear a similar sound but much lower volume.

I've tried disconnecting phones one by one but now I've run out of ideas.
Can anyone suggest the way forward please?

 

[crazijoe]

Hello and welcome to TSF.
Have you contacted your telco?

 

[johnwill]

First off, disconnect the DSL modem and connect one of the phones without the filter. See if it works normally. Let's start narrowing down the possibilities.

 

[worthal]

Tried that but unfortunately still the same result.

Is it worth me buying another microfilter just in case something has taken out all 3 existing ones whilst I was away or is that not a possibility. The phones all have power and appear to be good working order (apart from the inability to be used as phones!)

 

[8210GUY]

Did you unplug ALL filters then plug in a phone ? I think you may need to but couldn't swear to it, if that works it sounds like a filter is playing up, possibly a surge while you were away.

 

[worthal]

Thanks. Yes I've now tried with everything unplugged. Still no joy. Just get silence on the phone.

I've since learned that there was a lightning strike which nearly took the spire off the church steeple a few hundred yards away so it may well be the problem. The computer was disconnected while I was away but obviously the micro filters and telephones were not.
Think I'll have to get in some local support to help so they can test things on site.

Thanks for your help anyway

 

[Kalim]

I think you'll need to contact your phone provider to run some checks.

 

[8210GUY]

Then I'd suggest see if your neighbours phones work, and maybe ask to borrow one of theirs to try in your socket as before, it should help isolate if it's the phones or the line, maybe plug your phone in next door, same again it will prove either the phone or the line at fault, then you can get new phones if required or contact your phone line supplier to get them to sort the fault on the line.

But the lightning strike certainly sounds like the cause and probably created a surge which caused this, the strike doesn't even need to be local, it can travel up the lines from elsewhere, I'd suggest looking into surge protectors, ones that incorporate the phone as well, it's madness to run without them IMHO, and especially for your pc, just imagine if you had of left that plugged in while away and this happened, it could of cost you dearly, just make sure the line for the pc goes through the surge protector as well, thats where many people get caught out, good luck anyway.

 

[worthal]

Thanks.
I've now had some checks run and it seems that although the broadband connection works there is actually a fault on the BT line. I thought that if there was a line problem it would have taken out the broadband as well so I never imagined that could be the reason. BT say the fault should be corrected within 4 days!

I do incidently have a surge protector on the computer.

Thanks for all the help

 

[johnwill]

The next time you have an issue, take one phone to the NIB interface and plug it in directly while disconnecting all the other equipment in the house. If it doesn't work there, it's 100% certain to be the telco's problem. :smile:

FWIW, I'm stunned that DSL remained working with the phones out, that's a first for me. :4-dontkno

 

[8210GUY]

I hope the DSL line goes through the protector before going into the pc ? thats where most slip up by plugging directly into the pc leaving it at risk from the phone line.

As to DSL still working I'm not surprised at all, I am one of the original BT BB customers and had the full on socket installed rather than all these filters, so I plug in directly without any need for filters, so I can tell you that the DSL runs on different wires than the phone does, all the filter does is separate those signals at a guess, but maybe that helps you with understanding why one and not the other, at least thats my assumptions on this given the info I just gave.

 

[johnwill]

Actually, the DSL signal is on the same pair that brings your POTS service, there are not "special" pairs just for DSL.

 

[8210GUY]

Oh right, it's just in my socket they are different wire going to each of the connections from memory, I'd have to open it up to double check but thats what I recall.

 

[johnwill]

You probably have a DSL splitter at the service entrance, which is what I recommend for any DSL installation. With a DSL splitter, you need no other filters, and the DSL modem has a special connection just for the modem. Here's my "canned" message when talking about DSL wiring.

Purchase a DSL splitter and install it at the telco service entrance. Run a direct line from the DSL port on the splitter directly to the DSL modem. Connect all of the other phone instruments to the telephone output of the DSL splitter. All of the DSL analog side wiring should be CAT3 or better twisted pair from the telco service entrance to the DSL/ADSL modem. You can use one of the twisted pairs in CAT5 cable if you have that on hand.

This is as good as it gets for DSL installations, and will usually solve in-house wiring issues.ing issues.

 

[Kalim]

Thats what I would suggest as the better option too. The back box is already split so no need to use an additional filter where many problems lie, as they naff up very quickly.

 

[johnwill]

That's what I always recommend, it's as good as you can do IMO.