PlusNet phone line problem

Any PlusNet reps reading this?

Not sure if thinkbroadband is an appropriate place to post about a PlusNet phone problem, but I'm at the end of my tether, so I thought I'd try.

PlusNet tickets 82124490 / 82245892

In brief, my voice service is drowned out by "static" when Three or TalkTalk customers call me. Interference starts during the ring tone, and persists when I answer, or if my call goes to PlusNet voicemail. Outgoing calls to Three and TalkTalk are fine. Incoming calls from BT, Virgin Media, and THUS/Vodafone are unaffected. Three and TalkTalk calls originated from Reading.

PlusNet have noted SI and CLT have both passed.

As there is no line fault, PlusNet Customer Support are now intent on sending an OpenReach engineer to my flat. It goes without saying that I will take time of work, and no fault will be found. Unless the OpenReach engineer is prepared to travel to Reading with me to demonstrate the problem

I've talked to a Sky Broadband engineer (friend) who agrees with my diagnosis that there's a problem with incoming connections from Three and TalkTalk where they hit the PlusNet network.

HELP!!

Thanks,
Jonathan.

Is this PSTN or VOIP?

Oops. I should have been clearer. It's PSTN.

In reply to a post by JonathanLondon:

Interference starts during the ring tone

How do you know that if you haven't answered it?

In reply to a post by JonathanLondon:

I've talked to a Sky Broadband engineer (friend) who agrees with my diagnosis that there's a problem with incoming connections from Three and TalkTalk where they hit the PlusNet network.

I didn't think there was any such thing as the "Plusnet network" in that context, it's just a BT Wholesale line.

That's why I asked if t was PSTN (Plusnet Talk), or VOIP (Plusnet Broadband Phone). I thought it might be relevant.

Sorry, I replied to kasg before I sw your reply to me .

As he says, there is no Plusnet network involved on your line then, with it being PSTN. You connect to BT Wholesale kit in the exchange and from their kit it goes to the MDF.

Your Sky friend may be confused because their LLU phone lines are handled differently from bog standard BT (Openreach) Wholesale Line Rental (WLR). I'm afraid I don't know the detail.

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 08-Mar-14 22:12:58)

Surely the issue is beyond Plusnet and Openreach's remit to be able to fix ?

The BT, etc calls that are clear, are they from the same area ? Where in Reading are the calls coming from ? I have experienced 'weird' voice issues on Talktalk services from Caversham and Reading Earley exchanges, but this wouldn't explain the issue you are having with calls from 3 ?

Hi,

I know that interference starts during the ring tone, because I have placed the calls from Three and TalkTalk to my PlusNet line, and heard it!!

Ditto, I have left it ringing until it goes to PlusNet's 1571 service, and that is drowned out my "static" too.

When I do answer the phone, I can hear the calling party clearly, but they cannot hear me for the crackle on the line.

Thanks,
Jonathan.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Sorry, I replied to kasg before I sw your reply to me .

As he says, there is no Plusnet network involved on your line then, with it being PSTN. You connect to BT Wholesale kit in the exchange and from their kit it goes to the MDF.

Your Sky friend may be confused because their LLU phone lines are handled differently from bog standard BT (Openreach) Wholesale Line Rental (WLR). I'm afraid I don't know the detail.

Once again, I could have been clearer. Sorry.

Calling from some networks (Three, PlusNet) to my line, there's a problem which starts during the ringing tone. Calling from other networks (Virgin Media, THUS/Vodafone, and BT) there is no problem. The TalkTalk connection has been tested from Reading. The Three problem has been tested from Reading and London. My PlusNet service is in London.

When I say "where the call comes in to the PlusNet network", I understand that's the BT network, but I have no contractual relationship with BT. I should have said "where the call comes in to the network that PlusNet use".

The long and the short of this is, as far as PlusNet/OpenReach are concerned, my exchange line (PSTN, and not FTTC) checks out OK, so they want to come to my premises to check my equipment. This seems to me (and to my Sky friend) to be a complete waste of time. I can demonstrate the problem to the engineer, when I dial my line from a Three mobile, but s/he might think that's a Three fault. I cannot demonstrate the problem when dialling in from TalkTalk without taking the engineer with me to Reading

Of course, this could indeed be a fault on the TalkTalk network AND the identical fault on the Three network, but as it started at the same time, it seems unlikely. My guess would be that where the TalkTalk and Three networks connect to the PlusNet (aka BT) network, there's packet loss, resulting in a deafening crackle for the calling party.

I seem to have reached a stand-off with PlusNet. They cannot progress the fault, until I have booked two days off work, so I can give them the choice of three slots for OpenReach to visit. And I don't believe an OpenReach visit will do anything other than (a) give my line a clean bill of health, and (b) cost PlusNet a "false call out" fee from OpenReach.

Help!!

Jonathan.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Surely the issue is beyond Plusnet and Openreach's remit to be able to fix ?

The BT, etc calls that are clear, are they from the same area ? Where in Reading are the calls coming from ? I have experienced 'weird' voice issues on Talktalk services from Caversham and Reading Earley exchanges, but this wouldn't explain the issue you are having with calls from 3 ?

As the problem is common to two phone companies (TalkTalk and Three) it seems likely to me that the fault is not within the TalkTalk or Three networks. So I presume there's packet loss somewhere on the PlusNet (aka BT) network which is common to these phone companies, so presumably the ingress point to the network.

The TalkTalk caller is on the Woodley Park THWDY exchange. I don't know any other TalkTalk subscribers in other parts of the country who could place test calls to me. Three calls originating in NW3 and RG5 are affected. Successful Virgin Media calls come from HA4. Successful BT calls from Milton Keynes. Successful THUS calls from W1W.

Thanks,
Jonathan.