In reply to a post by eckiedoo:

You have said that it is generally cleared by dialling a number etc.

Do you literally have to do that; and hear the Ring Tone, plus possibly have to wait for the other phone to be answered; or is it cleared earlier in the sequence, such as when you first hear Dial Tone or key the first digit etc?

Do Incoming Calls have any effect, from when your phone first rings through to when you "hang up"?

Hi. We just have to get a dial tone long enough for the broadband to re-connect. Usually just pressing the button to get a dial tone doesn't give us long enough before the phone cuts the tone off so we dial 1471. The phone doesn't need to be answered. Usually around 30 or 40 seconds continuous dial tone is enough, though sometimes it's longer.

Incoming calls don't usually cause a problem, but do sometimes cut off the broadband if the line is especially noisy, but the broadband usually comes back during the call.

The fault sounds like moisture in a joint along the line somewhere and when you dial 1471 the extra current dries out the joint sufficiently to give you a connection. Have you noticed if the fault characteristics change with the weather?

In reply to a post by E7er:

The fault sounds like moisture in a joint along the line somewhere and when you dial 1471 the extra current dries out the joint sufficiently to give you a connection. Have you noticed if the fault characteristics change with the weather?

Haven't really noticed a link with the weather, but we have had some heavy thunderstorms in the last few weeks prior to this latest round of noisy line/disconnections so you are almost certainly right. Will keep an eye on it in future.

I should have added that you should try to record the noise, a Telephone Answering Machine probably being the most convenient.

I did this about 20 years back; and got transferred to another local exchange in about four days, after a few months of problems, that BT could not locate.

I rang BT this morning after a dozen or so broadband disconnections in an hour, all of which only came back by keeping the telephone line almost permanently on. They are monitoring it for 24 hours, but couldn't find a fault even though I could barely hear the BT guy, and him me, for the line noise.

The connection, typically, has been pretty stable since. Sometimes being on the phone a long time - 1/2 an hour with BT, temporarily 'heals' the broadband for a day or so.

They are ringing be back tomorrow. Before I speak to them, the actual speed of use of the broadband has been awful today with many websites timing out as the connection is so poor. Even when the test is showing 0.8mbps, in can take up to a minute to get a page to load properly - feels like dial up.

When I run a speed test we are getting speeds varying between .3mbps and .99mbps during the test, with an average of around 0.8mbps, which is pretty good for here. Mind you, the results can vary hugely within a few minutes and the speed is never settled at any time during the test.

The surfing experience doesn't reflect that sort of speed though. Normally the upload speed is around 0.3mbps, but today it's constantly around 0.011mbps. Is this the reason for the slow connection and should I mention this to BT? Ping varies between around 500ms and 1700ms which I understand is quite slow. Is that another factor?

Keep on mind that the various measurements you mention, eg Ping, Downlioad Speed, Upload Speed etc, are almost certainly a RESULT of the Line Conditions - NOT the Cause/s.

It is useful that the BT guy heard the Line Noise etc, so assuming you noted his name, you have a degree of confirmation.

However, try recording it as well, preferably when attempting to talk to BT.

Particularly with E7er's suggestion of dampness, take a good look at your end of the phone line, from where-ever it is accessible etc, inwards to your house and internally around your house.

Try spraying any joints with WD 40 and/or Silicone Grease.

Slightly slacken any screw connections (ancient termination blocks) before spraying, to allow penetration, then screw up tightly.

Keep in mind that if it is Dampness, the gaps between the terminations need treatment as well.

If any joints or connectors are in an exposed position, whether internal or external, try to provide some protection.

Disconnect any plug/socket connections, clean if possible; and spray both plug and socket before re-connecting, including some some slight pushing/pulling to help establish good connections.

If the final BT cabling is by overhead line, try to examine it, possibly using binoculars; and particularly where it passes through any trees, vegetation etc.

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Assuming BTO is using a TDR (Time Domain Reflectometer = Pocket Radar Set), to check your line, the one I was experienced in using could not distinguish between a fault close to the far end of the line and the normal far end termination of that line, unless the fault was an Open Circuit or virtually a Short Circuit.

"Partial" Shorts such as caused by dampness look very like normal equipment; and are only identifiable as such if they are some distance away within the known line distance.

Fir example, my line is recorded as being 1,286 metres long. I would anticipate a partial short definitely not being distinguishable if it was within the last 6 metres.

ON the other hand, if the partial short were within the main length of the line, it would stand out, like the proverbial "sore thumb".

Thanks. BT have checked all the internal wiring and pronounced it fine. Main socket has been replaced and also the wiring from the pole to the house as well as the connector on the wall, in the last 12 months. BT didn't ring back as promised, no surprise.

Does the fault continue to occur?

Or has some of the BTO work been in the past week or so?

If the fault is continuing, that seems to place the fault back towards or in the Exchange; or just possibly in your router.

Try unplugging the router from the phone line when the noise occurs.

And progressively any other equipment from their phone line connections.

Hi. Just an update and to say thanks. Hopefully things might be sorted, though I won't count my chickens.....

BT engineer turned up today - wasn't expecting anyone, but not a problem. As usual all his test showed up o.k. except for a slight noise on the line test which was still within acceptable parameters. By the time he came, of course, the line noise had gone and the broadband had been mostly stable for 24 hours or so. Sync speed with the exchange was 1.1mbps.

This time, armed with the info from the forum I was able to get him to look a bit deeper, rather than just sign things off as 'no fault', which is what usually happens. In fairness, he knew there was a fault, just couldn't trace anything when the line wasn't noisy.

He went to the exchange and checked there and found no problems, but on the way back checked a junction about 300m up the road. In that junction our wire was joined simply by twisting the bits of wire together instead of with a connector and had a bit of gaffer tape around it. The whole joint was soaking wet. He reckoned that the rain yesterday got it damp, which helped the connection today as it would have carried the current better. Because the joint was so rubbish he thinks that when it dries out we get the problems. This is pretty much what you have all said on the forum.

Any how, he replaced the twisted wire connection with a connector and cleaned it all up. He didn't have a proper waterproof connector with him, but will do that in the morning.

When he checked things again, the line noise was completely gone and our sync speed with the exchange had increased to 2.6mbps. He is hopeful that the broadband speed should catch up shortly and we 'ought to get around 2mbps'. If we do that will be a major success - we haven't ever really had more than 0.8mbps to 1mbps and that rarely. Average has been around 0.5mbps.

Fingers crossed and thanks again for all the help. I'm sure the knowledge you gave me made the difference.