Out going phone calls problem.

Hi guys, sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, but wasn't sure where best to ask.
For the last few weeks I've been having a problem with it taking up to maybe 5-6 attempts to make an out going phone call. This doesn't happened every single time, but frequently enough to be pretty annoying. When the call should start ringing, you just get the ringtone again?
We have a cordless phone in the living room, it is connected to the phone line via an extension cable under the carpet down the corridor, into our ancient master socket in our first bedroom.

I'm basically wondering is this just a sign that the copper cable is giving out in the extension cabling? It goes under the carpet across two doorways and as a full-time wheelchair user I've been going over the cable for a good few years now, through the doorways. Before you say the obvious I know this is not the way it should be connected but hey ho.
Any thoughts be much appreciated.
Dave

If you have a corded phone check that at the master socket? Ideally the test socket failing that with extension unplugged.

Owning a cheap corded phone is a good safety measure as will work during power cut.

If that works ok then new extension needed.

orning GW

Have you considered putting the Cordless Phone Base Unit in the bedroom or otherwise near the Master Socket; and either using any cordless hand-set you already have or obtaining a suitable one, in your livingroom etc, hence avoiding the use of a lengthy extension etc?

Although NOT WiFi, it would give you a greater convenience with your phone, akin to WiFi relative to additional PCs, printers etc.

The lower frequencies used by cordless phones give better coverage, compared to WiFi.

Generally, those cordless phones conform to DECT specifications, so obtaining another should not be problematical.

------------------------------------

Our base unit incorporates keypad, microphone and speaker, so is a fully functional phone in its own right, plus one of the cordless hand-sets uses the cradle also on the base unit, with another three handsets around the house (plus two conventional corded phones and one ancient corded phone on stand-by for "Quiet Testing" etc).

If looking at Dect phones I would recommend the Panasonic range I use this set and can cross three floors and make it into the old extension downstairs (narrow Victorian terrace) when the base station is upstairs and sat on top of metal PC cases.

Battery life is great as can leave on out of its stand for days and still have plenty of power left for calls.

Thanks MrSaffron,
I did have an idea to try that, but of course it had slipped my mind when I posted this last night. I will try that later. We don't have an NTE5 master socket, just an old LJ2/1A I think, so I'll try my trusty old corded phone with the extension unplugged.
Actually we do have Panasonic DECT cordless phones, an older model though.
Dave

Afternoon eckiedoo,

That is sound advice, I'll probably do that after doing a corded phone test on my master socket, extension unplugged. I did plug the corded phone in yesterday, in the living room, but stupidly forgot to do it at the master. The problem was still there, so presumably there is nothing wrong with my DECT cordless phones, and made me think extension cable the cause.
If the problem still persists from the master with a corded phone then that it will mean I must have a line fault. We'll see

Dave

If the extension is unplugged and any ADSL hardware is also disconnected, then yes it does suggest a line fault.

I also have an older silver model, slightly less range on that one, but have kept as a backup in case main set dies.

On the forgetting, don't worry I totally forget to put an ADSL filter on an extension in my house years ago, and wondered why my broadband was slow....happens to us all at some point.

I'm not going to disconnect my router as I'm currently in a 10 day training period, just upgraded to ADSL2+ from ADSL Max with EE, so I'll just try the corded phone, extension out see what happens. Friday mid day should be my 10 days up.

I also recommend Panasonic. The model you show DOES have a speaker phone, however last time I bought some I made a mistake and bought a cheaper set without. It was a mistake as I much prefer to have them set to speaker and then can use them hands free.

The OP mentioned a wheel chair. Great thing about a wireless phone is you can drop it in a bag attached to the chair making it easy to reach when it rings. You may do that already.

A question about the Panasonic phones if I may. Is it possible to transfer all the directory entries in one go from one hand set to another? I've seen a review that seems to suggest it may not be possible.

Never ever tried - so sorry can't help.

Can't speak for all Panasonics, but it can't be done on mine (which are over 10 years old now, and still on the original batteries!).

Otherwise excellent phones, I'd also recommend them.

philippercival
We have Panasonic kx-tg1401e, had them a good couple of years or more, no speaker phone on this model. Been good phones.
I don't have a bag on my wheelchair, but yes cordless phones are far more convenient for me personally and I try and make sure a have one of the pair close by, nothing worse than hunting for a handset when someone rings.

Dave

cheshire_man
I can't transfer numbers & names in the phonebook memory between the two handsets on my model , they are independent of each other. I discovered that through trial and error when I first got them, stored a few numbers on one, then realised there was nothing stored in the other handset.

Dave

Thanks for your reply, and the others. We have 3 BT Diverse 5450 DECT handsets and one of the features I regard as a "must have" on any replacement is the ability to update the directories by copying from the 'master' handset.

Your Diverse 5450 was made by Siemens, which became Gigaset. I'm a great fan of Gigaset equipment - the high end Gigaset phones I have (an obsolete model now) have the ability to copy one directory entry or the entire directory between handsets, also I can synchronise the directory between a handset and Outlook over Bluetooth.

In reply to a post by cheshire_man:

Is it possible to transfer all the directory entries in one go from one hand set to another?

It is between my Panasonics KX-TCD340E Base and KX-TCA130E & KX-TCA121E handsets. On any of them PhoneBook -> Copy All -> Select Extn No. Or any entry can be copied individually.

Morning GW

THe cordless phone set that I have is an elderly BT version.

It does allow COPYing of individual numbers/contacts from one to the others; and also COPY ALL.

Having initiated copying, it progressively offers each Handset in turn - convenient; BUT one must deliberately select the BASE Unit, otherwise it is not offered!

A major problem however, is it will NOT allow the DELETE and DELETE ALL of entries in the other Handsets, remotely.

If there is insufficient room, one has to locate the other Handsets and carry out those Delete actions individually - seems a daft omission!


It also has Intercomm facilities; but does not give the slightly different requirements for intercomm ringing the Base Unit, from any of the Handsets.

When first installed, each Handset progressively gets numbered, "Handset 1" etc; and that appears in the Instructions.

On testing, I discovered that the Base Unit is always "0" (zero) - but this is not mentioned anywhere in the manual.

There are other irritations and short-comings with this type, such as although it has a three-line display, when checking for missed Incoming Calls, one has to first press the CALLS button, to get the Name if programmed, followed by the Options Button and "Show Number" for the latter, then again the Options button and select Time & Date.

A richt trauchle - when all too readily it could have been programmed to show on the three line display with one press.

Edited by deleted (Thu 14-Nov-13 07:58:09)

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

If looking at Dect phones I would recommend the Panasonic range I use this set and can cross three floors and make it into the old extension downstairs (narrow Victorian terrace) when the base station is upstairs and sat on top of metal PC cases.

Battery life is great as can leave on out of its stand for days and still have plenty of power left for calls.

Highly recommended as well. One of the rare wireless phones that doesn't have an answerphone facility which makes the twin set particularly suitable in conjunction with VoIP through a router [VoIP has its own voice box service]. This particular model is often seen in supermarkets for £29.99

Interesting. Given the convergence in some ways between cordless and mobile phones it seems that it should be possible to connect a cordless phone to a PC in some way to manage the entries.

MrSaffron, I'm just about to go do my corded phone test with the extension unplugged and my router disconnected. Regards the router, is it best to turn off the router and unplug the cable to the phone socket/filter or is it fine to leave power on and just disconnect the phone cable?
Dave

To be ultra sure, unplug and switch off the router

Well I did that and the problem still exists with just a corded phone on the line.
So some kind of fault on the line then.
I'm just 3 days off changing to EE from BT for home phone provider.
I thought I'd wait till after Nov. 20th to report it to save any confusion,
but I'm not sure??
I tried BT 150 fault line check, the other day from the corded phone, whilst the router was still connected on the line and it came back as "no fault on the line"

I wonder if it does require an OR engineer visit EE will be able to bring my master socket situation up to date, normalise the wiring with an NTE5/A , as we have first a block connector after the line comes in by the front door, then an LJU2 master (I think) and also reposition the master to our living room, as currently our master is in a bedroom and the router is on top of our young daughters wardrobe.

Dave

Waiting to report voice fault might be simplest to avoid bt retail waisting your time

Redo the line fault check with no adsl router no filters and as much wiring as you can easily disconnect

Ok Andrew I'll try that tomorrow when it's more convenient, my daughter goes to bed In there very shortly, thanks.
Dave

I've done that, line fault check with just a corded phone plugged in, no adsl router, no filters and no extension cable...just me and my phone The problem is still there, but the BT line fault check says "no fault". After that in took 7 attempts to make an out going call...so fault me thinks there is!?

Dave

Spoke earlier to an EE tech lady about my outgoing calls problem and she said dial "1280" then full number with area code, something about a "reset"
Just tried it, same problem exists. I'm not really sure what that was supposed to do, found it a bit hard to understand what she meant, plus I wasn't at home at the time.
I'll have to ring up and talk through it again. I think I need an OR engineer visit.

1280 is the code that routes the call over BT, overriding any carrier pre-selection or similar on the line.

Thanks David,
does using that code sound like something that might have helped me?
It hasn't that's all, I tried it again and every few calls it can take up to 7 attempts to get the out going call to ring, it just brings back the dial tone.
So our phone does work, but this problem is an annoyance and I'm sure there must be a line fault somewhere.
I'll definitely be pushing for a home visit, hopefully get an NTE5a to boot as well if that is something that should really be fitted in my home by BT

Dave

Or I could send UKDoc, Gavin @ EE Broadband a pm. I've read he can help get things sorted with EE problems.

Spoke to EE again today after the 1280 code didn't do anything. They couldn't find a fault through their checks, with me on hold, so next option was would I like an engineer visit. So I've got an OR engineer booked to visit this coming Thursday, hopefully see what's what and sort the problem. I'm 100% sure the problem is their side as I've disconnected everything my side and the problem still occurs.

I did Fb pm a friend who is a local OR engineer and she said they have been having some issues with faulty equipment in the exchange - sounds like it might be that.

So we shall see Thursday.

In reply to a post by GorillaWheels:

does using that code sound like something that might have helped me?

No, all you were doing was phoning yourself and therefore should have got a busy signal or your own voicemail..

Well that didn't happen XRaySpeX, my problem still occurred, but when the outgoing call did go through with 1280 it did go to the number I dialled, not engaged tone or my voicemail?
Dave

Oh, I see, I thought you were dialing your own # as you had been falsely told the 1280 would force a reset.

Problem solved after OR engineer visit this morning. Moved our line to a different "conc" in the exchange. Now I don't speak OR lingo so don't really know what that means, but don't really care as issue resolved