Can anyone help please?

To cut a long story short....

I am a complete novice at this, and don't know the terminology, but since I have sky, decided to go with their broadband which sounded enough for my needs, and free (other than the box). I called, was activated and received my box, which I successfully managed to set up. Broadband worked great for about a week, but suddenly stopped.

Went through the helpdesk who tried and failed to diagnose, and after about a week, I spoke to someone in TS3. We found that I could get the broadband to work, but only by unscrewing the master phone socket and plugging the broadband into the test socket.

That's not really very convenient, plus the phone won't work when I'm on Broadband.

TS3 concluded that the problem was with my internal wiring, and that I should contact BT.

BT's response was that there was nothing wrong with the wiring (because the phones are otherwise fine), but they could confirm this by sending out an engineer in return for a large fee. They said that I had to get Sky to talk to BT wholesale, and that BT wholesale won't talk to me, because their relationship is with sky.

The building site developer ( I live on a new estate) also suggested that the problem is with the line, and that someone else on the estate is having a similar problem. I didn't get BT out, but a friend who used to be a telephone engineer checked that the internal wiring is ok.

I cannot get anyone at sky to take on board that they have to talk to BT wholesale - as far as they are concerned, they have diagnosed the problem as the internal wiring and therefore a BT problem, and the case is closed. Sky dont seem to understand that they have any relationship with BT.

From talking to people and reading around I am assuming that the problem is with the power of the line in, which is insufficient to get past the test socket to either the master socket, or any other socket in the house. The study is on the first floor, but the master/test socket is on the ground floor. Although it's a new estate, it's not as though I'm in a remote part of the country.

I have been calling sky when I feel strong enough to deal with the inevitable frustration, but just get pushed from pillar to post. I am now calling with the simple request that I want to speak to someone in TS3, but of course they are never able to connect me, and no-one ever calls back.

My broadband went down about a month ago now. Can anyone suggest
a) if I'm on the right track?
b) if not, what is causing the problem?
c) how can I get this resolved?

Many thanks

In reply to:

---

c) how can I get this resolved?

---

Unplug all the phones and anything else connected to the phone line. Does the broadband work now?
If it does, it's one of the phones.
If it doesn't, does it still work in the test socket?
If it does, it's probably the faceplate that's the problem.
If it doesn't, you're stuffed.

Change ISP.

>We found that I could get the broadband to work, but only by unscrewing the master phone socket and plugging the broadband into the test socket.

If it works as you say in the test socket it can only be concluded that it is an in house problem. BT are only responsible for providing a signal to that point, that is why it is provided so that it can be established that it is not a BT fault their responsibility ends at that point.

Check that the connection is stable at the master and if so you need to look at an in house solution to the problem. BT would charge you for work done after the master and they are not cheap. If you get a stable connection at the master the length of internal wiring is normally irrelevant, as the signal has travelled a few miles in the first place normally.

If you get an unstable connection at the master take a note of the details and you then have a case to throw at your ISP.

Be aware that an ADSL problem has to go through your internet provider and the voice side is a separate part of BT. Just because the voice works fine it is no indication regarding ADSL.

>That's not really very convenient, plus the phone won't work when I'm on Broadband.

An indicator that it is an internal problem.

Many thanks.

Went through an exercise of unplugging everything from sockets. Found that broadband now worked from both the master socket and the study socket. Then re-connected all the phone lines and the broadband is still working.

Definitely not working last weekend - promise - and I have changed nothing. Wierd.
Fingers crossed for future!
S

>Definitely not working last weekend - promise - and I have changed nothing. Wierd.


Been there done that.

Some of my best fixes just "happened."

you got a filter for every phone in the house? Including your sky box?

>you got a filter for every phone in the house? Including your sky box?

Not sure if post was aimed at me but the OP has resolved the problem.

It just "happened" as it does sometimes.