Correct, it is EE/Orange etc.

Not having a SKY-operated line, I am not familiar with the details - must try the two SKY lines in the near family!

Morning MikeL

It seems that on SKY-connected lines, Option 4 corresponds to Option 2 on most other lines, so retry the 17070, selecting Option 4.

Must do a Search later for more details.

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"but there's also wire going to the master socket but I can't see where that is coming from at all"

I appreciate the difficulties as my own Master Socket is at the back of a cupboard. All of the outside wiring is underground, so impossible to spot in normal circumstances.

So the Master Socket wiring simply disappears in a void under the front hall, towards the front door, where the wire probably passes through the foundations beside the slightly more obvious electricity supply.

Both remain underground, probably mainly below the footpaths.

Can you see your phone line anywhere on the outside of your house?

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

OIC! As you never said closest to what, I took it logically to be closest to what I am familiar with.

Ah, you were thinking in reverse, that I was saying the closest thing to Sky's QLT on WLR3 is 17070 option 4.

Likewise to you (in reverse), I can't dial the WLR3 line test from a Sky line, which is a shame because the WLR3 QLT is handy, as is the ringback test which Sky doesn't have.

Evening Eckie

Waited in all day for the engineer to turn up, nothing... Since about 5pm though we have been connected so I don't know if this is just a fluke or perhaps they worked on the line without even coming into our house? Most likely they just never came.

I did actually do a test with number 4, I think it came back as OK, because I don't remember any test coming back as faulty. I will try it again if and when the line noise comes back, I'm guessing now at this moment we have a stable internet connection we have no line noise.

"I had a look at the wiring, its very confusing, it seems to be coming from the ceiling of the front room, along top of door frame, into the hall way and into a little green box, then another wire comes out and appears to be going to the extension, but there's also wire going to the master socket but I can't see where that is coming from at all. An engineer will be here tomorrow hopefully so I will keep you apprised of what he/she says."

Could it be that the"little green box" is the in-house termination unit for the outside line from the exchange, with screw-type terminations inside it?

Try taking any cover off, slightly slacken the (wire) terminating screws, if any; spray with an electrical lubricant such as WD40; then tighten the screws. That may reduce or eliminate the noise.

At present, it looks as though the installation is an "ancient" one, crudely modified relatively "recently", to accommodate Broadband and a relocation of the phone.

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"it seems to be coming from the ceiling of the front room"

Take a look at the outside wall/s of the "front room", looking for the phone wires/cable coming from the exchange - at present it sounds as though they are overhead, towards a telephone pole.

If really "ancient", two separate thin wires, running from "white" pot-shaped insulators back to a pole probably, with similar insulators.

Alternatively, it could be a single cable, with a U-shaped "drip loop" formed by the cable, just below a metal wall bracket.

On the other hand, if it is an underground cable, it may run up the wall, to the entry hole, to the "front room", although this does seem unlikely.

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Particularly if the line from the exchange is "overhead", the failure when raining may be due to overflowing gutters or similar, the water falling on to or penetrating the wiring and causing partial shorts.

Electrical lubricant??????

WD 40 - generally available.

Electrolube - from specialist suppliers such as Maplin.

Do NOT use WD40 in place of electrical cleaner. It will leave a residue that will attract dust and lower resistance between adjacent conductors

Whilst it is possible, all of those lubricants can and do retain dust due to their very nature - BUT is that likely in the very enclosed space of the "green box" and the low voltages involved?


Incidentally, I have used WD 40 to prevent the accumulation of dust, birds' droppings etc on the very exposed external surface of a sky-light window.

It has stayed virtually clean over a period of 5 years, compared to previously - reduces/avoids the need to get up on the roof to clean it!

I can see no benefit in coating conductors in mineral oil