Flaky ADSL but no PSTN phone?

Apologies if this is a FAQ, but connection is too marginal to search/read forum

Having been happy for some time with 5+ Mbps ADSL over an overhead rural BT line, returned from holiday last Monday (12th) to find just 0.1 Mbps AND NO PSTN PHONE CONNECTION!

Have eliminated everything to the point of plugging the filter directly into the internal 'test' socket behind the Openreach faceplate, but to no effect.

I'm sure BT will fix this when they get back to work tomorrow, but could someone please explain *how* it is possible to get an [admittedly marginal] ADSL connection but *not* hear an old fashioned PSTN dial tone?

[ Ironically, while the ADSL connection is there, it is possible to make VOIP calls with the BT Home Hub 2 phone! ]

Telephone needs 2 wires. ADSL, being radio, can manage with one. One of your wires is disconnected.

Sounds plausible.

At least now I will be able to baffle the phone jockeys in Mumbai in the morning and hopefully get a real wires man out at last to have a look.

Thanks

In reply to a post by abberley:

Sounds plausible.

At least now I will be able to baffle the phone jockeys in Mumbai in the morning and hopefully get a real wires man out at last to have a look.

Batboys's explanation is rather superficial- ADSL uses high frequencies which will allow it to (more or less) work with one wire broken, but it is not radio.

However, the important point is- when you report the fault, report it as a voice fault, DO NOT MENTION ADSL OR BROADBAND.

If you do, they will simply tell you to take it up with your isp (ie you'll get bounced around BT departments). Get the voice fault fixed first, if there is still a problem with internet access then take it up with BT as a broadband fault.

Edited by billford (Sun 18-Jul-10 22:06:43)

Even more plausible...

...and sound tactical advice.

Thanks

If your line rental is with BT you can report the fault via bt.com now.

Sure

OFDM has developed into a popular scheme for wideband digital communication, whether wireless or over copper wires, used in applications such as digital television and audio broadcasting, wireless networking and broadband internet access.

Openreach fixed the line this afternoon - by removing branch that had dropped on the overhead wires - and installing new wires.

Only 8 days after 1st reported (but just 2 days after 'upgrading' it to a PSTN fault on your advice).

I presume my 0.1 Mbps download is due to the "IP Profile for your line is - 135 Kbps" reported by BT's Speedetster?

If so, is there any way of getting this profile re-set manually, rather than waiting for it to "sort itself out in the next 72hrs"?

What's your current sync?

If it's high then it should recover a lot quicker...

Now we getting a bit techie for me

The likely suspects from the BT Speedester were:

Download speed116 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds50-250 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :6368 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 135 Kbps

(thinkbradband speed test used to report 6+ Mbps download for the previous couple of years)