URGENT request for assistance.
I'm that rare user who has never had (or ever used!) a mobile phone. I totally rely on my landline and broadband connection. I've been with Plusnet, Force 9, FreeOnline etc for about 20 years and usually have a very reliable connection (typically several months between disconnects and no telephone problems whatsoever).
During the last few days my internet connection has started to last just a few minutes if I am lucky. It was not uncommon in the past for my typical uptime duration to be reported as 100+ days....But now I'm losing connection every few minutes. I'm not very tech savvy, but when I access the helpdesk tab in my router pages I can see 'crazy variations' which bear no resemblance to the data which used to be reported when I had a reliable connection. I observe staggering variations in reported Data rate, Maximum data rate, Noise margin, Line attenuation, with every short-lived connection - none of which bear any relation to what I was accustomed to when I had stability in the past.
My landline phone has become sometimes crackly, sometimes hisses loudly, and is usually without a dial tone. Having read reports of similar phone noise issues in recent forum posts (Noise on line, can't contact helpdesk), I followed the advice and used the plusnet phone troubleshooter (on Thursday last circa 12 am). Often I only need to pickup my phone handset to trigger an instant internet disconnection (even when my phone is totally silent), so I was actually relieved when the troubleshooter was able to ring my phone during a line check. Although my phone connection with the troubleshooter didn't last long, for a short time thereafter, when I picked up my phone I remained connected, and could hear what was a barely audible dial tone in the background of a very crackly line. The only feedback from the troubleshooter told me "It looks like something has gone wrong. Our award-winning support team are here to help.Call us on 0800 432 0200" Yeah Right! How can I call when I've no working phone line! (neither could I find a plusnet email address for contacting the support team for help?)
That said, I was staggered to find it was in fact possible on one rare occasion to make contact with the support team as advised and initiate a conversation (with Rejojce?) - which was interrupted frequently with very loud hisses. From what I could understand plusnet were working on the problem, and I could expect an email contact soon? I still don't know whether there's an external problem, or whether you suspect that there may be a problem with my home wiring setup? What I can further add FYI in that regard is that I'm pretty sure that all is in order with regards to my phone socket, with the right wires being plugged into a microfilter. Never had any problems before, but just to be sure I have even tried a temporary alternative wiring, by replacing my ADSL microfilter, white internet cable, and yellow ethernet cable with new (never used) ones. But that didn't make any difference. Not sure if its of any relevance, but there is one further thing I would add with regards to my home wiring (see pic). My phone line enters the property in my bathroom upstairs, and my phone socket is downstairs. There has been a fair amount of work done over the years in the boiler cupboard in my bathroom, and to be honest I have always felt a bit concerned about the state that the loose telephone wire in the cupboard had been left in, and the visible (central small) wires protruding from the white BT box which appears solely concerned with coupling the phone line where it exits from my boiler cupboard with the line (that just about reaches it) from the top of my stairs.Whenever further work has been required in the area I've made a point of asking workers to tread carefully, and again I must repeat that I've never had any phone problems - until now!
At the moment, my internet connection is ineffectual (few minute at best), and my phone line is totally useless. It's now 4 days since my contact with the support team, and as of yet I've heard nothing further. Normally, I would wait patiently for some response without posting in the community forums, but as I explained in the hissy conversation I had with the support staff, it is imperative that I have access to my online banking account as a matter of URGENCY!
Unfortunately when I attempt to login, my bank's security process attempts to contact me via my faulty plusnet landline to confirm my identity, so it's become impossible for me to access my online account - at what truly is a very crucial time for me.
Will someone please reinforce my concerns to Plusnet support staff, and/or email me with any ongoing progress in repairing the faulty line a.s.a.p.
Thanks.
