Faulty phone line (revisited)

[#1]

Further to my post of 30-10-2023 - Faulty phone line - URGENT request for assistance....I thought the problem I reported then had been fixed, but sadly I must now add another follow-up, as the problem has resurfaced!

After the engineer had fixed the fault, I had no further problems with my phone line, and have had a very stable internet connection since (until now).

For the last few days I've once again been experiencing a reoccurrence of the problem that I thought had been solved. The particulars of my latest troubles (crackly phone line, no dial tone etc. and related loss of internet connection) are just about identical to what I explained in the first few paragraphs of my initial post (on 30-10-2023).

I've since taken regular weekly screen captures of my router Helpdesk statistics covering the whole of 2024, the latest of which reports that my uptime on 22 May was then 140 days. I see no variation whatsoever in my reported line attenuation (of 10.9/21.0), and just the tiniest variation in noise margin and data rate stats.

However, last week (circa 29 May) for the first time in ages my internet got disconnected. After 140+ days of a rock solid connection, I think I was due such an interruption, and wasn't too concerned about it per se - until I reconnected and began to look at the router Helpdesk stats once more. ....

All the stats reported in the router, then (and still) bear no resemblance whatsoever to what I'd become accustomed to seeing when my connection had been stable. I'll leave out the details of what seem to be obvious errors, but suffice it to say, it was sometimes reported that my noise margin had a negative value? (e.g. 5.5/-0.7) whilst on one occasion it was stated to be (6553.3/2.4) !!!!

I did try to use the Plusnet phone troubleshooter again (on Sunday morning), but my internet got disconnected whenever it tried to check my line. Presently there's a loud crackly hiss, and I only need to pickup my phone handset to trigger an instant internet disconnection (exactly as occurred before), so it's impossible for me to make contact with the Plusnet support team and ask for help.

Forgive me if I'm mistaken (I'm not tech-savvy) but when the engineer first fixed the fault I did get the impression that the cure became possible only after he had returned from a visit to the telephone exchange.... so I'm hoping that there may be an external switch somewhere that will restore my phone behavior again?

Right now I've another urgent need to access my online banking account. As I've no way of contacting the Plusnet support staff....yet again I'd be very grateful if one of the Help Team in this forum could make Plusnet staff aware of the updated concerns that I've narrated in this post.

Thanks.

[#2]

@caulbox The Help Team are conspicuous by their absence on here - I suggest you report a phone fault via:  https://www.plus.net/help/report-a-problem/ whilst you have a connection - providing that is you have access to a mobile phone, it doesn't have to be yours.

[#3]

Thanks jab1....but I live a lonely life and do not have access to a mobile phone.

[#4]

Sorry about that, @caulbox . Try this link (I can't guarantee it still works) : https://faults.plus.net 

[#5]

If all else fails, your local public library will probably have public internet connection.

[#6]

jab1 - again, I appreciate your efforts to help. But I already tried that link (several times) a couple of days ago. After completing the necessary journey, the Broadband Troubleshooter Fault Checker Tool responds with:

"Thanks for answering our questions
Because you've said that your service is working, we're closing this case. If you are still having problems with your service, please restart the journey"

However it also states that:
"The issues you're experiencing are due to problems with your phone line." and asks me to "Please use the Phone Troubleshooter to raise a fault with your phone line."

.... so I duly press the "Go to the Phone Troubleshooter" button (again as I've done several times before). When I respond to the questions I always take particular care to answer the request for "Details about your problem" by completing the "Description of problem (optional)" box with some reference to these forum postings and comments that that the forum topic is my only way of making contact with support to report my problems.

A few minutes ago, I once again followed the same journey. On this occasion, when the Broadband Troubleshooter asked for "Additional contact info" I responded by completing the box with: "May I refer you to my post in the community forums today titled Faulty phone line (revisited). I have a problem with my phone line and the forum topic is my only way of making contact with you to report it."

Later, when the Phone Troubleshooter presented me with a box titled "Description of problem (optional)" I also then responded with: "Please see my post today in the community forums titled "Faulty phone line (revisited)" I did try to use this troubleshooter a couple of days ago to report the problem. But I only got disconnected whenever I pressed the button to "check my line". I'm expecting that to happen again now!"

And sure enough, I did indeed get disconnected again as I anticipated. But at least I did get about 5 seconds to observe a message telling me "We're now checking your phone line, this may take a couple of minutes".

When I eventually reconnected, not surprisingly I was informed that "Oops, something seems to have gone wrong
It looks like something has gone wrong. Our award-winning support team are here to help. Call us on 0800 432 0200"

G6JPG-0 - I can still maintain reasonable internet connection, if I do not attempt to use the telephone.

[#7]

@caulbox Sorry I'm taking you on a roundabout journey - I'm no longer a PN customer, and their 'help' system has been massively 'improved' for the worse, I'm going on how it used to be when I was here.

@MisterW - any chance of pointing the HT over here?

[#8]

I'll try escalating it...

[#9]

If the line test is “intrusive” it WILL disconnect the broadband.

There is a long history of the line fault tester reporting a test failure … having raised a fault report. After that event can you find an open fault ticket? See the ticket link below.

[#10]

Townman - No I only have 2 closed (almost identical) tickets dated 2 June and 4 June. I've tried to copy the substance of the tickets and paste them here FYI.... but this forum seems to regard such a post as SPAM  so I can't? Basically, the tickets were just repeating that the fault reports had been closed.

[#11]

G6JPG-0 - I can still maintain reasonable internet connection, if I do not attempt to use the telephone.

Just a clutching-at-straws: could there be a fault with your actual telephone (the "instrument" as the Post Office used to call it), or your extension wiring? Have you tried a different 'phone, directly into the master socket? Just a thought …

Though the fault being cleared after (you think) the engineer went to the exchange, and now having recurred, sounds like it isn't that. I'm guessing he might have given you a different core in an elderly cable, and now that core is failing, but that might be completely wrong.

[#12]

Hi G6JPG-0 - Yeah the first thing I tried was a different phone. You'll also see in my original topic ("Faulty phone line - URGENT request for assistance topic" 30-10-2023) that before the engineer had visited I even tried 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 either. After reading your comments, I've now also just tried unplugging my ADSL Filter and plugging my phone directly into the master socket on the wall instead. Again no difference.

I think the only thing that the engineer changed in my home was a replacement of what he said was quite an old phone socket on the wall with a new Openreach Master Socket 5C. But after he'd repeatedly been unable to cure the problem, he did tell me that he would probably need to visit the exchange. Hence I was not expecting a cure on that day. What did confuse me however is that (if I recall correctly) when I asked how long I might have to wait before my phone was fixed, he seemed to tell me that he'd phone my mobile to update me on any progress! Not only have I never had a mobile, but how could he possibly know the number even if I had? Again I'm showing my tech ignorance, but could my Plusnet Broadband Line Rental account have been confused with something else (whenever I log in to Plusnet I've never understood why I see a box saying Mobile SIM Only Your Plusnet Mobile account is this way.Go to Mobile Login) . Anyway, after half an hour or so the engineer returned and confidently told me that I could plug in my telephone, and expect to hear a dialing tone again!

Incidentally, just to update my current situation. Since this morning, the phone line which had been constantly hissing loudly, and disconnecting me whenever I lifted the handset, seems to have now become quite quiet and without a dialing tone, and I no longer get immediately disconnected as I did. Also for the last couple of days my line attenuation (which once was steady at 10.9/21.0) seems to now be settling at around 25.8/29.0.

[#13]

@caulbox I had a response to my escalation. One of the Plusnet Help team will be picking this up shortly.

[#14]

Thanks MisterW (and jab1)

[#15]

Sorry to hear this @caulbox 

I've run a few tests down the line and whilst the phone test didn't find anything our broadband tests have

We'll need to arrange an engineer visit to investigate further. Can you respond to the ticket I've updated on your account?