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Home phone not ringing

FIXED
rvw88
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Thanks: 11
Registered: ‎24-03-2020

Home phone not ringing

My problem is that the phone is not ringing on an incoming call.

Line is good, getting dialling tone and can phone out OK.

Tried the suggestion of calling it from a mobile and picking up the phone when hearing the ringing tone on the mobile.

Not connecting to the mobile call.

Borrowed my neighbours phone to check, still no joy.

Automated phone checker says no fault found.

Any help would be very much appreciated 

 

21 REPLIES 21
198kHz
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 5,755
Thanks: 2,813
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Registered: ‎30-07-2008

Re: Home phone not ringing

@rvw88 

Hmmm, intriguing.

If you can make calls, but cannot answer even when there's ring tone on the mobile, it would suggest a ringing problem in the exchange, which would be fairly simple for Openreach to fix.

If you know how to access the master test socket behind the faceplate, that would be the next thing to try.

A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simpler system that worked just fine
Zen SOGEA 40/10 + Digital Voice   FRITZ!Box 7530
BT technician (Retired)
2u2me
Pro
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Registered: ‎27-09-2013

Re: Home phone not ringing

Also dial 17070, just to confirm its your number.

198kHz
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 5,755
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Registered: ‎30-07-2008

Re: Home phone not ringing

@2u2me Ah yes, good point!

A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simpler system that worked just fine
Zen SOGEA 40/10 + Digital Voice   FRITZ!Box 7530
BT technician (Retired)
rvw88
Dabbler
Posts: 11
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Registered: ‎24-03-2020

Re: Home phone not ringing

Thanks for your input.

I dialed the 17070 and it confirmed my number OK

rvw88
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Thanks: 11
Registered: ‎24-03-2020

Re: Home phone not ringing

I have just removed the cover on the master socket and pluged the phone directly into, still no joy.

198kHz
Seasoned Hero
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Registered: ‎30-07-2008

Re: Home phone not ringing


@rvw88 wrote:

Tried the suggestion of calling it from a mobile and picking up the phone when hearing the ringing tone on the mobile.


And while you're listening to the ring tone on the mobile, do you get dial tone when you pick up the landline phone?

A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simpler system that worked just fine
Zen SOGEA 40/10 + Digital Voice   FRITZ!Box 7530
BT technician (Retired)
rvw88
Dabbler
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Registered: ‎24-03-2020

Re: Home phone not ringing

Yes, dial tone and can call a number

Very mysterious

198kHz
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 5,755
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Re: Home phone not ringing


@rvw88 wrote:

Very mysterious


It certainly is!

Sorry to sound pedantic, but it's a crucial point -

Are you saying that when you make a test call from the mobile, you can pick up the phone and get dial tone at the same time that you're hearing the ring tone?

Another thing to try - dial 17070 and choose Option 1 for ringback.

A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simpler system that worked just fine
Zen SOGEA 40/10 + Digital Voice   FRITZ!Box 7530
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Townman
Superuser
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Re: Home phone not ringing

Has this line been the ‘subject’ of a recent provider migration?

I recall an incident a few months back of a user moving from Virgin to Plusnet. Somewhere in call routing the number migration got screwed up. The user could make outbound calls on the Plusnet line and the correct CLI was displayed on the phone receiving the call. If the called phone returned the call, the phone on the Virgin line rang.

It therefore seem possible for a line to be capable of making outbound calls ... but an error in call switching / routing to cause inbound calls to not terminate on the right line.

Clearly I do not know if this applies here, but it is a potential cause of what is being reported. The answer to the ring back test will be interesting as I believe that is an in exchange ring current test, having no dependence on called number routing.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

rvw88
Dabbler
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Registered: ‎24-03-2020

Re: Home phone not ringing

Yes, I too switched from Virgin to Plusnet and kept the original number

As soon as my Wife 'releases' the phone I will try the  ring back option as suggesterd by 198kHz.

Townman
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Home phone not ringing

Fix

Also is the Virgin line still in service?

Can you put a phone hand set on that line and see if there is still a dial tone?

If there is can you try ringing your number from your mobile and see if the call is inbound on the Virgin line?

 

Is it is, then this gives Plusnet an exact profile to escalate to the BT Number Porting Team.

 

After a quick Google this looks relevant https://community.bt.com/t5/Landline/Transferring-number-from-Virgin/td-p/1926640

Has your Virgin service been terminated yet?

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

rvw88
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Registered: ‎24-03-2020

Re: Home phone not ringing

I did not give a thought to that, I think my contract end middle  of April 

Stupid me, sorry for causing you all problems( that don't actually exist) 🙊

Townman
Superuser
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Re: Home phone not ringing

If you do not know, then the question is not stupid.  The important thing here is that you have a clear profile on the problem, which avoids nugatory support effort and even a BT Openreach engineer visit.

 

HOWEVER I would not rest on my laurels here.  I would want to be assured that when Virgin terminates the service that the inter-CP call routing gets sorted properly.  The last time we saw this it did go a little pear-shaped.  Personally I do not comprehend how there can be two active lines having the same number.

@Gandalf - does this need some TLC or a watching brief … or will it all turn out OK in the rinse cycle when Virgin terminate service?  To me it seems odd that BT can provision a service on a number which is presently held by another network provider.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

198kHz
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Registered: ‎30-07-2008

Re: Home phone not ringing


@rvw88 wrote:

Stupid me, sorry for causing you all problems( that don't actually exist) 🙊


No worries - anyone would have reasonably assumed that when the transfer to Plusnet took place, that was the end of it.

Certainly had me fooled; I blame the fact that I retired from BT 21 years ago, before Openreach, switching ISPs and number porting.

A big thank you to @Townman for stepping in and finding the solution.

A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simpler system that worked just fine
Zen SOGEA 40/10 + Digital Voice   FRITZ!Box 7530
BT technician (Retired)