Broadband dropped when it starts to rain

[MG8]

This is the first time I use community so hopefully I have posted in the correct section.

Advice with my broadband connection that drops whenever it starts to rain

It's been going on for a long time and I have raised this problem to the BT helpline and either they did not understand what I am saying or there is nothing wrong with my line and say I have to pay £150 for an engineer to come out.

Basically at the onset of rain or shower , even if it's just a few drops, the broadband connection will drop with orange flashing light on the Hub. Then it will restart automatically and the connection will re-establish even if it is still raining. If the rain stops again then the connection will drop again. So, on a showery day, I don't even have to look outside to see the weather, my broadband will tell me.

I have been putting up with it for years since I rarely work from home but from this week I have to. I am a moderator for the school online lessons so really need to get this sorted out. We have a light post with wires over ground and looking very old.

I have not done any test yet since we have not have any rainy days for a while.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[Keith_Beddoe]

@MG8 

There would be no charge unless the fault is proved to be internal to your property, and even then, the charge would only be £85.

Its most likely going to be an external fault, and usually happens if your phone line comes from a telephone pole, and water is either getting into the box at the top of the pole, or int a junction box on your outside wall.

When it happens, you will most likely hear noise on your phone line which you will hear if you  dial 17070 and select option 2.

Noise on the phone line will cause low speed and disconnects. Its the noisy phone line that you need to report, as once that is fixed, the broadband will get better.

Is your phone line fed from a telephone pole, is that what you mean about a light post?

How many times have you reported this to BT?

[MG8]

Thank you for your speedy reply, Keith.

Yes, I mean a telephone pole and over the years, I have rung up about this problem at least 3 to 4 times via chat or phone.

 I assume I have to do the test on rainy day? 

Thanks

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@MG8 wrote:

Thank you for your speedy reply, Keith.

Yes, I mean a telephone pole and over the years, I have rung up about this problem at least 3 to 4 times via chat or phone.

 I assume I have to do the test on rainy day? 

Thanks

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Yes, if you can check when it rains.

[MG8]

I thought I will try the quiet test now so I can compare to a rainy day. Just did it and it started will a quiet crackling sound and then every time the voice says quiet test, the crackling sounds gets louder. After the third time, it's like someone rustling a crisps packet. I am assuming quiet should be fairly quiet.

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@MG8 wrote:
I thought I will try the quiet test now so I can compare to a rainy day. Just did it and it started will a quiet crackling sound and then every time the voice says quiet test, the crackling sounds gets louder. After the third time, it's like someone rustling a crisps packet. I am assuming quiet should be fairly quiet.

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Yes, it should be quiet, otherwise its going to have a detrimental effect on your broadband speed.

You do need to make sure that the fault is outside, although I expect it is. You can do this by checking for noise at the test socket.

What does your master phone socket look like?

[lnajr02]

Where dose the cable enter the building, if its going through the wall and that has been cemented in this can rot the installation of the cable, and when it rains this would add a earth fault to the incoming cable, This would only be visible when it damp.

[MG8]

Master socket is number 6. And I have a bt diverse with answering machine .

[MG8]

The master box was replaced may be 5+ years ago because broadband dropped when I answered a telephone call by a BT engineer. The line is through the wall and is cemented in.

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@MG8 wrote:

Master socket is number 6. And I have a bt diverse with answering machine .

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I assume the answering machine is connected directly to the phone socket on the front?

These master sockets do have a lot of internal circuitry which can cause a noise fault.

The only way to be 100% sure, is to plug a phone into the test socket which is located behind the filtered faceplate. On the picture below, its shown as the "real" test socket.

This is the first point where the line comes into your property, and its the point where you need to check for noise.

If there is noise at that point, and provided any extension wiring is connected to the extension wiring terminals. then the noise problem is going to be external.