Late Night Exchange Line Testing

[lob184]

I have BT/Openreach fibre broadband to cabinet, with copper to the house. Connected to the line is a broadband modem, cordless digital phone and an alarm system which I believe to be analogue.

Every week, on various days, at approximately 22:00 hrs the line 'drops' for about 2/3 seconds, which causes the alarm to produce an internal audible warning that there is no live phone line. I am told that this is due to line testing at the exchange.

I have reported this as a fault, without success, the line keeps dropping.

Would anyone be able to help please?

[Keith_Beddoe]

@lob184 

I assume you get your phone service from BT Retail?

As far as I am aware, BT Retail no longer do overnight line testing, for the reasons you mention. It sounds like another issue.

What does your master phone socket look like, and where is it located in the house?

[lob184]

I have socket number 6, located in the hallway.

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@lob184 wrote:

I have socket number 6, located in the hallway.

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They have been known to cause intermittent faults, especially if someone walks past them. They also have a large number of electronic components which can fail.

You nee to prove this by taking it apart, and plugging a microfilter into the "real" test socket as shown on this picture.

Once you can see the test socket, then connect it up as shown below, and see if you still get the disconnections.

I assume your alarm system plugs into the same place as your phone, via some form of splitter?

[lob184 · Accepted solution]

Thank you for all your help. I will give it a try.

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@lob184 wrote:

Thank you for all your help. I will give it a try.

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It may also depend on where your alarm unit is connected. If its wired to the "extension" terminals on the back of the bottom removable section, then that plugs into the rest of the assembly, and the connections can get a layer of film on the connection which can cause a loss of the line to the alarm unit. A contact cleaning spray like Servisol can help to clean the connection

You may also find that after you have taken it apart, and put it back together, the problem goes away.  I wonder is someone does walk past that socked at about the same time in the evening as you get the problem?