SMARTHUB2 - No Dial Tone on 431A Socket

[WSH]

When I was switched it was three months before the copper line was actually turned off.  Also, are you aware that you could back-up the config on your WAP before you reset it?  That would make it straight forward to turn it back into the WAP later.

[jfs99]

That's a good point. I've used backup/restore a few times on the main SH2 but it didn't occur to me to do it on the one I use as a WAP. Going to do this now. For anyone else who's interested in using their spare hub as a WAP I recommend this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc9N1dUGdlA

UPDATE - Performed factory reset on second SH2 and connected in-line to replace the suspect SH2. Connected to VDSL immediately but DV still not configured. Still no dial tone on the green socket.

Obvious conclusion - The problem lies with the DV connection, not with the SH2.

For my money the BT side of things has been switched. They just need somebody from OR to complete the connection in the cabinet. But what do I know?

Any further thoughts from anyone else?

[licquorice]

It has nothing to do with the cabinet.

BT have not activated DV correctly

[iniltous]

As stated , nothing to do with a visit to the cabinet , moving to DV shouldn’t need any physical intervention, for one thing that’s an unnecessary expense , millions of visits , which woukd be to the exchange rather than the cabinet anyway , to disconnect the physical ‘jumpers’ …these are simply left in place with the PSTN equipment switched off .

You may well be onto something though , if ‘BT’ thought you had an older router connected when you in fact had a SH2, and when the ‘access’ your line they don’t see any equipment connected, when you are able to get on line …that suggests to me some sort of data error , to over simplify , if you are recorded as being on port 1 of the FTTC cabinet , but physically connected to port 2 , if port 1 is set up with DV with your information regarding your directory number , your router won’t  be connected to that , but the PSTN service is completed anyway , hence you having neither DV or PSTN ….AFAIK, the serial number of the router is irrelevant in the authentication process .

A flaw in my suggestion would be how your PSTN service was OK , if you were cross connected to the wrong port as the PSTN passes through this equipment so on the wrong port would mean no PSTN or the incorrect PSTN service , presumably your incoming PSTN telephone service was OK , you were getting incoming calls successfully, 

[jfs99]

Thanks, iniltous. Can we infer anything from the fact that there is still a classic "number unobtainable" / "out of service" tone being generated on the incoming copper pair? This signal is there both sides of the filter in the Master Socket 5C. When I checked my neighbour's BT installation there was no such analogue tone anywhere. This is what makes me think that my copper pair is still somehow physically connected to a PSTN line that has been disconnected further upstream. Naturally I shall try to convey this information to the BT call centre on Monday morning. What can I say to non-technical people reading from scripts and applying algorithms that will get this routed quickly to the right folks?

[iniltous]

I recon the thing that can be inferred is your phone number  appearance on the PSTN switch has now been removed (arguably too early as the migration to the IP service hasn’t been completed ) so in effect anyone calling your directory number is still routed to the PSTN network but as your number no longer exists there , it returns NU tone ,  (  and if you try to make a call yourself using the PSTN service , unobtainable tone )  , when the migration is completed successfully any incoming call would  be routed to the IP appearance of your number and via your hub , your phone  would ring , and you would be able to make calls …….as stated earlier,  50v /conditions can remain on the copper pair long after a successful migration to DV and apparently those in limbo between the two services .

I do think the issues you had , as far as BT ‘seeing’ the wrong type of router connected and then saying you are not currently connected to the ‘internet’ which were both obviously incorrect are part of the same issue that has resulted in the failure of the migration to DV , leaving you not successfully connected to either PSTN or DV , and anecdotally it seems once issues occur fixing them isn’t straightforward….as you say , customer ‘guides’ rarely have a technical background , so them advising the appropriate ‘DV’ team within BT is essential to a quick resolution, hopefully they won’t suggest switching the router off and on or ‘give it a day or two’ , it’s not likely to simply start to work , intervention will almost certainly be necessary 

[jfs99]

Spoke to BT again and got through to what I think was the DV connections team in Accrington. The guide confirmed that they still can't see any equipment connected to the VDSL. I played him the analogue NU tone on the copper pair and mentioned the suggestion that jumpers could be mis-matched in the cabinet for the configuration of the upstream systems. Consequently they've closed the original fault and are now sending out an engineer.

[iniltous]

When the Openreach tech arrives, if they are confident that they know how to resolve this , leave them to it , if they are somewhat perplexed , I’d suggest a ‘lift and shift’ , this basically moves your broadband configuration from the current ( potentially faulty ) port in the FTTC ‘cabinet’ , to another ‘clean’ port , this has the  benefits, if the port you are on is in someway faulty , you are moved away from it to another port ,and ‘refreshed’  with ‘ clean data’ if it was data corruption rather than a malfunctioning port that was the issue , hopefully the visit solves whatever it is .

[jfs99]

Thanks again. I'll do exactly what you suggest and report back.

[jfs99]

BTEE techie has attended. Checked the SH2. Checked the newly-delivered brand new SH2. Expressed surprise that it wasn't working and went away to write his report. That was three days completely wasted because I had already tried another SH2 and told them the problem was either in their DV database or the physical route into and out of the FTTC cabinet. The PSTN NU tone is still there. The DV is still dead.

He said that all the de-multiplexing of VOIP-Internet packets takes place in the SH2 meaning that if you've got broadband, then you should have DV. This can only mean that DV is not being multiplexed into the IP4 somewhere at thir end. The fact that we had the copper pair rerouted to a closer FTTC cabinet 5 years ago in order to obtain superfast broadband speeds (1500m vs 400 m) cannot, imho, be ruled out as the source of the problem. Maybe their system wasn't updated with the new cabinet details?