Crackling on cordless phone and broadband issue

[JanetThomas]

We have a set of 4 cordless BT advanced phones. They were bought in January 2019 to replace an earlier model. Within the last couple of months the slight crackling on the phone line (whichever handset you use) has become so loud the phone is virtually unusable, both for incoming and outgoing calls. Also the broadband seems to go off every time the phone is used (flashes orange). It comes back after 5-10 minutes. Do I need an engineer to come and look at this?

[Keith_Beddoe]

@JanetThomas 

You will need to check at the test socket first, to make sure the fault is external, and not in your house. This is to avoid a possible charge.

[JanetThomas]

Thank you. So which is the test socket and how do you test it?

[Keith_Beddoe]

What does your master phone socket look like?

Or

[JanetThomas]

It's No. 5 in your set of pictures.

[JanetThomas]

Although it's not quite the same - ours has "Openreach" on it but doesn't look like the "Openreach" sockets in your diagram.

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@JanetThomas wrote:

Although it's not quite the same - ours has "Openreach" on it but doesn't look like the "Openreach" sockets in your diagram.

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If you remove the front cover, the test socket will be visible. Just plug your phone into that test socket, and see if you can still hear the cracking.

You will lose the broadband connection while the cover is off, unless you have a spare microfilter you can plug into the test socket.

If you do have a spare microfilter, then connect it up like this.

[JanetThomas]

Thank you. I tried that this morning - the crackling is just as bad when the phone is plugged in to the socket with the cover off. 

[licquorice]

Then you need to report the fault and get an engineer visit.

Don't mention the broadband fault, just report it as a noisy phone fault. It will get repaired quicker and once the noisy line is fixed your broadband will be ok.