No Phone but have Broadband???

[pion05]

Hi

I have had this problem for a while but do not use land line phone so only discovered it lately.

I have no dial tone and can not dial out or recieve calls...if you phone my land line number you would believe that it was working since it is making the ringing sound. (My mum as thought I was ignoring her for weeks!)

I have good broadband connection full capacity for my area.

I have plugged 3 working phones directly into test line; I have disconneted the second line coming off the main box to eliminate all interference, still no joy.

I would like to point out that I live in a old house and the line comes into the house through a junction box that says G.P.0. on it, so dates back to when the post office fitted phones I take it. it leaves this junction box and go to my main box that as a phone plug.

B.T. detects a fault but have said that if engineers come out to the exchange and the problem is not there they will charge me £99; I do not £99 to gamble with.

2 things confuse me: Firstly there are 2 lines coming into the house 1 that is incoming, 1 outgoing, both working fine with broadband but not phone. Secondly when BT run their online fault test test it comes back that the fault iis in or near my house, yet over the phone say probably exchange but if not will charge £99.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Keith_Beddoe]

If a phone does not work at the "test" socket, then the fault is external to your property, and you will not be charged.

There is a help page here.

Fixing phone faults

[pion05]

Thanks Keith_Beddoe for your quick reply, the problem I have is this  G.P.O. box junction; the people I have spoken to on the fault reporting line have said that I am covered up until the G.P.O. junction box not my main socket (which they outreach or whoever fitted) and I do not know of any way of testing this?

[Keith_Beddoe]

You are only responsible for any wiring after the "test" socket as shown here.

[pion05]

Thanks again Keith_Beddoe is there anywhere on their web site that states that this is the case, I have had quite a few discussions with them today and they keep telling me it is the junction box not the "test" socket.

Would rather have something tangible in writing before letting them report the case to their engineers and be stuck with a bill I can not pay or have to argue I sould not pay.

[Keith_Beddoe]

I am not aware of where it says, but the test socket is the Openreach demarcation point.

By all means see what other people say on this forum, I am sure other people will tell you the same thing. BT have to mention a possible charge.

[pion05]

I do trust what you are sayng Keith_Beddoe; I have had so many battles with BT that I now know that having something in writing that can be pointed to saves alot of time and energy.

I just would like something from BT that states what is the case before the case so that I can make an informed decision before entering into a contract with them.

Thanks agian

[Keith_Beddoe]

I am just a BT customer, but this issue has been raised many times before, and if you have done all of the tests as shown on the BT help page, and you cannot get any phone to work in the test socket, then you should be fine.

[Devon_Dave]

I can confirm what Keith says, openreach are responsible for the wiring up to and including that main socket with the test point. That intermediate GPO point is more than likely what is known as a block terminal, it could be used for a number of things. A method of converting an external type cable to an internal type, the phone socket has been moved to a new position at some point, the wring was damaged at some time and this was used to repair the connection. You would be charged for the visit if the wiring or connection points are damaged or wet within the confines of your property.

[nophonethanks]

I have had exactly the same phone problem for all but 3 days in the last 27. Broadband yes, dialling tone no. Not even interference on the line. Just a dead line.

They came and "fixed" it once but the problem came back in 3 days. It's been another 19 days since the "fix" with no landline phone.

It sounds a common fault but it's obviously too much for BT and Openreach.

And what's this guff I read about blaming Openreach and say they've no connection with BT. Presumably BT contract Openreach to do the work. That hardly means BT and Openreach aren't linked.