Phone disconnects DSL

[petoola]

We have had DSL for about 2 months now and ever since then we get disconnected when we pick up the phone. If the phone rings and we don't answer it, it's fine. It's only when we pick up the phone.

Verizon tested our lines and claim the problem is on our our end not theirs. They told us we need to replace all the lines in our home, even the ones that are brand new. Well we did testing of our own to try and narrow down which line it was. We have 3 phone lines. We disconnected (at the pole...we live in a mobile home) each line seperatly and no matter which one wasn't connected it still disconnected when we picked up the phone. I have a hard time believing all three lines are crap.

So I'm hoping to find another thing that we could check because logically this doesn't seem possible. My son plays online games and he keeps flipping out any time anyone uses the phone. We have 3 teenagers living with us so NOT using the phone isn't an option. Does anybody have any ideas to help me prevent a war in my house?

Thanks,
Carrie

 

[Grenage]

Hi, I would give your telco a call, it's their problem really. We had it once here and they managed to sort it out for us.

 

[Grenage]

Hi, I would give your telco a call, it's their problem really. We had it once here and they managed to sort it out for us.

 

[smah]

I may be remembering wrong, but...

I seem to recall hearing about someone having this problem. If I remember correctly, the root cause ended up being one particular telephone in the house. And if I remember correctly, it didn't have to be the one that was actually answered. Is there any way you could borrow a different phone, then work by process of elimination to switch and test all your phones?

 

[petoola]

First of all the phone company won't touch any lines after the pole. They say it's our responsibility. And we did do testing that eliminated each phone to try and narrow it down to which one it was. But it kept happening no matter which phone wasn't plugged in.

Carrie

 

[bcastner]

The phone company will look at your in-house wiring for a fee. I agree that they will not do it for free.

If you want to explore the issue more yourself:

Go to Radio Shack or your large chain Hardware store and purchase an inexpensive telephone line tester. Check each outlet for correct wiring.

Check each phone outlet to make certain a microfilter is attached.

Drop a new cable run just for the DSL connection to the computer.

Make certain that you have are using a real distribution access point connection or punch down block at the point where the pole wires enter your home. Make certain that there is only 1 wire to 1 wire connection for any connection, and that you do not have multiple wires connected together with something like a wire nut.

 

[bcastner]

Oh, and check that the phone system has a legitmate earth ground.

 

[beardyboy]

SOunds like the phone is connected in its own Phone port. Each phone socket in your house that you intend to use a phone in requires a ADSL Micro-Filter (about £4-5) this seperates the signal and will stop the ADSL line dropping when someone uses the phone.

 

[petoola]

Well we have a filter on each phone line in the house and the DSL carrier suggested an outdoor splitter so we have that too. Of course that didn't work.

 

[petoola]

Now they are telling us we need to put a Cat 3 line for the computer line and that will help. Does that even make sense that it would make any difference if we used a regular phone line for a cat 3 line?

 

[bcastner]

It does make some sense, as the line is less prone to interference than a regular phone cord. You could use Cat 3 or Cat 5, and any radio shack or Home Depot should have small lengths.

BTW, if they did install a true splitter outside, you do not need the microfilters on the other phones.

 

[JasiV]

There are three things that most likely can cause this. There is some device connected to your dsl phone line in your premise other than your dsl modem that does not have a dsl filter on it. There is a ckt board in the demarc at your premise that belongs to telco to simulate a phone for their testing purposes that is defective. Last, a dsl filter in your premise or the one in the telco central office is defective. Telco can test remotely for most physical faults to your line when you call them, so that could be ruled out. If you can, try connecting directly to your demarc with modem and a filtered phone with all premise wire disconnected. If it still happens let them know what you did and they will come. They will most likely charge you for coming if they find it ok from the demarc to their network, so be sure. They will have to simulate your problem from the demarc to be sure. So, they may need access to your premise if your demarc is inside.

 

[petoola]

Ok here is a really strange thing that might help figure it out. My husband talked to the phone company Friday and they did some sort of test on the line to see if it was clear. Then from then on it worked. For the first time since we got DSL in February it didn't disconnect when we used the phone.

Life was good. But I knew it seemed too good to be true. LOL Then today our power went out and it started doing it again. It's not all the time but sporadic now.

Ok so now this tells me that this MUST have something to do with the phone company and whatever they did to the line when they checked it. I can't imagine what they could do to the line from the office that would fix it, but there is no way this is a coincidence.

Does that narrow anything down for anybody?

Carrie

 

[kapper]

ok just a shot in the dark but i herd of this problem before and all it was
if you have call waiting on your phone OR pc turn it off
i hope this helps