Sky/phone Issue

[astormatt]

Hello everyone,

Ok so I have a bit of an issue with the phone lines on a job i am doing.

Basically there are 3 points in the house being in the office, hallway and lounge.

There has been an issue for months that if they plugged a phone into an outlet it was dead, but the internet router still works fine.

So this morning I ripped it apart, checked continuity, re did connections etc got a dial tone at all 3 points but as soon as I plugged the phone into the sockets the router would drop out.

The router is plugged into the master with a filter fitted, so i tried the phone in the points with another filter and the phones works and the router stays connected.

But as soon as I plugged the sky box in, it says phone line not connected and everything drops out, it does it with and without an ADSL filter fitted.

Can somebody please throw some suggestions my way as its really annoying me!!

I bet its something really simple but I am pretty useless fault finding on phones.

Cheers Matt

 

[ProDave]

Faulty sky box (phone sky for that one)

OR the wrong phone lead has been used on the sky box. there are aparantly 2 sorts of identical looking leads, but with different connections, and someone in the past may have used the wrong one.

If it's only ONE sky box in use, then just don't plug it in.

If there are two sky boxes, the sky multiroom contract requires you to have both connected to the same phone line, so if you are 100% sure the sockets are fine, throw it back to sky as their problem to sort out. But if there are 2 sky boxes, verify, by swapping them over that it is indeed one of the sky boxes at fault.

 

[steptoe]

AFAIAA there are 2 different types of filter depending on how close/far from the exchange you are, [ie, passive or active]

dunno if it makes a difference these days, but it used to make a massive difference, are you using the right filters and not simply one that they have got?

then again, I may be talking total tripe as usual. :|

 

[steptoe]

I assume you do realise you NEED a filter at every point, and not just on the router.

this includes on the sky box too

 

[astormatt]

Thanks for the replies, it gives me something to go on.

To be honest i did not realise you can get 2 types of filters, i am unsure what type the router is plugged into but the sky is plugged into an ADSL type he bought today from B&Q.

Thanks again both

 

[Steve3948]

Well if you have a dial tone that's odd if its a broadband line because without filter you should get a hissing sound, but dialling a number will still work, adding filters to every point where you have a device should allow that device to work.

If its only 3 points, amounts should not be an issue, do you have terminal 3 connected from master to slaves, try without if you do.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

You will still hear the dial tone without a filter fitted, the filter is primarily to block out any annoying background data hiss while you are talking.

I am inclined to think ProDaves suggestion is most likely....

If you have proved every phone point, Dialed out and rung in with everything else disconnected you have proved the "physical" cable is all ok...

If you have then done the same with the router connected then you have proved BOTH phone & router..

If it only goes AWOL when sky is plugged in ..

then skybox Or lead must be culprit?

I have had a faulty filter knock out a phone before now, with BT hub router still working..

but you say Router & phone work OK??

It is worth noting for future reference that filters that have been in use for a while can go faulty

AND they can be susceptible to lightening surge damaging the internal components.

Also strictly speaking the router itself should not need a filter connected, unless you have a phone plugged into the same socket...

As the data side of the filter is just a direct through connection to the phone line...

i.e. Filters are needed on ALL telephones connected, They filter off the high frequencies from reaching the telephone handset....

The other devices connected into the other half of the filter get all frequencies passed

to them including the low frequency telephone signals... 300Hz - 3400Hz.

as they have a direct connection internally.

If you open up a filter & have look,they is sod all inside anyway!..

 

[Steve3948]

You will still hear the dial tone without a filter fitted, the filter is primarily to block out any annoying background data hiss while you are talking.

That's what I was indicating you won't just get a dial tone,you will also get the annoying background data hiss.

Does sound like a Sky box or lead issue.

 

[bryanh]

Have you also tried connecting the sky box and only the sky box to see if it works without any phones filters connected ? I believe in trying everything by it self before blaming one item