How can I get a clear phone line?
July 7, 2010 12:08 PM Subscribe
Under normal circumstances our phones crackle, so it’s difficult to hear what people are saying. The line is clear if the router and computers are off and the phones are connected, or if the router is on and the computers are off and one phone is connected. In either case if we turn on one more component we loose the clarity. This seems to show that the fault is internal rather than with BT's line. What can we do to obtain clear phone lines whilst also running our router and computers?
This is a 2 storey house in London, England; the BT line from the telegraph pole splits and serves independent wall phone sockets on each floor.
Top floor
Connected to wall phone socket is a DSL filter, model Z350UK.
2 cables are connected to this filter:
1) Cable to router o2 Wireless Box II, SSID o2wireless8201DF.
2) Cable to RFI filter GC5238/051206-R.
A double plug is plugged into this RFI filter.
2 cables are connected to this double plug:
1) Cable to a landline phone BT Decor 1300.
2) Long cable to the back of the house to a landline phone Telcom 340.
Router has 3 cables going to 3 computers:
1) DELL Dimension C521 in room next door.
2) DELL Dimension 3000 in room at back of house.
3) DELL Dimension 5150 downstairs.
Ground floor
Connected to wall phone socket is an ADSL filter.
Cable from filter into Philips Kala Vox 300 phone base station with one cordless handset.
(2nd handset is connected to electricity supply in the hall).
This is a 2 storey house in London, England; the BT line from the telegraph pole splits and serves independent wall phone sockets on each floor.
Top floor
Connected to wall phone socket is a DSL filter, model Z350UK.
2 cables are connected to this filter:
1) Cable to router o2 Wireless Box II, SSID o2wireless8201DF.
2) Cable to RFI filter GC5238/051206-R.
A double plug is plugged into this RFI filter.
2 cables are connected to this double plug:
1) Cable to a landline phone BT Decor 1300.
2) Long cable to the back of the house to a landline phone Telcom 340.
Router has 3 cables going to 3 computers:
1) DELL Dimension C521 in room next door.
2) DELL Dimension 3000 in room at back of house.
3) DELL Dimension 5150 downstairs.
Ground floor
Connected to wall phone socket is an ADSL filter.
Cable from filter into Philips Kala Vox 300 phone base station with one cordless handset.
(2nd handset is connected to electricity supply in the hall).
The Kala Vox is a DECT phone, actually-- the European cordless phone standard, 1.8-1.9GHz. It shouldn't be the problem unless something is very wrong with it. I support this "unplug everything and then plug items in one at a time, then in sequence, to see where everything breaks down" troubleshooting, though. Make sure you keep good notes while you're doing it.
I have to wonder if there's just too many devices on the line-- going over the ringer equivalence number limit can sometimes cause odd problems.
It probably wouldn't hurt to call BT and have them check the line up to the house if it won't cost you anything, too.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 12:59 PM on July 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have to wonder if there's just too many devices on the line-- going over the ringer equivalence number limit can sometimes cause odd problems.
It probably wouldn't hurt to call BT and have them check the line up to the house if it won't cost you anything, too.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 12:59 PM on July 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you have a few phone outlets, one is your main outlet. You should connect through that.
posted by Iteki at 1:04 PM on July 7, 2010
posted by Iteki at 1:04 PM on July 7, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cosmicbandito at 12:33 PM on July 7, 2010