This page may be able to tell you if a fault exists on your own wiring or equipment.
If you have reported a fault your service provider should tell you to do this first test:
Your service providers line testing equipment is very sophisticated and rarely wrong, if you have been told that there is a fault in the property or a ca (customer apparatus) fault then it is very likely there is a fault.
Phone Line Checks..... this will help you do some initial checks
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This is the type of phone socket supplied by service providers and is named the NTE (network termination equipment) which should be the first socket in the premises, this is what decides who owns the wiring and who is responsible for repairs.
The socket consists of two parts
The main socket (owned by the service provider)
which is the part secured to the wall (in blue) and the
Front Plate (your part of the phone socket)
which is secured to the main socket with 2 front pate screws |
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The test socket
Remove the front plate by removing the 2 front plate screws and you will see the test socket shown left
Insert a phone in to the test socket. If you have clear dial tone here then your internal wiring is at fault.
If you still have no dial tone or it is still faulty then it is possibly ** the responsibility of the service provider to repair
Please also be vigilant
If any part of the main socket is damaged and or damp, corroded or tampered with charges may apply. |
You may not have the socket above fitted, it may look like the below picture.
If so then you will not be able to test your line without removing the extension wiring from behind if any attached |
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** This test is not a 100% guarantee that you will not be charged, some other factors may be involved for example:
Someone has wired extensions at or before the test socket
External/internal damage to the wiring that feeds the first socket,
service providers call this damage or 3rd party damage.
The test socket is not the first socket in the property, and there are other sockets and wiring before this. |
If in any doubt call us
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Some possible Faults
Fault |
Cause |
Noisy crackly line
(some say like frying eggs) |
Internal or external fault
check at test socket |
No Dial tone |
Internal or external fault
check at test socket |
Intermittent Noisy line |
Internal or external fault
check at test socket when fault occurs |
Intermittent noise on line with
changes to the weather |
Most likely external fault
Still check at test socket |
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Over hearing crossed line |
if you have only one line coming in to the property. Most likely external fault
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Broadband works but phone line is dead |
One leg disconnected. External or internal fault. Broadband works on only one of the two wires that supply your phone line
still check at test socket |
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Out going calls ok but no incoming call |
This is most likely an exchange fault or a
call divert on your line
Contact your service provider
You may even have a different phone number especially if you are receiving unwanted calls asking for a person unknown |
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Faint line |
90% of the time this is due to too many phones plugged in 3-4 is usually the max Try unplugging some |
ADSL connection heard over line
(Happens frequently) |
This may be due to faulty installed wiring (star wired), wiring contact fault, faulty or no ADSL filter fitted on plugged in phone, ADSL equipment faulty (earth) sky box or other equipment (laptop, gaming machine, desktop computer, fax machine etc) faulty ... Unplug everything |
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* Advisory note:-
We always recommend that you seek advise from a qualified telecoms engineer to undertake installation and/or repairs to your property wiring. |
For Broadband Faults click here |
For more advice or help do not hesitate to contact us
or
see our PDF information files below
NTE5a explained
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We hope this page will help you in some way and save you some money.
If you found this "Self Check" page useful and would like to leave feed-back for others to have confidence in the checks above, or you would like to add to this page, to help others then please do not hesitate to email us |
| Customers feed-back |
"the guides and check lists you provide on your site are of great value to any novice!" Thank you H |
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