Home phone goes fuzzy and Internet is dropping out.

[Gliwmaeden2]

When landline is in use [not very often these days....] the call starts relatively clear, but quickly deteriorates with annoying fuzzy noises and causes the Internet to drop out.

All the rest of the time, the Internet is fine, so this is nothing to do with wifi etc.

It's a fault showing affecting the internet service only when using the landline - the diagnostics via My Connection at the weekend were no help at all.

That case was:

 

I am at home but not able to chat on the community due to teaching students this afternoon. You could start looking into it, however. 

Both the crackling on Saturday evening and today, Tuesday, were while on calls from a fellow Talktalk customer. 

[Mandisa-TT]

@Gliwmaeden2 Thank you for your feedback, and I’m glad to hear that your service has been restored! I understand your perspective regarding the timing of the home checks, and I apologize for any frustration this may have caused.
 

We aim to provide timely updates, and I appreciate your patience throughout this process. I’m here to ensure you have a smoother experience moving forward, and I will relay your feedback to my manager to improve our communication regarding updates in the future.
 

If you have any further concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you again for your understanding!

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Mandisa-TT, running through checks at home would have been a waste of my time - which is why I asked whether you'd had any updates from Openreach. 

There have been no further updates from Talktalk, but I came home at lunchtime to find it all sorted. Working now.

So thankfully I got some other things done - it would only be necessary for me to cancel life and run the checks once Openreach had finished sorting the wider problem. 

I tried phoning this morning [my mobile thinks the 03451 720088 number is a scam number - doesn't like it] and got through to the text then chat with the bot. No human materialised but a formal message did show up to say that they were on the case. That was reassuring, and that was all I'd been needing to try to do via the forum. 

[Mandisa-TT]

I truly apologize for the inconvenience you’re experiencing with the total loss of service. 

To ensure we can effectively run the necessary checks, it may be important for you to be at home when we proceed. If possible, please let us know your availability so we can coordinate accordingly and restore your service as quickly as possible.

[Gliwmaeden2]

Please note that since 2.52pm on Tuesday 25th November both services have been completely down.

It's a Total Loss of Service issue. 

I've now got to take my blood pressure readings.....(seriously)!

Will not be at home most of the day, so I hope I can come back to find it working.

[Mandisa-TT]

Thank you @Gliwmaeden2 I completely understand your frustration about the situation in Cambridge, especially with the ongoing roadworks and the impact they could have on your service. I apologize for the lack of updates you have experienced. I will continue with the checks.

[Gliwmaeden2]

As I said in my reply to @mandisa1-TT, there is only one socket in use and no extensions connected to old sockets in the house.

This has nothing to do with my equipment and everything to do with works at the exchange. Most of Cambridge is being dug up at the moment too so anything could be damaged by the roadworks which are right near a BT box between the exchange and my road.

I am wondering why I have not had any promised follow up information from Openreach?

Talktalk's last messages said I would be kept informed!

Please check Openreach's information, as ordinary customers don't have access to that.

[Mandisa-TT]

Thank you for the update @Gliwmaeden2 I will continue with the checks. Do you have more than one telephone wall socket in your home?

[Gliwmaeden2]

@mandisa1-TT,

I've left the phone plugged in at the test socket with the microfilter and router, but also tried the phone alone in the test socket, and both ways it's a totally dead line. Same message and beeps then silence. 

Switching off the router overnight as there's no point leaving it on while nobody's working on sorting it at the exchange. Just a waste of electricity flashing amber off and on constantly, doing no useful Internet work. 

I'll switch it back on again in the morning c 9am, before going out, so you should be able to check the line with the test socket - microfilter  - phone and router all in place after that.

As there's still no follow up message from Openreach, they cannot have made any headway yet at the exchange. 

Edit: I also unplugged the phone, so only the router to the test socket, but even with no possible interference from the phone, there's no Internet. Stuck on amber flashing light.

So both phone and Internet completely down. 

There'd been one or two drop outs around midnight in the past week but they didn't seem to last long - precursor of this though?

[Gliwmaeden2]

Strangely there was no time between lessons, while struggling to get a mobile signal to send the above....

Perhaps waiting for the updates would be the better option and I will get on with the next lessons. I teach till nearly 9pm, so not amused at losing my supper break trying to find out what's going on.

[ferguson]

Dare I ask if you have tried at the test socket?

[Gliwmaeden2]

At 5.38pm, Tuesday 25th November, it is still not working. 

I did see Openreach vans in a nearby street, but that's not near the exchange. Looks like they have left me with a total mess:

Router constantly flashing on amber.

"Please check line cord" showing on phone.

If I lift the receiver it gives 4 rapid beeps and then is completely dead. 

I'd say they cannot possibly have finished the work at the exchange. 

A text message popped up this afternoon at 2.52pm [Tuesday].

Bearing in mind I had not actually "called" them (but I had completed one of their feedback forms, sent to me at 12.03 at my billing address, to tell them that no, the problem from Saturday 22nd had not been resolved).

TalkTalk update: "Hello, thank you for calling us. We're working hard to fix the problem in your area and we'll text you with an update as soon as we can. We're very sorry for the inconvenience. (Please do not reply to this SMS, this is an automated service)".

There's also an email that came in at the same time as the above text:

"Hello,Thanks for getting in touch. We're working hard to fix the problem in your area and to get you back up and running. We'll be in touch with an update soon. 

Thank you for your patience."

They have not been in touch with any updates since.

In answer to your questions:

1. No active monitoring....

2. Only the Openreach mastersocket is in use, and using your microfilter at that socket.

There's nothing about it on Service Status Dashboard. We used to get a heads up for planned maintenance there, but those notices have become fewer in recent months....

My mobile data with Three is a very feeble service, so I really have nothing to fall back on, other than going out to find less secure public wifi or finding an open bank branch to log into the Internet with a more secure password..... not many of these around, and not practical if I  need to give an online music lesson!

So day one of complete loss of service. 

I'll not be in during the morning, but grateful if you can check for any updates as nothing has come in.

[mandisa1-TT]

It seems there was planned engineering work that was affecting your local exchange, however the work has finished, so you should not be experiencing any issues. 
Can you please answer the below for me, when you can: 
1. Do you have any active monitoring for life threatening health reasons which is solely dependent upon your TalkTalk Broadband or Telephone line?
2. Do you have more than one telephone wall socket in your home?

[mandisa1-TT]

Hi there @Gliwmaeden2 I will look into this for you.