Intermittent crackling and no caller display

[Rob_B]

Heya,

We've recently upgraded from Fast to Fibre and since the upgrade, which didn't go smoothely, we've been getting intermittent noise on the phone line and no caller display.  Oddly enough it really seems to hate when my gran phones.  This morning after she rang I did 1471 and the phone line was crackly, dialled it again immediately and the phone line was clear.

Not everytime there's noise is there not caller display, but it seems whenever there isn't caller display there is noise. The phone has also disconnected a couple of times.

I can't tell if it's just the phone being affected, we've grabbed the WiFi hub, and while our sync speed is apparently 39.9Mbps, speed tests show closer to 30Mbps(not tested on ethernet though).  Unfortunately the noise margin doesn't work properly on the WiFi hub as downstream always shows as 0.00, upstream is currently at 4.00 though I'm not sure how much I trust that number.  

Cheers,

Rob

[OCE_Michelle]

Hi Rob,

I'm sorry to hear this and I'll take a look now. I've run a test on the line which hasn't detected a fault.

Just to confirm, how intermittent is the noise/caller display issue? Does it seem to be weather related? Does it also happen on 2 different phones?

Thanks

[Rob_B]

It's pretty random to be honest.  It was raining yesterday when my grans call was noisy and didn't show up on caller display, but this wasn't an issue before our upgrade.  Sister phoned today and the call started off crackly and then improved.  Caller display has failed a handfull of times since the switch to fibre, and the noise on the line, at a guess, starts off on most calls and then improves rather quickly. Except with my gran, where it stays pretty consistent throughout.  

We've got a set of 3 or 4 panasonic cordless phones, issue happens with all of them no matter of distance to the base station.  

Do you know if the Wifi hub will be getting a fix to show noise margin at some point?

Cheers!

[OCE_Arne]

Hi Rob_B 

Line tests are still coming back as clear, I can look into the caller display issue, Firstly we need to remove and re-add the service. 

I will let you know when the process is complete. 

[OCE_Arne]

Hi @Rob_B 

Can you test caller display later on tonight, and let us know. 

Thanks

[Rob_B]

Odd the line tests are clear, but I suppose if it's as random as I think it is then it might be hard to nail down. I'll test out caller display later on tonight and report back on it - though again it only didn't work sometimes, like with my gran. May also try to wire in the laptop to the router and check the speeds, but that's a different issue and I can start a different thread in the appropriate forum if you kind folks want! Cheers for the help.

[OCE_Michelle]

Hi Rob_B,

Ok thanks for the update and please let us know how you get on. If you could create a new thread in the broadband section then we can look into the speed issue for you.

Thanks

[Rob_B]

Hey Michelle,
Caller display has worked so far, so fingers crossed! I'll create another thread as suggested.

Many thanks to you both,
Rob

[richij]

Intermittant crackling issues are maddening to fix—it's often a case of trying several things, each try requiring an Openreach engineer visit. None of the engineers will have notes left by previous ones, so ask them what they've done and keep your own notes to show to the next engineer! Brace yourself, winter is coming.

Crackling is usually a bad joint somewhere in the Openreach network or your tie pair to the TalkTalk MSAN. Before calling out an engineer, be 100% sure that you've isolated the fault to outside your property (or to the master socket itself). If you're unsure how to isolate the fault, let TalkTalk talk you through it.

[OCE_Michelle]

Hi Rob,

Thanks, your broadband thread will be picked up ASAP 🙂

Thanks

[Rob_B]

The cordless phones are direct into the master socket, not tried our corded one simply because I'm unsure what condition it's in. This has only happened at our end since the upgrade to fibre, so the only things that have been changed would be the filter (maybe).

I do know that when we were supposed to be switched over, we weren't. We then had to have an engineer look at it and they found the fault in the cabinet before coming to us. When I asked them what the fault was, he said the "last guy ballsed it up". But yea, intermittent problems are a massive PITA. I'm not the account holder though, so if they fancy yet more arguments with TT over the phone it's up to them at the end of the day.

[Rob_B]

Cheers Michelle

[Rob_B]

Heya Arne,

Some feedback, caller display is still intermittent, mostly works and occasionally doesn't. From when I've used the phone, noise exists but improves as the call goes on. 

Had my sister call in quick succession, both times i got no caller display. I then tried calling from my mobile and got my number up after a few seconds, then tried again and the call instantly registered it was my mobile. Seems like it's half asleep! 

Cheers, 

Rob

[OCE_Arne]

Thanks Rob_B 

Line tests ran today are coming back clear, its a difficult one to solve if nothing is being picked up. 

Continue to monitor

[Rob_B]

Hey, update on this.

Caller display failed again this morning - on my gran again. Seems to be worse with her than anyone else, might also be because she phones most days. 1471 grabs the number. All seems rather bizarre.

[richij]

Yeah, you have a wiring fault. If you're sure there's no fault your side of the test socket, the account holder needs to ask TT to send an Openreach engineer. It's not going to fix itself.

[Rob_B]

Fair enough, cheers for the response. Will let the account holder know and see what they want to do tbh. Merry Christmas 🙂