Phone calls crashing out....

[Gliwmaeden2]

Today both my phone connection and Internet are dreadful. 

Trying to make important calls to sort out muddles made by utility companies.

The line appears to be fine for a few minutes and then crashes - I literally asked the E.on Next lady if she had dropped her phone. 

We tried on the smartphone and the call suddenly lost wifi calling and crashed too. It simply stopped.

I called back on the landline and got a bit further, but the call collapsed into the equivalent of "snowflakes" on an old telly, i.e. crackle, crackle, crackle. 

It recovered enough to finish what we were trying to do. 

I've been out and about dealing with other jobs and have come back to my router repeatedly losing the Internet connection. 

I can't fall back on Three....

The internet keeps disconnecting. Is something happening with the firmware? Check for repeated loss of connection this morning, please. 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Gliwmaeden2 

Ok, I've ordered the router and you should receive this within the next 24-48hrs.

If the same fault is still occurring then we will arrange the Openreach engineer visit.

Thanks

Debbie

[Gliwmaeden2]

Give the router option a go first, @Debbie-TalkTalk .....

Given I have the doctor's phone call next Wednesday, it was less convenient to book the engineer. 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Gliwmaeden2 

Would you still like me to go ahead for now and order a router or just book the engineer visit?

If you contact our Future Fibre team they will be able to discuss all the specific details with you.

Your Future Fibre Support Hub

[Gliwmaeden2]

I suppose it could be the router, but the current one replaced the one that conked out after a severe lightning bolt that shook the streets, @Debbie-TalkTalk.

I wonder if there's more infrastructure damage than they realise out there? It was sufficient to knock out my power supply so that I had to start it up from the fuse box. It wasn't going to come back on naturally. 

If I get full fibre installed, it will need to be booked well ahead - I'd look into it during the spring for eg August installation as there's no other time available for potential disruption.  How long a run in period do they want to book?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Gliwmaeden2 

Would you like me to send a replacement router to rule it out?

Routers should last a few years at least and shouldn't become faulty that quickly.

It may be worth upgrading to FTTP if this is available in your area as this will remove the copper part of the line and should be more reliable.

[Gliwmaeden2]

It did seem to drop once in the wee small hours.

The main current nuisance is that I keep finding the one phone (or other) with "connected no Internet."

There was one proper drop out also, probably around 9pm. I didn't check the time, it was simply after teaching, I think, if not in the afternoon....but I was right beside the router at the time and observed it flashing orange. It came back by itself shortly afterwards.

So is it a router problem or do you need to send an engineer, @Debbie-TalkTalk?

Not all the routers sent out to people these days seem to have a very long life!

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Morning @Gliwmaeden2 

I can see 1 re connection since yesterday (after the line optimisation) The SNR is still dropping slightly.

How was the connection for you last night?

[Gliwmaeden2]

Just had to accept a doctor's phone appointment and the earliest they can do is the morning of 27th. Will need to have wifi calling fully functioning and the option of the working landline, so:

only the afternoon of 27th now available, must be after 1pm, if the engineer is needed, @Debbie-TalkTalk.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Gliwmaeden2 

Thanks for your reply.

I will check the connection stats in the morning and I will post back here.

Debbie

[Gliwmaeden2]

I can keep the day clear if I know in advance, but only Wednesdays. 

Will you check data later in the week to confirm the next step, @Debbie-TalkTalk ?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Gliwmaeden2 

I've tried the data port reset and optimisation again. If the connection continues to drop out then I will look to book the engineer for 27th. Are AM and PM appointments better?

[Gliwmaeden2]

Well, if the settings don't hold, they do need to do something more thorough including lifting the lid on places in the street between here and the exchange. 

I've outlined the history of their investigations above, so please pass that on to them, as this is not just a recent development but something to do with the line for years.

I got several lengthy "connected without Internet" periods yesterday on one phone, but yet on the same phone there was no interruption in BBC Sounds overnight this time. Quite bizarre.

The ONLY day of the week I can book a visit is on Wednesdays (not tomorrow) so 27th would be the soonest it could be, @Debbie-TalkTalk.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Morning @Gliwmaeden2 

Would you like me to arrange an engineer visit or would you like me to try one more data port reset and line optimisation first?

Thanks

[Gliwmaeden2]

It was received on April 29th this year, going by delivery emails, @Debbie-TalkTalk.

The annoying thing is that the last time an engineer visited, he simply unplugged the extension to the upstairs socket and blamed intermittent faults on my wiring which is built into the building. 

So I have not had the use of my computer all this time, as there is no space to fit it downstairs. It could be that my internal wiring was fine all along..... 

The preceding engineer mentioned sending a more qualified one to look under entrance points in the street and that never materialised.

My Connection has shown a fault therefore for 2 or 3 years that's been intermittent, and manifested mostly as crackles or people being unable to hear me at all on the phone. 

The internet being affected has been more noticeable in recent months. [ I have hardly used the phone since removing the boost when it got expensive, so haven't been able to monitor it's performance that much.]

But, basically, other than the engineer before that, who did crawl around in the streets and did something with crimps, if I remember rightly, so managed to revive the speed of the line wonderfully, nobody has ever stuck at the job to get it 100% sorted in years!

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Gliwmaeden2 

If the connection is still dropping with the router and filter at the test socket then the next step will be an Openreach engineer visit to the property.

How old is your current router? I think we sent one recently?

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Debbie-TalkTalk, another Connected without Internet incident about 12.40pm today. 

Anything being done to investigate the low SNR?

All apparatus has been in the test socket since last week.

[Gliwmaeden2]

Yes. I haven't changed anything since simply switching the microfilter last week, @Debbie-TalkTalk.

Do the engineers need to take another look if there's this SNR problem?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Gliwmaeden2 

I've checked the connection stats and the SNR is still dropping low and I can see re connections.

Is the router still at the test socket with the new filter?

[Gliwmaeden2]

The 3.30am drop out occurred (or rather BBC Sounds stopped again then, but it might be the battery saving or something, so I still have more detective work to do).

But there have been a few incidents of "connected without Internet" showing, so one phone is fine while the other drops. So wifi continues to function but not always for both phones at the same time, @Debbie-TalkTalk.

I sometimes cross refer information between my phones, so do need to have them both receiving the signal reliably. It comes back if I switch off WiFi on the offending device and then back on again, so it still can find wifi.

Interference?

Haven't been making or receiving landline calls so can't check that yet.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Morning @Gliwmaeden2 

How's the connection been over the weekend?