Connecting on-line but without phone.

[chainsaw_masochist]

My parents have arranged for their exisitng broadband connection to be upgraded to broadband + telephone. What this means is that the quarterly rental to BT will no longer be paid but the call charges will be charged by the ISP. The trouble is that since this upgrade took place (a couple of days ago) I have spent ages trying to get on-line. I have finally managed to get connected in the last couple of hours. But the process for connection is very odd.

Using Windows XP I click on START, move cursor to Internet Explorer and...nothing happens. Of the two green lights (which should both be on)on the Speedtouch modem, only one is on, the other blinks. The only way to get both lights to stay on is to lift the receiver on the telephone and attempt to make a call. At this stage the blinking light stays on, denoting a proper connection has been established. Then connection to the web can be made. If I then replace the receiver all internet activity ceases, so the receiver (for the duration of the session) remains off, rendering the telephone unusable.

Any ideas as to what the problem could be? Any advice much appreciated.

 

[netreg]

I presume that your parents are still with the same ISP.. If so, have you spoken to their support dept.

Moving the billing to your ISP should not have affected your broadband... It may just be a coincidence but your first stop should be with the ISP..

let us know what they say

regards

 

[gcol]

Are you using the filters?

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

netreg: Yes, they are still with the same ISP. I have contacted them and they have said that there is work taking place on the line. While this may be the case it seems an extraordinary coincidence that the line has been effectively lost since the date of the change. It has been an pretty much uninterrupted line for the year or so that they had the broadband only contract.

gcol: Yes, same filters as before.

Update. The broadband connection is currently totally unavailable; only the phone works. Current works on line is the reason that the ISP are giving for this though I remain unconvinced. Will try to check at the local telephone exchange as to whether purported works are active. Thanks for your help, guys.

 

[GeeTee]

chainsaw Which ISP is this with?
This is relevant as it may determine whether they would have had to do any physical work to your line to take over your calls package.

ISPs such as Talk Talk and Tiscali, if they have their own voice equipment in your exchange (MSAN rather than DSLAM), will physically have your line in the exchange moved from the BT equipment to their's - with the associated risk of something not being connected quite right.

Others without their own equipment would purchase BT's wholesale line rental product for your line - in this instance nothing is physically done to the line - all that happens is BT invoice the ISP instead of you, then the ISP bills you.

I suspect one of the former if your DSL problems started at the point of the line takeover.

Either way the ISP should be trying to fix it. Doubtless they will get you jumping through the hoops of trying it directly (no extension leads!) from the master socket with everything else disconnected (don't forget that Sky box!) from the line. If you have one an NTE5 master socket with the detachable lower half - removing that lower half and trying from the test socket behind will remove any possibility of your own internal cabling being at fault (as long as no artful bodger has wired up extensions into behind the test socket faceplate of course!).

Good Luck
GeeTee[/b]

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

Thanks alot, Gee Tee, you make some very good points.

The ISP is Tiscali and they claim that both they and BT are carrying work out on the line. I am though, not able to have this confirmed by the BT help line. The issue is that my folks were contacted by phone by Tiscali just prior to Christmas and were told that if they ‘upgraded’ from their exisiting broadband contract to a broadband & telephone contract they would simply pay the same monthly fee plus cost of calls. This would save the quarterly line rental to BT. They were also told that the transfer would be ‘seamless’ – this has simply not been the case. Also there has been no receipt of the new contract details, either by letter or email.

Having contacted Tiscali on my folks behalf it has now been established that a ten day (from the day of the changeover) bedding-in period will be necessary. This may not be so unreasonable but I wish it had been made clear to my folks in the first instance.

There currently exists a NET5 wall socket (with an extension to a bedroom which has its own filter connected) – it looks to be pukka. We do however use an extension lead from the main socket but this has never been a problem in the past. I have tried disconnecting this whilst having the said current connection problems, but it makes no difference. I am connected at the moment with the extension lead in place.

Also the modem lights stop blinking (indicating a connection is available) only when a call is being made or being received through the phone. Weird, ay?