When experiencing phone line issues, it's important to know that the problem can be occurring anywhere between your property and the exchange, including within the property itself. This means it could be an issue with your equipment or internal wiring.
Firstly, it's advisable to try calling a different number as the problem may be at the other end if there is noise during a call. On some lines you can dial 17070 and choose the option for the quiet line test, on others dialing a single number will give a clear line for a few seconds.
The problem could also be the phone itself or the filter it is plugged into if you have broadband. You can eliminate this possibility by trying a different phone plugged directly into the
test socket. This will eliminate any equipment, faceplate or extension issues.
If your phone is cordless (wireless) it may be the wireless signal between the handset and base station. We suggest trying a corded phone, or at the very least testing a different handset whilst no further than a couple of meters from the base station. On some non-DECT handsets, there will always be an element of background noise.
If you have a master socket where the faceplate doesn't detach to reveal a test socket then it is advisable to connect the phone directly into the master socket and remove all equipment from any extensions in the property.
Please note: If you have an older style master socket without a test socket behind the front faceplate and cannot remove any hard-wired extensions for testing, should an engineer determine this wiring is the cause of your issues during a visit, a charge will apply to correct the internal wiring which is not considered part of the Openreach network.
