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No dial tone on broadband activation

Bascule
Grafter
Posts: 57
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

No dial tone on broadband activation

Any advice on this problem would be gratefully received please.
Have just referred my Dad to Plusnet and and am feeling disappointed and angry as he faces a weekend without his phone! The day he receives an email saying that bb is now active his phone goes dead.
Plusnet have washed their hands of it. Apparently they can ask BT to activate broadband but they are now completely unable to get back to BT and say "hang on, what's happened to the phone". I have spent all evening on the phone being batted between PN and BT (thought they were related?!) and now have to wait 3 days for a BT engineer to attend his house and trace the fault back to the exchange! Also having had the fear of God put into us by BT saying that if they find a fault in the house there could be a charge of nearly £200!
Can anyone advise if it's possible that there might be a fault in the house that would be invisible before bb was activated but which could be the cause of a dead phone line after bb activation?
Shocked
24 REPLIES 24
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
Thanks: 146
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

Who provides the phone service?
If it's PlusNet then contact them about no dial tone. If not you have to contact the phone service supplier, e.g. BT Retail.
It is possible that activating broadband for the first time has been done incorrectly (by BT Openreach) and damaged the phone connection, but that's down to the phone provider to trace and fix.
There are lots of very separate parts of BT and PlusNet have exactly the same relationship to them as any other ISP - as mandated by the appropriate authorities (OFCOM?). If they "took advantage" of being a BT subsidiary all hell would break loose!
Bascule
Grafter
Posts: 57
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

BT provide the phone service. That's why I'm being batted from one to the other. (Dad ordered Home Phone at the same time but only the broadband is active at the moment so BT are still the phone provider)
I realise that BT have to resolve the problem. I don't expect Plusnet to take advantage of being a BT subsidiary but I just thought that Plusnet might be able to offer some sort of assistance as the problem is a direct result of the bb activation which PN are supposed to be managing on his behalf and they must have a line of communication into BT to arrange for the activation to take place.
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

When he rang BT to complain about the phone not working, did he mention that BB had just been activated? If he did, that was a big mistake. It needs to be reported as a voice fault only (that means Plusnet must not have an open BB fault report on the line as BT can't cope with more than one fault at a time). BT should have offered him a free diversion of incoming calls and he should be able to claim compensation for the additional cost of making calls by mobile. Check out the BT code of practice.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
Bascule
Grafter
Posts: 57
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

Yes, his calls are currently being diverted to his mobile.
I'm presuming that Plusnet don't have an open fault report on the line at the moment. They asked me/him to contact BT. They said that they couldn't! The broadband was only activated this morning (when the phone went dead) and the router hasn't turned up yet.
It seemed the most logical thing in the world to mention that BB had just been activated - after all - there MUST be a connection.
adie:quote
Anotherone
Champion
Posts: 19,107
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

When I started reading, I was going to ask that perhaps check the filters are plugged in correctly, however as you said the router hasn't arrived yet, then that's obviously irrelevant.
It may just be worth trying another phone just in case something has gone wrong with it, what sort of phone does he normally use, and do you know roughly how far from the exchange you are?
Bascule
Grafter
Posts: 57
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

Thanks for the advice. Not sure of distance from exchange. He has a new cordless phone and an old corded one in the house and neither works so it's not the phone.
adie:quote
Anotherone
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

Something you can check - I presume he has got a proper BT Master LineBox, the type with the removeable lower front plate and the test socket behind (there should be detail of it in the phonebook, top of page 5 in the new edition), plug his corded phone in there and check the line. If it's not working, leave the corded phone there until it is.
If he hasn't got a proper Master LineBox, when the engineer turns up, say hey I haven't got a proper master socket either, you better sort that out whilst you're here! (Cups of coffee/tea  & biscuits may help.)
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

Can you let us know the outcome of this problem.
I am surprised that they have said that an engineer visit is required, if they carried out a line test I would expect it to show a dis in the exchange. The routering in the exchange is from the telephone system to the ADSL and then from the ADSL to the end user. The dis is at the former and I would expect the line test to find this. Also if you are on a main exchange I would expect the line to be working by Monday morning.
Anotherone
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

I was going to say something similar, but got sidetracked by another matter.
It would certainly appear that BT Openreach have made a pigs ear of the jumpering at the exchange. You'd have thought that BT retail would be making an issue of it with BTw & Openreach as they are now having to pay compensation - which is never enough to cover the cost of any mobile calls (joke)! There is absolutely no reason why an OR engineer should not go to an exchange on a Saturday (main or not!). I'd have another moan at BT Retail if/when you don't have to make a chargeable call.
However PN's attitude really isn't good enough. Do you know which call centre he spoke to, was it Sheffield or SA?
I know what I would do, if he has access to the "Member Centre" go and login to My Questions. Look for the recent question that addresses his call about no phone working, if it is still open add to it (otherwise start a new one) and Say that he is totally dis-satisfied about the fact that Openreach's connection of his Broadband has left him without a phone service, and that he expects PN to make a formal complaint to BTw about the matter, and update this ticket with progress.
If you do not have access, I'd ring Sheffield (0114-296-5198)  and verbally state that complaint, and tell them you want this on a ticket.
Bascule
Grafter
Posts: 57
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

Thanks for all the advice. It was the UK call centre I spoke to on his behalf (several times) and there is a tkt open against the problem. My last comment on the tkt was "I have raised a fault with BT. I realise that you do not supply my phone service but you do provide my broadband service and the line went dead precisely when the broadband was activated so any information to BT or assistance you can provide would be appreciated." Thanks again - I'll keep you posted!
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

I think Plusnet's stance is correct.
They are not allowed to report voice faults if they are not the supplier of the voice service (OFCOM rules I believe), they can only report Broadband faults. The OP is not saying there is a BB fault, so the problem has to be reported to the voice supplier, in this case BT retail. Mentioning BB when reporting the fault has given BT retail the opening to do a sloping shoulders job - it must be very firmly put back in their court. The service they are contracted to provide isn't working - if somebody else caused the problem it is up to them to take up, the reason is not the end users concern.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
Bascule
Grafter
Posts: 57
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

Quote from: jelv
The OP is not saying there is a BB fault, so the problem has to be reported to the voice supplier, in this case BT retail. Mentioning BB when reporting the fault has given BT retail the opening to do a sloping shoulders job - it must be very firmly put back in their court.

Point taken. It's frustrating not having the router yet as it would be useful to know if it was just the phone that was down. As I said earlier I think it was fair to mention the BB activation as this must be related but I take the point that it gave BT a get-out. Anyway, It is firmly back in their court for now.
Anotherone
Champion
Posts: 19,107
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

That John is NOT what I was saying. BTO have fouled up and PN should complain to BTw not just wash their hands. Yes the fault has to be raised with BT Retail and I would be chasing them like  ....
When's the phone service due to be transfered to PN?
Bascule
Grafter
Posts: 57
Registered: ‎12-08-2007

Re: No dial tone on broadband activation

Quote from: Anotherone
When's the phone service due to be transfered to PN?

The date we've been given is 5th May.