Red flashing light? Take out a screwdriver and undo your wall socket

[#1]

Our broadband was working fine, router ok, phone ok.  My partner unplugged both to get behind the unit they are on, to tidy up some bits, as we are having our floor redone, so moving items on our living room floor before works start in a few days.  When we re-plugged, router was flashing orange, with red 'b' light. No dial tone on the phone.  (Thankfully our neighbour has let us sign in to his bb for a while so we can have some access.)

The Plusnet customer service advisor has told my partner to go get a screwdriver and undo the wall socket  - you know, the one where the main phone and router are plugged into.  The MAIN PHONE socket. Installed by Plusnet two years ago in our livingroom.

So, the last time I checked, neither my partner or I were telecom engineers. 

Has anyone ever had this advice given to them?? We're not touching it, we are not qualified to do anything with it, and we will not be named liable if the problem worsens after we do.

I have never heard anything so bizarre.  

They're still telling him to do this, right now, on the phone.  NO SUPPORT WHATSOEVER. Plusnet has always been very helpful to us in the past, hence swapping from BT to them. But this is crazy.  I'm interested to hear feedback.  They installed the wall unit!

[#2]

This is a standard instruction when dealing with a fault. The customer is allowed to take the faceplate off and add extension wiring. In behind you will find the test socket. This is the BT interface and where you should plug your filtet if you have a problem. Whilst BT may have fitted the complete outlet, the faceplate is considered to be the customers side of the interface.

Just take it off, no qualifications whatsoever are required.

[#3]

It's very odd. And we'll hold Plusnet to their word that if after removing the front of this box and doing what they said doesn't work, we will actually get some assistance.

I'm curious. Do disabled customers, or other mobility impaired, not so telcoms/IT savvy customers get this advice? I can't help but think of my elderly neighbour, who can just about  manage to use Skype to speak to his family and friends abroad. If he was given this advice, it would be a no go.

[#4]

You may think it "Very odd" but, as Baldrick1 has said, this has been standard practise since the NTE5 Master socket was introduced in the late 1980s.  When BT had a virtual monopoly on telephone services this advise was even printed in the telephone directory as a first step before reporting a fault.  Any ISP or telephone company would say the same thing.

By the way, PlusNet wouldn't have installed your socket as that would have been done by Open Reach who own the actual telephone infrastructure that providers such as PlusNet, TalkTalk, Sky et al operate on.

[#5]

@NoBandService

I think that you need to get this in perspective. Plusnet (and other ISPs) are contracted to supply a broadband service up to the BT Test Socket. They also supply a router, so include that within the 12 month router guarantee period. Any household extension wiring or other additions lie outside of these limits. If you get Plusnet to send an engineer and there is either no fault found or the fault lies outside of these limits then you will be charged £65 and the engineer will be within his rights not to fix any fault that is deemed your responsibility. Such faults also lie outside of the support obligations of Plusnet.

You might think this is unreasonable but that's the way it works. However, having said this, providing you are prepared to have a go at a bit of diy (and/or help a neighbour who is infirm) there will be fellow customers on this forum prepared to advise.

[#6]

@ThePillenwerfer wrote:

When BT had a virtual monopoly on telephone services this advise was even printed in the telephone directory as a first step before reporting a fault.

It still is, on introductory page XI of my current directory.

@NoBandService  You may find this video helpful.
https://youtu.be/9Fwlzvmxlgc?t=94

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[#7]

Hi @NoBandService, thanks for your post and welcome to our Community.

We're sincerely sorry to hear that the reasoning for accessing the test socket wasn't explained properly. The main reasons that we ask for you to access that socket is to minimise the risk of charges being applied for an unnecessary engineer visit by ruling out your internal setup.

Of course, if the fault is still persistent in the test socket we'll be able to progress to arranging for an engineer visit.

Please let us know how you get on.

[#8]

Do disabled customers, or other mobility impaired, .... get this advice?

Yes, well I do anyway. If it's 'bad day', with sadly is more often then not, I have to ask others to do it for me.

The advice surrounding testing at the test point is a one size fits all.

[#9]

Thank you.  As we had no other choice, my partner took the cover off. And through a process of elimination, determined  that there is a fault with the unit on the wall, the connection is intermittent. The router is fine and our phone is fine. He managed to restore our internet, but it has been a bit erratic. An engineer is coming tomorrow to check our speed issues as well because apparently, we are paying for super fast broadband and we are only achieving 34mps. So that will be addressed also.

[#10]

Hi @NoBandService, thanks for getting back to us.

In this instance, accessing the test socket shows us that the faceplate is the root of the issues you're experiencing.

Luckily, as broadband equipment goes, it's probably just about the cheapest component to replace and can be bought at most electrical retailers.

Please let us all know how the engineer visit goes and if you need anything in the meantime, we're only a click away.