AlanHo Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 An 85 year old friend - who lives many miles away - last year decided to climb into the 21st century and got himself a computer with a dial up connection. He went to computer classes and was fairly competent quite quickly.About 4 months ago he decided to go broadband which is connected through his BT telephone line. He has experienced endless problems with his broadband either not connecting when the computer is booted or dropping out during the day. I have tried to provide advice over the phone but I use cable and am not all that familiar with broadband via a telephone line.His ISP has tried to help - but at enormous cost - because their help line is a premium number and he has become ever more frustrated - to the point of raising a formal complaint with the ombundsman etc.Yesterday the ISP sent an engineer to his house. After about half an hour working on the computer in his study - the engineer heard a telephone bell ringing loudly in my friends lounge - to find he had a plug-in ringer (he is slightly deaf). He unplugged the ringer and the broadband connection was OK - when he plugged it back in the connection failed after a couple of minutes.I am curious - I was under the impression that the broadband comnnection was somehow filtered and separate from the phone connection. Is it really possible that my friend's problem was so easily cured by removal of the ringer?The next problem is how to re-install the ringer so he can hear when someone phones him - without compromising his broadband.Any ideas would be welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thos Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 The ringer is presumably plugged in to a telephone socket. Has he inserted a filter (either supplied by his ISP or bought almost anywhere for less than a fiver) between the socket and the ringer?I've got these filters everywhere, just in case.Thos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 There used to be a system - possibly still is - where phones had a REN - a Ring Equivalent Number which related to the equivalent number of phones that could be connected to a line - something to do with the power available down the phone line - and each phone was given its own REN. The maximum REN of a domestic line was, I think, 5. Most phones had a REN of 1 but fancy "do everything" phones could a REN of 2 or 3 even.I remember a ringer box installed in a friends house which took a REN of 3 so there was no capacity for anything more than one phone on the line. What we did was to buy a modern phone DECT phone which was powered from the mains and which also had the possibility of an extra loud ring. We then did away with the ringer box which, by the way was costing £18 a quarter in rental.I don't think you need a DECT phone but a mains powered one may be useful in the circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted November 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 Just googled and found ThisA useful explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thos Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 Just googled and found ThisA useful explanation.I must say, that is a smashing explanation. Although I seem to have muddled through and got my filters in the right places I have saved that page for use in the future if needed.Hope it sorts things out for your pal.Thos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 I kept having silly drop outs until I fitted ferrite rings round the input and output leads of my modem. A knowledgeable electronics wizard told me it was due to "radio" interference from things like central heating controls etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 If you use ferrite rings, always remember the cable has to make at least one complete loop around the ring to be effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgate Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 If you use ferrite rings, always remember the cable has to make at least one complete loop around the ring to be effective.Sorry, forgot to mention that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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