Weird phone problems

[Jethro_uk]

Hi all,

we have a telephone service from Telewest (Birmingham). The Master socket has an extension taken off it with wires 2,3 and 5. This feeds 4 phones, all of which work perfectly.

Acquired a s/h Brother Fax-920 at the weekend, and went to plug it into the socket which is last in the chain (#4). Doing this caused Phone #2 to ring continuously. I swapped 2+5 at socket #4, and the ringing went.

Now, however phones #2 and #3 don't ring (#1 and #4 - the fax machine - do). Also, when I plug the BT "Relate 1000" back into socket #4, then phone #2 rings continously. So either way the socket is wired, causes a problem with phone #2, depending on which phone is being used.

I have checked the continuity of wire 3 through the circuit, and it's OK.

I tried swapping phone #2 out with another, but it didn't ring either. As son as the fax machine was unplugged it rang !

Next step is to try at a friends house - see if the fax is kaput, but I got it from work, where it worked on Thursday.

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be grateful ...

regards

[Harvey Van Sickle]

On 09 May 2005, Jethro_uk wrote

I think "ringer equivalents" affect the Telewest system the same as BT

-- maybe not; someone here will know.

Certainly, though, adding the fax has put more than the standard 4 RENs on the system; that'd be my guess as to why the ringing is all screwed up.

[>{daZza]

Yep, look at the bottom of the equipment, should have a "ren" number on the bottom, most line can take between 3-5 ren. I suspect that with 4 telephones and a fax you are prob well over this.

HTH

[Owain]

You've got a miswire which is shorting the bell capacitor (2 and 3)

At socket #4, try swapping pins 3 and 4 as well.

Owain

[Dave Liquorice]

Well you obviously are aware of the normal cause for this I suspect you have a swap elsewhere and swapping at #4 "corrects" this. Check

*all* the points where there are cable joins.

Pay particular attention to the wiring between #1 and #2, assuming the order of sockets from the master is 1 2 3 4 ...

[Jim]

Does the fax have a RJ11 connector, and are you using the original lead?

Continuous ringing is caused by a short between 2 and 3. This can happen with modem leads, or with a lead that's been damaged.

Note that the original lead (with T-bar plug) can be used by the fax to detect when the line is in use (avoiding call disruption on sending), but the telephone extension sockets must be downstream, and wired to the T-Bar socket.

[Stickems.]

You need to buy something called a BT Adapter. This should have come with the fax. It goes between the fax and the line cord. They cost about £2

| > we have a telephone service from Telewest (Birmingham). The Master | > socket has an extension taken off it with wires 2,3 and 5. This | > feeds 4 phones, all of which work perfectly. | >

| > Acquired a s/h Brother Fax-920 at the weekend, and went to plug it | > into the socket which is last in the chain (#4). Doing this caused | > Phone #2 to ring continuously. I swapped 2+5 at socket #4, and the | > ringing went. | >

| > Now, however phones #2 and #3 don't ring (#1 and #4 - the fax | > machine - do). Also, when I plug the BT "Relate 1000" back into | > socket #4, then phone #2 rings continously. So either way the | > socket is wired, causes a problem with phone #2, depending on | > which phone is being used. | >

| > I have checked the continuity of wire 3 through the circuit, and | > it's OK. | >

| > I tried swapping phone #2 out with another, but it didn't ring | > either. As son as the fax machine was unplugged it rang ! | >

| > Next step is to try at a friends house - see if the fax is kaput, | > but I got it from work, where it worked on Thursday. | >

| > If anyone has any ideas, I'd be grateful ... | | I think "ringer equivalents" affect the Telewest system the same as BT | -- maybe not; someone here will know. | | Certainly, though, adding the fax has put more than the standard 4 RENs | on the system; that'd be my guess as to why the ringing is all screwed | up. | | -- | Cheers, | Harvey

[Jethro_uk]

I forgot to say that when I unplugged phone #1 (the one that *did ring), then #2 and #3 *still* didn't ring.

The REN of the fax is 1

[Jethro_uk]

I swapped the leads for the fax and phone #2, and the problem stayed the same.

There was no T-bar with the fax. Maybe I should investigate this ....

[Kaiser]

It sounds as though you have wires crossed on terminals 2 & 5 on one or more sockets, the correct order should be as follows with the dominant colour being the first.

blue/white on 2 white/blue on 5 orange/white on 3

[Jim]

Did phone #2 ring with that lead?

[Jethro]

No

[Peter Parry]

You have almost certainly been given the incorrect lead for the fax machine. It probably has a BT plug on one end and a smaller RJ11 on the other. The original lead had an adapter a bit like a double telephone socket to allow an answering machine to be plugged in and controlled by the fax machine.

Using the wrong lead can produce the same fault a miswired socket would.