As I have related, been clearing up faults on the reinstalled new BT landline in my house.
Last week a (incandescent) bulb blew in my bedroom. Tripped the MCB and, unusually the RCD, so it must have been a helluvan arc.
Having restored power and rebulbed the light, I noted that the broadband speed was dire.
Suspecting router damage I rebooted the router and upgraded its firmware in case..., Still no joy, then I checked the phone line, Mega crackles now and again.
I couldn't understand why the bulb blowing would cause this but shruggged and got onto the ISP again who got onto open reach who said it was at the exchange, then said it wasn't, so this morning Openreach engineer No 1 returned to fix it.
TDR only revelaed something really close to the socket, so they (he had an apprentice) went outside got a ladder and plugged into the line just where it enters the house. No crackle.
New junction box, jelly filled crimps, another 1 dB less attentuation and the line has never been faster.
The curious point is that the old junction box was *less than a metre from the bulb that blew*.
Coincidence? There was a slight amount of noise on the line before, but it dramatically increased post bulb blow.
Altogether that is at least 5 separate bad joints on this line to date that have been fixed. It must have cost at least 5 years of line rental income.
They tell me fibre to the premises is coming soom, but I wont be able to afford it :-)