VM landline fault - no ring tone

[dave]

The Virgin fixer is due tomorrow hopefully he'll fix it :-) but can someone tell me what the likely fault is (no ringtone). Yes the phone ringer is -on- and I've tried 2 other phones - still no RT. The phone can make outgoing calls fine. Looking inside provider wall box (rj??) only two of the (some half dozen) cores are connected: blue&white & white and blue. Some circuits I looked at on net indicate a "ringing capacitor" - but is that for "ringing" as in oscillating (damping) or ringing as in RT!

[Yendor]

Pins 2 and 5 are all that is required in the master socket. Pin 3 is connected to the master socket half plate and goes out to all your extensions (as well as pins 2 and 5). The master socket has the capacitor.

It might be worth unplugging the half plate on the front of the socket and plugging a phone into the master socket. If it rings ok, the fault lies with your internal cabling, and VM will most likely charge you to fix it. If it doesn't ring, then its either a VM fault or a faulty phone (they will charge you for that), or you have the ringer switched off (they will charge you for that) on the phone (but I am sure you checked that first ;) )

[Dave Liquorice]

"ring tone" I normally read as the brrr brrr tone you hear when the phone you have just dialled is ringing. It appears that your phones don't ring when a call arrives for your line, ie there is no "ringing".

A single line only need one pair, two wires. Blue is pair 1. This is normal.

Ringing as in 80 odd volts 25 Hz (IIRC). Connects from the lines B wire (pin 2) to pin 3 on the socket. Any ringers (the bits that make the noise) are connected from pin 3 to the A wire (pin 5). Many modern phones don't use pin 3, they just detect the ringing volts across pins 2 and 5.

As others have said plug a known working phone direct into the "test" socket on the NTE (master socket). If the fault is your kit or wiring (everything past the NTE) they may well charge you a callout fee, for BT that's over £100. Retail Virgin Media is probably 20 to 40 miles away from here so don't know anything about their charges.

[dave]

Yep! Mentioned itin the post. Ta for the info. I tried unplugging the half plate and phone doesn't ring when in the master socket.

[dave]

Yes.

I see.

Have tried 3 "spare" phones - none of then make a sound when being called from 'outside'. These spare phone are all ansaphone things though, not just a handset - so don't know if that makes a difference. The ringer is set On on all of them and volume to max.

I was quoted £25 for callout by VM, if it's my kit at fault, zero otherwise.

Will post the outcome!

[Bob Minchin]

We had this fault on our VM phone about a year ago - turned out to be a card failure in the exchange.

[tony sayer]

Tried another phone in case?..

[tony sayer]

In article , dave scribeth thus

Have good stock of Tea and Biccys!, they can make the most hardened engineer put faults down as "things that go bump in the night" on their job cards')...

[Graham.]

I would have thought the card would be in the street cabinet, as the backhaul is optical.

My Openreach line did the same thing a few months ago, a few days after changing my call provider from BT to Newcall Telecom. It was the line card in the exchange. I find it hard to believe it was a coincidence it failed just at that time, yet I know the migration was a logical one rather than someone making a physical change.

[Tim Streater]

Most if not all modern phones don't need pin 3. And removing pin 3 at the master socket is a way to improve your ADSL speed.

[Tim Streater]

So? It'll still plug into a line card.

[Brian Gaff]

If its external its the same causes as with bt phones, too much resistance in the cable some place so the ringer does not get driven. Its not rocket science, just damaged connections, wire or corrosion. Brian

[Dave Liquorice]

First says "in the exchange". B-) I don't know enough about Virgin Media phones but with BT and their mis-sold "fibre optic broadband" the VDSL cabinet just injects the VDSL signal and links back, over fibre, to an exchange. The POTS side remains as it was apart from a bit of jumpering to/from the VDSL cabinet. Also note for the fibre link I use "an exchange", the fibre does not have to go to the same exchange as the POTS.

[tony sayer]

From what I remember of it the optical to analogue conversion c/w loop volts ringing etc is done in distribution cabs by the roadside, Nokia equipment around these parts IIRC..

Its been sort of Fibre to the cabinet for a long time with Cable..

OP .. Do let us know of the outcome and FWIW it think if you have tried all reasonable things like testing the line with another phone I can't see why you should be charged for a call out either..

[dave]

VM chap called. Replaced the wall socket thing - said it was faulty capacitor and was a very common fault.. Then went out to box at end of road. Came back and said fault there + needed to call to get some software reconfigured. Works fine now. :-)

[Rick Hughes]

Take the twisted pair off the service socket .. and test those direct to a phone ... if it rings it's the socket. If it doesn't its wiring external to your premise. Sometimes just act of re-kroning the connection will resolve

[Yendor]

Forgetting the fact that VM have been and already fixed fault, This is incorrect.

If the phone does not have a capacitor in it, it won't ring even if there is no fault. How is OP going to connect the twisted pair directly to a phone, without the correct adapter. Sure, if he had a Butt phone with croc clips, but really he shouldn't be messing with anything past the half plate on the Master Socket.