Eircom Broadband with Dial-up characteristic

Marchandire

I was forced onto the Eircom 8MB NGB from my 3MB package along with everyone else a few months back, but since then my broadband cuts out every time the phone is answered and again when it hangs up. Not fun when gaming in particular. I'm looking at moving to UPC so not actually looking for a solution.

Was wondering if anyone else has the same problem - reminds me of the old 56K connection over the phone line :rolleyes:

roast

Marchandire wrote: »

I was forced onto the Eircom 8MB NGB from my 3MB package along with everyone else a few months back, but since then my broadband cuts out every time the phone is answered and again when it hangs up. Not fun when gaming in particular. I'm looking at moving to UPC so not actually looking for a solution.

Was wondering if anyone else has the same problem - reminds me of the old 56K connection over the phone line :rolleyes:

Sounds like its down to a faulty filter.

OMG Its EoinD

roast wrote: »

Sounds like its down to a faulty filter.

+1

DarkDusk

I have the exact same problem. Except that I've had it for the past 2 years! I've got Panasonic phones which come with a filter because they're "English" phones. Ever since the new filter was put in the broadband cuts out when a call starts or ends. Got new phones today because the old ones were wrecked (same make but newer model) but still having problems. Thinking about giving them back and getting Eircom phones which are "Irish" and that'll do the trick hopefully.

I was hoping someone from Eircom could reply to this and tell us what he/she knows.
@Marchandire What make of phones do you have??...

Thanks.

lucernarian

I've never heard of a phone with a filter built in and certainly not because they're used in one particular country but the symptoms of the problem suggest that there is no filter whatsoever in those panasonic phones.

Plug in the microfilters that came with your broadband anyway and it should work.

There's nothing in principle stopping someone from taking a phone with a filter and then plugging it into a second filter. There would be virtually no difference to voice quality on the phone with two filters in series.

Just get the eircom standard issue filters and use them for your phone. If the phones have an english socket then use a simple BT to RJ11 adapter, which the likes of argos give with their phones and can be bought anywhere.

DarkDusk

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

I've never heard of a phone with a filter built in and certainly not because they're used in one particular country but the symptoms of the problem suggest that there is no filter whatsoever in those panasonic phones.

Plug in the microfilters that came with your broadband anyway and it should work.

There's nothing in principle stopping someone from taking a phone with a filter and then plugging it into a second filter. There would be virtually no difference to voice quality on the phone with two filters in series.

Just get the eircom standard issue filters and use them for your phone. If the phones have an english socket then use a simple BT to RJ11 adapter, which the likes of argos give with their phones and can be bought anywhere.

I got my phones in Argos and that's what I got with them. So can I have the eircom filter and the English phone adapter connected at the same time? Oh and where can I get the eircom adapter because I threw it out a few years ago when we got the new phones.... I'm not great with this kind of stuff so..

Thanks,
James.

lucernarian

DarkDusk wrote: »

I got my phones in Argos and that's what I got with them. So can I have the eircom filter and the English phone adapter connected at the same time? Oh and where can I get the eircom adapter because I threw it out a few years ago when we got the new phones.... I'm not great with this kind of stuff so..

Thanks,
James.

Well use the lead and adapter that came with the phone as normal, but then plug it into a "microfilter" as they're called. This can then be plugged into the phone socket as normal.

If you call eircom, they can post them out to you usually. You can also buy them in hardware shops these days but those ones look cheaper and they can be €10 or more which is a ripoff. The internet would also sell them, at lower prices. Calling eircom is the best bet. I have a couple of spare ones myself, I can post them wherever if anyone's interested.

I'm very doubtful that those phones ever had anything like a DSL filter built in or that the adapter had a filter built-in. Some of the phones in argos can simply be used with an ordinary phone lead (and no adapter) as used in ireland if it's plugged directly into the phone but this does vary from brand to brand.

jor el

I've never heard of a phone with built in DSL filter, and if your Internet connection drops every time the phone is used then it is definitely a filter problem. Every piece of equipment on the phone line must have a filter. The modem should connect through a filter/splitter too, and not directly to the socket.

lucernarian

jor el wrote: »

The modem should connect through a filter/splitter too, and not directly to the socket.

That is incorrect, the only purpose of a filter is to stop other sources of signals in DSL frequencies coming into the modem and its path to the exchange. The modem itself is not filtered as adding about 30-40 dB of attenuation is not helpful. The filters with two sockets, one for phone and one for the modem are only a matter of convenience for those who wish to use their phone at the same socket as where they put their new modem.

It's also standard practise with technical support of all the DSL operators, that everything else plugged into the line is disconnected and that the modem is then plugged into the master socket with no filter and using just the 6ft cable that came with the modem.

I thought there used to be a sticky here on how DSL lines are troubleshooted?

jor el

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

That is incorrect, the only purpose of a filter is to stop other sources of signals in DSL frequencies coming into the modem and its path to the exchange. The modem itself is not filtered as adding about 30-40 dB of attenuation is not helpful.

Filter/splitter, not filter, read what I said. I never said to filter the modem. It's always best to use the filter/splitter where phones are in place in the house, as it lessens the possibility of someone running an unfiltered connection off the main NTU.

lucernarian

jor el wrote: »

Filter/splitter, not filter, read what I said. I never said to filter the modem. It's always best to use the filter/splitter where phones are in place in the house, as it lessens the possibility of someone running an unfiltered connection off the main NTU.

I did read what you said The only purpose of a filter is to block off unwanted signals from other sources, not the modem or at least that's what I've always read and worked on the basis of. I know you never said to filter the modem. What you said was something like the equivalent of making sure to use a splitter even if you only use one phone at a socket. You said there should be a splitter/filter used and I still think that was incorrect. If people want to leave a filter/splitter in place that's fine (though it may slightly worsen signal margin) but it's not at all needed.

Of course, filters should be used where phones are in place however filter/splitters shouldn't be used where just a modem will be used.

DarkDusk

OK, I just want to tell everyone my situation. The phone cuts out when call starts/ends. I have the base phone hooked up to the line on its OWN. There is no modem with it at all. The modem is in the office, another room. For the base phone (pics attached) it goes to the adapter thingy and into the wall. For the modem in the other room it just goes straight from the modem into the wall, no filters or adapters. The other phone in the house just picks up the signal of the base one so there is no wires required except for the power wire going into the charger.

Could someone PLEASE tell me what to do! I've being going through this for 2+ years now and it's beginning to drive me insane!

Thank you in advance,
James.

P.S. The two pics: The first one is the back of the base phone charger - the "line" wire goes into the adapter which is in the second pic and into the wall.

lucernarian

Yep as I thought, the phone and its adapter need to be plugged into a filter and then into the wall. Nothing else needs to be done. If you don't want to have that adapter used as well as a filter, you can swap out the argos phone lead and adapter and just use any telephone lead you can buy in the shops here. That would plug straight into the phone and the wall or the filter.

But you need to call eircom or your ISP to get a microfilter sent out. Your modem's just fine the way it is.

Solair

Are you sure that you're not just using a BT to RJ11 adaptor i.e. the device that converts a standard RJ11 Irish/US phone connection to a standard UK BT phone connection?

These devices are about the size of a microfilter and have a BT socket one end and an RJ11 (Irish) plug on the other end. They just contain a capacitor to shunt the ringing signal onto a 3rd pin which is required by some older British phones and some BT-branded phones.

They look like this - This is NOT a microfilter, it's just a simple plug-type adapter.

If you are using such an adaptor, it is not a DSL filter and your phone will screw up your ADSL connection. You still need a normal ADSL filter plugged into the socket.

Also, if you are using a Panasonic phone, it's unlikely that you'll need the original cable and plug anyway. Panasonic usually wire their phones correctly so if you swap the cable for an Irish RJ11 to RJ11 it should work perfectly and you will avoid that extra bulky box hanging out of your phone socket.

The only phones that usually require their original British cable tend to be older models and some BT branded phones. They wire the RJ11 socket on the bottom of the phone incorrectly, so it will not accept anything other than the cable that came with the phone.

In general, international brands i.e. the likes of Panasonic, Siemens etc, tend to wire their ports correctly and to international standards so you can swap the cable with no issue (usually).

ADSL Microfilter:



One of these must be fitted on the end of every telephone cable. Only your DSL modem should be directly connected to the line without a filter (or via the DSL port on a splitter).

Your phone (according to the pics above) is plugged directly into the line so it's interfering with the DSL.

Solution:

Option 1:

Buy a microfilter in a local hardware shop (some should have come with your modem).
Unplug the white adaptor from the eircom socket on the wall.
Plug in microfilter to wall socket.
Plug white BT adapter into the micro filter.

So it should look like this : Phone

---

>BT Adapter ---->Microfilter

---

>Phone Socket (on wall).


Option 2:

I know the model of phone you have (have the same one) so this will work.

Unplug the grey telephone cord from the base of the phone.
Replace with a standard Irish one.

Plug microfilter into phone socket on wall.
Plug phone into microfilter.

This will avoid having heaps of things hanging out of the phone socket!

NB:
ALL other devices on your line, i.e. Sky Boxes, Fax Machines, Telephones, Cordless phones etc must be connected to the line via a microfilter.

Only your modem should be directly connected to the line.

lucernarian

Solair, the OP is already using a BT-to-RJ11 adapter and either thought it was a filter too or else was told it or the phone had a filter. They just need to call up eircom or their ISP for a new microfilter as they threw out the ones they got originally. Job done.

DarkDusk

Thank you everyone (especially Solair) for your help. I rang Eircom and they're sending out a microfilter free of charge. Hopefully it'll do the trick.

Thanks again,
James.

Solair

It should do.

If you're in a rush though, you can pick them up pretty much from any decent hardware shop or computer shop.

DarkDusk

Solair wrote: »

It should do.

If you're in a rush though, you can pick them up pretty much from any decent hardware shop or computer shop.

Araa.. If I waited 2-3 years I'd say I'll survive another day or two!:p