Dead Phone Line

[douglas9401]

Our landline went completely dead a couple of days ago so I called Sky from another phone, they eventually tested the line and declared a fault at the (BT) exchange.
So, no phone in or out and no broadband although if the number is dialled it rings in the caller's earpiece.
This morning with hope in my heart I tried the phone, nothing, but as this script clearly demonstrates, broadband's back.
My limited grasp of things technical had me with the assumption that broadband would need a more complete connection than a mere phone call but it looks like I was wrong.
Can someone tell me, in simple terms, what's going on?
I'll not be picking any replies up until the morning but they will be appreciated.
Many thanks

Dougie

[dotty.]

unplug everything and plug it all back in again

[douglas9401]

Done that dotty, right back to the socket behind the faceplate of the master box. The fault lies elsewhere but I'm nonplussed by getting broadband service back yet no phone action.

[woofgang]

This is why I have BT broadband and phone, what goes wrong, its up to them to fix it.

[craft1948]

If you call it you will get it ringing out, but that's only from the exchange. The fault is between the exchange and your socket.

[douglas9401]

When I was with BT I had faults from time to time.
It's the same system, end to end, I just pay the bill to a different provider who is currently sorting it out.
Any other top tips?

[douglas9401]

That last was for woofgang btw.

[dotty.]

bet it's rainwater leaking into a box somewhere, they can't trace that sort of fault because it needs more than a computer and a website to diagnose it, it needs a real human being to climb a ladder and there aren't many of those working for sky these days

[Voulez-vous]

I had this problem once. Internet fine, phone down.

Turned out to be a fault in the cupboard next door ( I live in a flat) .........

[craft1948]

Go see if there's a van outside the exchange tomorrow, and if there is knock on the door and have a word (I jest not)

[douglas9401]

Indeed craft, it's been established that there's an exchange fault. What I'm curious about is why the house has had broadband return but not yet phone service.

[douglas9401]

Rainwater? In Scotland? I'm very sceptical. :)

[Buenchico]

>>>My limited grasp of things technical had me with the assumption that broadband would need a more complete connection than a mere phone cal

I would have assumed the same until my phone line went dead (while my broadband connection functioned normally) earlier this year. It was also an exchange fault, which OpenReach fixed very quickly.

If you look at an ADSL filter
http://www.rwapservices.co.uk/images/adsladvert2.jpg
you'll see that there are only two connections to a modem/router but three to a phone.

[douglas9401]

Best answer's going to dotty for the "rainwater/box" diagnosis.
He came, he saw, he recognised the problem. All fixed now. :)

[douglas9401]

Thanks to you others too for your input. It was an underground fault not a junction box on a pole but water was the at the root of it all.