Phone static/buzz

[Bryce_H]

BLUF - new phone has a buzz where none existed before with old phone on same wiring setup

Full story: So we made the decision to get a new cordless phone system (1 line with a base and several extended handsets) after almost all our old batteries were dying (wouldn't hold a charge). So we bought a new Panasonic phone and got crazy static on the line. We have DSL, but have had no issues with the old phone setup. I tried several things (see below) but static remained. I spent an hour on the phone with Panasonic support and got nowhere. Their conclusion - something was wrong with our internal phone wiring. Dubious as we never had a problem before (house built in 2003). So I call the telephone/DSL provider (Qwest) and they say they will send you a new wall mount DSL filter. It arrives, I put the wall filter in - still static. So we get thinking it might be something about the Panansonic phone - so we exchange for an AT&T phone - static still there.

So let me describe the current wiring set-up:

The set-up that worked for 8 years:
Everything resides in structured wiring box in the basement. The home run (cable from outside) first goes into a box that splits the home run into multiple lines (the home run is an 8-wire cable). Out of this splitter I am able to put in a normal phone splitter (using normal sized jacks). One line off the splitter goes to the DSL modem, the other goes through a DSL filter into the home distribution panel.

This set-up worked for 8 years with our old phone - swap in new phone, crazy static.

So I start the process of different wiring options:
1) Home run straight into distro panel, 1 line out of distro to DSL, 2nd line out to house phone with a filter near the box - static
2) Same as above with:
a) Filter at strutured wiring box and at the phone location (i.e. 2 fliters) - static
b) Filter at just phone location - static
c) No filter - static (duh)
3) Home run into splitter, phone line to DSL modem, filter out of DSL modem to line with phone - static
4) Same as #3 except with filter at phone location
5) Most of the options above usinging a different phone jack in the house.
6) Most of the options above with a new in-line DSL filter

Then I thought maybe there was noise being introduced through the powerline - hooked it up to a filtered surge protector - static

So does anyone have any ideas - I am still sceptical about the internal wiring issues as the old phone worked fine (I even tried it again). It is only when I swapped the phone that things got bad.

Not sure if it matters but went from an 8-year old Uniden to a DECT 6.0 (both the Panasonic and At&T)

Thanks.

 

[MDS]

Not sure if it matters but went from an 8-year old Uniden to a DECT 6.0 (both the Panasonic and At&T)

DECT phones operate at 1.6 Ghz so if there is anything else operating in that frequency range it could cause interference and hence static in the same way that 2.4 Ghz phones are sometimes affected by the microwave.

I would guess that the DSL return channel operates at or near 1.6 Ghz because I can't think of any other common electronic devices that do (that's the reason DECT adopted 1.6 GHz).

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/r25183079-connectivity-DECT-6.0-phones-conflict-with-DSL

 

[Bryce_H]

So I read through the FAQ's but didn't get a definative answer on if DECT and DSL don't play well together.

I have had 2 filters between the home run and the phone but they were at different ends of the line (basement at the box and then at the phone location).

 

[pzaur]

Have you tried the phones at anyone else's house who has DSL?

-pat

 

[Bryce_H]

So I finally broke down and called the telephone company - they came out and figured out there was an issue at the street box AND the cable to the house. He patched it using 2 lines from different pairs (i.e. made a new pair) and will be back Tuesday to pull a new feed to the house.

So my hours of troubleshooting was for naught.


Oh, well.

 

[pzaur]

At least you got it resolved!

-pat