I have a fault on my phone line. How do I test my equipment or wiring? (2024)

You can try fixing many problems yourself, with a few simple checks, some of the most common phone problems are shown below:

  • If you have a Cloud Voice Express digital line, go totroubleshooting Cloud Voice Express
  • Do you have a cordless phone?Check that it’s fully charged.
  • Checkallyour phonesto make sure they areon the hookand thatall the phone cords are plugged in and secure.
  • Is the problem with only one phone?Then it’s likely to be a fault with the phone, not on the line. If you rent your phone from us, we'll deliver a new one. Just click the 'Contact us' link on this page to get our contact details.

You can buy a new phone fromBT Business Direct

Still can't get a dial tone?follow these steps.

Test your Phone equipment

  1. Unplugall phonesandequipmentfromall telephone socketsincluding:
    • PC's
    • Faxes
    • Modems
    • Satellite TV digiboxes
    • Micro-filters
    • ADSL modem or router

    Make sure there is nothing left plugged in.

    If you have an old style phone that can't be unplugged then you'll need to get in touch. Click on the 'Contact us' link on this page to get our contact details.

  2. Plug aworking phone(not cordless) into the main phone socket (this is usually where the phone line enters your premises). See if you can make calls from it. If you can make calls, the fault is likely to be with one of your pieces of equipment.
  3. Plug in your pieces of equipment one by one. Make a test call each time you plug in a piece of equipment. This will enable you to identify which item is causing the problem. To fix it, read the manual or get in touch with your supplier.

Test the wiring

If you still can’t make a call from the main socket, give the wiring a quick check.

1. If your main socket looks like the picture below, unscrew the 2 small screws and slide out the bottom half of the face plate. You'll see a test socket on the right-hand side.

I have a fault on my phone line. How do I test my equipment or wiring? (1)

2. Plug the phone into the test socket as shown in the picture below. Make a call. See if the line rings once and stops, or doesn't ring at all.

I have a fault on my phone line. How do I test my equipment or wiring? (2)

If your main socket looks like the picture below, you'll need to get in touch. Click on the 'Contact us' link on this page to get our contact details.

I have a fault on my phone line. How do I test my equipment or wiring? (3)

If you can dial out at the test socket, the fault is likely to be with your internal wiring. You could fix this yourself, or contact the company that maintains your phones, although they will charge for doing this if you're not covered by a warranty.

If you can’t dial out at the test socket, the fault is likely to be with the line and you'll need to report it to your telephone service provider.

If that’s BT Business, you canreport a faultonline and we’ll get your phone line working properly again.

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I have a fault on my phone line. How do I test my equipment or wiring? (2024)

FAQs

I have a fault on my phone line. How do I test my equipment or wiring? ›

Plug your phone into the test socket as shown in the picture below and make a call. See if the line rings once and stops or doesn't ring at all. 3. If you can dial out, the fault's probably with your internal wiring.

How do you check if there is a fault on a telephone line? ›

Plug your phone into the test socket as shown in the picture below and make a call. See if the line rings once and stops or doesn't ring at all. 3. If you can dial out, the fault's probably with your internal wiring.

How do you diagnose a phone line problem? ›

Test each pair of phone wires to see if there are any faulty lines. Check the external wiring first. If there are no connectivity issues, it's likely that your wiring is not faulty. If you detect a connectivity issue, test the wiring that goes into each phone jack to see where the issue is occurring.

How can I test my phone line at home? ›

Remove anything plugged into the phone socket, e.g. broadband filters, line doublers or extension cables. Connect a phone (ideally a corded handset and not a DECT or portable phone) directly to the phone socket. Pick up the handset and try to make a call.

How do I report a fault on my phone line? ›

Call your service provider, they will walk you through a few steps before sending an engineer to investigate. My elderly mother's landline isn't working and she has no other method of communication. How can I report the faulty landline? Call your mother's service provider and report the problem on her behalf.

How to test a phone line with a multimeter? ›

Set your voltmeter to volts or VDC. Then, touch the black probe to the red telephone wire and the red probe to the green telephone wire. Check the meter to make sure there's a voltage reading, which is typically 45-48 mV.

Who is responsible for phone line to house? ›

Technicaly, you are not allowed to mess about with a Master Socket in your Property or anything backwards from the Master Socket, ie, Outside as it belongs to the Telecom Supplier (there is an very old GPO and Government Bylaw on this) so it is their responsibility to Maintain such Equipment or Incoming Cables.

How can I test a phone line without a phone? ›

You can test a phone line without a phone by using a multimeter. To do this, you need to make sure that you need to disconnect all the connections that are currently connected to the telephone jack that is present in your home. You then need to open the telephone lines to test whether the phone line is working.

What do I dial to check my landline number? ›

Dial 17070 from your landline phone as it will tell you what it is.

Why does my landline say no line? ›

The idle handset will display NO LINE if it does not detect a live telephone line. Check the telephone line connection both at the phone jack and the base. You may have a defective telephone cord.

Who to call if the phone line is down? ›

If the line has three or four large , insulated wires, call the electrical utility. If the wire has a single, insulated covering, call the phone company or the cable TV provider.

What do I do if my landline says check phone line? ›

Check the connections by making sure the line cord is secure. When you plug the telephone line cord at the back of the phone make sure you hear it click. Plug the telephone into a different telephone line jack inside your house.

How do you check if a landline has a fault? ›

Plug a working phone (not cordless) into the main phone socket (this is usually where the phone line enters your premises). See if you can make calls from it. If you can make calls, the fault is likely to be with one of your pieces of equipment.

How do I troubleshoot my home phone line? ›

Troubleshoot home phone issues
  1. Locate the Telephone Network Interface. It's usually located on the back or side of the house.
  2. Use a screwdriver to open the box. ...
  3. Unplug the short telephone cord and plug in your corded phone.
  4. See if the problem still exists. ...
  5. Unplug the corded phone and replace the short telephone cord.
Dec 7, 2022

Why has my landline suddenly stopped working? ›

If the phone has a dial tone after being plugged in, then the original wall jack is the culprit. If the phone still doesn't have a dial tone, then the phone itself is likely broken, or the cord isn't working. Try a different phone cord.

What are the types of faults in a telephone line? ›

The types of faults in a telephone line are categorized as follows:
  • Line to Line or Line to Ground Faults: ...
  • Triple Line to Line or Line to Ground Faults: ...
  • Open Circuit Faults: ...
  • Short Circuit Faults: ...
  • Symmetrical and Unsymmetrical Faults:

What causes a landline to stop working? ›

Condensation from water (or exposure to the ammonia in pet urine) can cause copper contacts to corrode. There could be more than one jack that's not working. If you find one, still continue to check the others. Next, check that each phone jack is working properly.

What is the check telephone line error message? ›

The supplied telephone line cord has not been connected yet or not connected properly. Check the connections by making sure the line cord is secure. When you plug the telephone line cord at the back of the phone make sure you hear it click. Plug the telephone into a different telephone line jack inside your house.

What do I do if my landline has no dial tone? ›

First, check all the phone cables to ensure they are plugged in securely. If that doesn't work, try unplugging the phone from the wall outlet and plugging it back in. You may also need to replace the telephone cord.

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