Comtrend powerline adaptors - hazardous ?

BT uses these as a part of the BT Vision package. On the BTcare
community forum, there is a continual stream of posts regarding failures
of the Comtrend devices. Some of these sound potentially lethal - outer
covers break off in the user's hand, leaving exposed AC mains. It seems
that BT sends out an engineer - voluntarily - in many cases of these
failures. This is in marked contract to the reluctance to send an
engineer to an ordinary line or ADSL fault, and it suggests that the
company is very nervous - legal liability ?

It's very odd that there hasn't been a product recall on this. Has
anyone got any evidence of widespread Comtrend failures outside the BT
Vision environment ?

On 26/03/10 12:39, Gaius wrote:
>
>
> BT uses these as a part of the BT Vision package. On the BTcare
> community forum, there is a continual stream of posts regarding failures
> of the Comtrend devices. Some of these sound potentially lethal - outer
> covers break off in the user's hand, leaving exposed AC mains. It seems
> that BT sends out an engineer - voluntarily - in many cases of these
> failures. This is in marked contract to the reluctance to send an
> engineer to an ordinary line or ADSL fault, and it suggests that the
> company is very nervous - legal liability ?
>
> It's very odd that there hasn't been a product recall on this. Has
> anyone got any evidence of widespread Comtrend failures outside the BT
> Vision environment ?
>

Have used a couple of pairs of these (not at the same location) for
about a year for 'normal' networking without any problems. (sourced from
DABS)

"Ian Pawson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:hoitd6$1jf$(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 26/03/10 12:39, Gaius wrote:
>>
>>
>> BT uses these as a part of the BT Vision package. On the BTcare
>> community forum, there is a continual stream of posts regarding failures
>> of the Comtrend devices. Some of these sound potentially lethal - outer
>> covers break off in the user's hand, leaving exposed AC mains. It seems
>> that BT sends out an engineer - voluntarily - in many cases of these
>> failures. This is in marked contract to the reluctance to send an
>> engineer to an ordinary line or ADSL fault, and it suggests that the
>> company is very nervous - legal liability ?
>>
>> It's very odd that there hasn't been a product recall on this. Has
>> anyone got any evidence of widespread Comtrend failures outside the BT
>> Vision environment ?
>
> Have used a couple of pairs of these (not at the same location) for about
> a year for 'normal' networking without any problems. (sourced from DABS)
>
>
Shame about preventing your neighbours inability to receive short wave,
still Ofcom don't care so why should you.

Steve Terry
--
Get a free Three 3pay Sim with £2 bonus after £10 top up
http://freeagent.three.co.uk/stand/view/id/5276

On 26/03/10 20:00, Steve Terry wrote:
> "Ian Pawson"<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:hoitd6$1jf$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> On 26/03/10 12:39, Gaius wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> BT uses these as a part of the BT Vision package. On the BTcare
>>> community forum, there is a continual stream of posts regarding failures
>>> of the Comtrend devices. Some of these sound potentially lethal - outer
>>> covers break off in the user's hand, leaving exposed AC mains. It seems
>>> that BT sends out an engineer - voluntarily - in many cases of these
>>> failures. This is in marked contract to the reluctance to send an
>>> engineer to an ordinary line or ADSL fault, and it suggests that the
>>> company is very nervous - legal liability ?
>>>
>>> It's very odd that there hasn't been a product recall on this. Has
>>> anyone got any evidence of widespread Comtrend failures outside the BT
>>> Vision environment ?
>>
>> Have used a couple of pairs of these (not at the same location) for about
>> a year for 'normal' networking without any problems. (sourced from DABS)
>>
>>
> Shame about preventing your neighbours inability to receive short wave,
> still Ofcom don't care so why should you.
>
> Steve Terry
> --
> Get a free Three 3pay Sim with £2 bonus after £10 top up
> http://freeagent.three.co.uk/stand/view/id/5276
>
>
LOL - what a load of crap -- how many people actually have short-wave
receivers these days. The aerial required is usually a give away for
anybody that does.

"Ian Pawson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:holbqp$jr7$(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 26/03/10 20:00, Steve Terry wrote:
>> "Ian Pawson"<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:hoitd6$1jf$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> On 26/03/10 12:39, Gaius wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> BT uses these as a part of the BT Vision package. On the BTcare
>>>> community forum, there is a continual stream of posts regarding failures
>>>> of the Comtrend devices. Some of these sound potentially lethal - outer
>>>> covers break off in the user's hand, leaving exposed AC mains. It seems
>>>> that BT sends out an engineer - voluntarily - in many cases of these
>>>> failures. This is in marked contract to the reluctance to send an
>>>> engineer to an ordinary line or ADSL fault, and it suggests that the
>>>> company is very nervous - legal liability ?
>>>>
>>>> It's very odd that there hasn't been a product recall on this. Has
>>>> anyone got any evidence of widespread Comtrend failures outside the BT
>>>> Vision environment ?
>>>
>>> Have used a couple of pairs of these (not at the same location) for about
>>> a year for 'normal' networking without any problems. (sourced from DABS)
>>>
>>>
>> Shame about preventing your neighbours inability to receive short wave,
>> still Ofcom don't care so why should you.
>>
>> Steve Terry
>> --
>> Get a free Three 3pay Sim with £2 bonus after £10 top up
>> http://freeagent.three.co.uk/stand/view/id/5276
>>
>>
> LOL - what a load of crap -- how many people actually have short-wave receivers these days. The aerial required is usually a give
> away for anybody that does.

What are you after? A roll call of utb amateurs and SWLs?
There is Ian and myself for starters.

--
Graham G3ZVT

%Profound_observation%

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed)
says...

> Ah I knew the CE mark on them was a total lie from the EMC compliance point
> of view. Interesting to hear they probably also fail to meet CE safety
> standards.
>
Like lots of Chinese made imports, I guess. I've found that many cheap
switched mode power supplies and CFL lamps have missing components where
the RFI suppression chokes and capacitors should be. All CE marked, of
course.

EMC tests may well be passed when attached to a predictable test
network, but when plugged into typically bodged house wiring, all bets
are off.

In article <vb-(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed)
says...
>
> I've seen control equipment for industrial use being tested for EMC
> compliance and there is no way these things would pass let alone pass for
> domestic use. Somebody's been tricked, or bribed.

Ah yes - the "Self Certification" con. I wonder if anyone has pitched a
real challenge to the alleged CE certification of an RF polluting device
?

One way to get a grip on this corruption of the approvals system is for
some EMC lab to run a proper CE test of powerline adaptors on a pro bono
basis. Any volunteers ?

On 27/03/10 16:30, Ian Pawson wrote:
> On 26/03/10 20:00, Steve Terry wrote:
>> "Ian Pawson"<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:hoitd6$1jf$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> On 26/03/10 12:39, Gaius wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> BT uses these as a part of the BT Vision package. On the BTcare
>>>> community forum, there is a continual stream of posts regarding
>>>> failures
>>>> of the Comtrend devices. Some of these sound potentially lethal - outer
>>>> covers break off in the user's hand, leaving exposed AC mains. It seems
>>>> that BT sends out an engineer - voluntarily - in many cases of these
>>>> failures. This is in marked contract to the reluctance to send an
>>>> engineer to an ordinary line or ADSL fault, and it suggests that the
>>>> company is very nervous - legal liability ?
>>>>
>>>> It's very odd that there hasn't been a product recall on this. Has
>>>> anyone got any evidence of widespread Comtrend failures outside the BT
>>>> Vision environment ?
>>>
>>> Have used a couple of pairs of these (not at the same location) for
>>> about
>>> a year for 'normal' networking without any problems. (sourced from DABS)
>>>
>>>
>> Shame about preventing your neighbours inability to receive short wave,
>> still Ofcom don't care so why should you.
>>
> LOL - what a load of crap -- how many people actually have short-wave
> receivers these days. The aerial required is usually a give away for
> anybody that does.

Erm.. quite a few radio amateurs do, and we have transmitters as well :-)

Ivor G6URP