Linksys router causing noise on phones

A friend has just got the latest Linksys adsl router (the rectangular
one with wifi), on Zen.

Everything works fine except that since the day ADSL was enabled he
has a strong noise in any phone he plugs in.

If he unplugs the router, the noise disappears after a few seconds.

He appears to be using the ADSL filter correctly, and the noise is
present on both a DECT phone and a normal analog phone.

He has tried two different ADSL filters.

What could this be? Is it a possible exchange fault? I am an
electronics engineer & it seems unlikely it would be the router since
it works fine and he's getting 5 megabit/sec downlink speeds.

The router came from a mail order outfit which is certain to fiercely
resist any exchange request.

I should add that Zen told the customer that he must change his router
and try that; they said that BT will not send out an ADSL trained
engineer (to check if the BT equipment is causing it).

This seems bizzare to me; I would have thought that BT had an
obligation to Zen to test the BT part of the equipment.

Most online sellers are extremely reluctant to take stuff back; one
has to really press on them hard.

"Peter Crosland" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

>If he has had it less than a week he can return it under the Distance
>Selling Regulations

Just over, unfortunately.

Peter wrote:
> I should add that Zen told the customer that he must change his router
> and try that; they said that BT will not send out an ADSL trained
> engineer (to check if the BT equipment is causing it).
>
> This seems bizzare to me; I would have thought that BT had an
> obligation to Zen to test the BT part of the equipment.
>
> Most online sellers are extremely reluctant to take stuff back; one
> has to really press on them hard.

If he has had it less than a week he can return it under the Distance
Selling Regulations

--
Peter Crosland

"Peter" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Peter Crosland" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
>
>>If he has had it less than a week he can return it under the Distance
>>Selling Regulations
>
> Just over, unfortunately.

I have the Linksys WAG354 modem router (mite be the same one), and noticed
issues with the filters that came with it being very poor quality, also are
all phones plugged in using a filter (esp if extensions going all over the
place)..

Mine was poor at keeping connections until I took the step of plugging right
at the master socket and everything went ok from then on...

Surely must have a case to argue that if it is faulty then it took time to
come to light and investigate \ conclude as being the issue....

Do you have another modem to try on the line to confirm as being the linksys
at fault...

Stu

"Stu C" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

>I have the Linksys WAG354 modem router (mite be the same one), and noticed
>issues with the filters that came with it being very poor quality, also are
>all phones plugged in using a filter (esp if extensions going all over the
>place)..

This has been checked - he has plugged it directly into the BT master
socket (with the front part removed, as the "support" people always
demand before going onto the next step) too.

>Mine was poor at keeping connections until I took the step of plugging right
>at the master socket and everything went ok from then on...
>
>Surely must have a case to argue that if it is faulty then it took time to
>come to light and investigate \ conclude as being the issue....
>
>Do you have another modem to try on the line to confirm as being the linksys
>at fault...

Not another modem, but a 2nd filter has been tried.

"Peter" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Stu C" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

>>
>>Do you have another modem to try on the line to confirm as being the
>>linksys
>>at fault...
>
> Not another modem, but a 2nd filter has been tried.

certainly suggest trying another modem just to discount as my experience
showed linksys is tempremental... also the psu on mine gets damn hot!!

This issue with getting bt out is that they tend to charge you >£40 if the
fault is proved to be on your part, plus you get into the blame circle of
ISP \ Modem \ BT \ User wiring as the issue.. so the more you can discount,
the more certain you can be it isn't on your (friends) side..

is the inteference when just one phone is in? or is it when both are plugged
in,,, does the computer have a modem plugged in, or is there sky digital ,,,
could be a high ren count (does that still apply nowadays??)..

I ended up bining the two that came with my modem and using my old
speedtouch filters (wonder if any difference in active \ passive
filters?)...

Stuart

"Stu C" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:44b931d7$0$22131$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Peter" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> "Stu C" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
>
>>>
>>>Do you have another modem to try on the line to confirm as being the
>>>linksys
>>>at fault...
>>
>> Not another modem, but a 2nd filter has been tried.

Also, check that there isn't another unfiltered device attached directly to
the master wiring, such as a separate ringer - everything other than the
modem needs a filter.

I've had all this phone noise nonsense, same as described. Tried 3 routers
of different makes, all the same- the hissy scratchy noise starts up as soon
as they sync. I suspect the BT gear at the exchange myself, but a BT
engineer visit arranged by my ISP (it's free then, if you call BT yourself
expect lame excuses and a £58 fee) to look at an intermittent dropped ADSL
sync problem fixed the low variable SNR after they swapped my street wires
over. That visit gained me a stable line with a 27dB SNR (2Mb), but phone
noise continued at a slightly lower level. After a lot of swapping stuff
around, I found that phones & filters vary a lot and that mains power
adapters can cause a lot of noise pickup. Try moving mains leads/ adapters
around to see if it makes a difference.

The worst phones are BT analogue cordless as they not only get a lot of
noise but also distort the speech enough to make it unintelligible much of
the time, a shame as they're the best phones for people with hearing aids
generally speaking (inductive loop) and my wife wears two. Normal BT corded
phones are OK, and a DECT OneTel cordless works OK (Argos sell them),
probably a bit better than the corded one .

The filters used affects the amount of phone noise a lot, I've tried several
unbranded,a US Robotics one, and also a BT ADSL faceplate but the quietest
by far was the ADSLNation Xf-1e I'm now using.

There may not be a simple fix, you may well have to try a few things to get
rid of most of the noise.

Particularly, ensure that the filter is not near or next to a mains power
adaptor ...

"SteveB" <sbrads@nildramDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> After a lot of swapping stuff
> around, I found that phones & filters vary a lot and that mains power
> adapters can cause a lot of noise pickup. Try moving mains leads/
adapters
> around to see if it makes a difference.