Copper Line Tests: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 23:51, 17 August 2018

Availability

Available on BT ADSL lines (as Copper Test)
Available on TT ADSL lines (as Issue TAM Test)

Accessing This Feature

Access is via the Control Pages as follows:

Log in to the Control Pages with your xxx@a login
Click on the line you want to run the test on
You'll see one of the following:

Copper test Button on a BT ADSL line

TAM Test on a TT ADSL line

With a BT line, simply press the button.
With a TT line, select the test, and the test will be carried out, then after a few minutes go back and select 'Get Last Completed TAM Test Result' to view the results

What does it do?

Carries out a copper line test to test aspects of the actual phone line. This will cause the line to drop sync for a minute or so. It may report back that an OR (Open Reach) fault will need to be raised with the provider of the PSTN line. Sometimes just running this test can fix some fault conditions!

Example outputs

Example output on a BT ADSL Line:

BT Test xDSL Copper Test:Pass Standalone sub test passed successfully.
Pass Copper Line Test Successful T300:CIDT LINE TEST OK - END USER EQUIPMENT DETECTED

Example output on a TT ADSL Line:

TAM test results on a TalkTalk line

Meaning of the results

Sometimes the line test will (cryptically) suggest that a fault needs to be reported to the phone line provider, e.g., it will say Report to OR (OpenReach), for example:

BT Test CopperLineTest:Fail Line test failed report fault to OR.
fail Line test failed report fault to OR. T023:FAULT - Battery Contact

In this case, report the fault to your phone line provider, if this is BT Retail, then you can report online: https://www.bt.com/faults if the phone line is provided by AAISP then contact Support.

The copper line could come back with other outcomes, such as:

DIS fault The test cannot get a capacitance reading of your line. You probably have no dial tone. It's broken somewhere, somehow!
LOOP fault The 2 wires that make up the line are in contact with each other and are causing a loop.
Battery Contact fault The line is in contact with another line, perhaps due to water, or bad insulation
Earth Contact fault The line is going to earth. The line may be damaged and wire touching earth somewhere
Rectified Loop fault a one way loop - check internal wiring before going further.
- Some further info here: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/uk.telecom/QdsxWT3QcvQ and see the notes below:
High Resistance DIS fault Both lines have high resistance - some connection problem along the line.

If you get a Copper line test error, try the test again with all equipment unplugged, and the NTE5 faceplate removed as the fault could be caused by local wiring or equipment.

More info on Loop and resistance faults

Loop fault is a symmetric low DC resistance between A/B wires in the pair. Rectified loop fault is an asymmetric low DC resistance between A/B, as-if there's a diode shorting the fault.

At DC, the line should appear as an open circuit (infinite resistance).

A loop test (among other things) applies a known DC voltage to the line, and measures the current flow - it should see 0 mA current flow with phones all on hook. It then reverses the DC voltage, and expects to see 0 mA again.

If it sees current flow when it applies voltage, you have a loop fault. If the current is different depending on whether A or B is +ve relative to the other, you have a rectified loop fault.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+==Availability==
-*Available on BT ADSL lines
+*Available on BT ADSL lines (as Copper Test)
+*Available on TT ADSL lines (as Issue TAM Test)
+{{CPbox|#Click on the line you want to run the test on
-[[File:Coppertest.png|none|Copper test Button]]
+#You'll see one of the following:
+[[File:Coppertest.png|none|frame|Copper test Button on a BT ADSL line]] [[File:TTIssueTAMTest.png|none|frame|TAM Test on a TT ADSL line]]
+*With a BT line, simply press the button.
+*With a TT line, select the test, and the test will be carried out, then after a few minutes go back and select 'Get Last Completed TAM Test Result' to view the results
+}}
+==What does it do?==
 Carries out a copper line test to test aspects of the actual phone line. This will cause the line to drop sync for a minute or so. It may report back that an OR (Open Reach) fault will need to be raised with the provider of the PSTN line. Sometimes just running this test can fix some fault conditions!
-Example output:
+==Example outputs==
+Example output on a BT ADSL Line:
  BT Test xDSL Copper Test:Pass Standalone sub test passed successfully.
  Pass Copper Line Test Successful T300:CIDT LINE TEST OK - END USER EQUIPMENT DETECTED
+Example output on a TT ADSL Line:
+[[File:TTTamTestResult.png|none|frame|TAM test results on a TalkTalk line]]
+==Meaning of the results==
 Sometimes the line test will (cryptically) suggest that a fault needs to be reported to the phone line provider, e.g., it will say Report to OR (OpenReach), for example:
- BT Test CopperLineTest:Fail Line test failed report fault to OR.fail Line test failed report fault to OR. T023:FAULT - Battery Contact
+ BT Test CopperLineTest:Fail Line test failed report fault to OR.
+ fail Line test failed report fault to OR. T023:FAULT - Battery Contact
-In this case, report the fault to your phone line provider, if this is BT Retail, then you can report online: https://www.bt.com/faults
+In this case, report the fault to your phone line provider, if this is BT Retail, then you can report online: https://www.bt.com/faults if the phone line is provided by AAISP then contact Support.
 The copper line could come back with other outcomes, such as:
-*'''DIS''' The test cannot get a capacitance reading of your line. You probably have no dial tone. It's broken somewhere, somehow!
+*'''DIS fault''' The test cannot get a capacitance reading of your line. You probably have no dial tone. It's broken somewhere, somehow!
-*'''LOOP''' The 2 wires that make up the line are in contact with each other and are causing a loop.
+*'''LOOP fault''' The 2 wires that make up the line are in contact with each other and are causing a loop.
-*'''Battery Contact''' The line is in contact with another line, perhaps due to water, or bad insulation
+*'''Battery Contact fault''' The line is in contact with another line, perhaps due to water, or bad insulation
-*'''Earth Contact''' The line is going to earth. The line may be damaged and wire touching earth somewhere
+*'''Earth Contact fault''' The line is going to earth. The line may be damaged and wire touching earth somewhere
-*'''Rectified Loop''' a one way loop - check internal wiring before going further.
+*'''Rectified Loop fault''' a one way loop - check internal wiring before going further.
+**Some further info here: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/uk.telecom/QdsxWT3QcvQ and see the notes below:
-*'''High Resistance DIS''' Both lines have high resistance - some connection problem along the line.
+*'''High Resistance DIS fault''' Both lines have high resistance - some connection problem along the line.
 If you get a Copper line test error, try the test again with all equipment unplugged, and the NTE5 faceplate removed as the fault could be caused by local wiring or equipment.
+==More info on Loop and resistance faults==
+Loop fault is a symmetric low DC resistance between A/B wires in the pair. Rectified loop fault is an asymmetric low DC resistance between A/B, as-if there's a diode shorting the fault.
+At DC, the line should appear as an open circuit (infinite resistance).
+A loop test (among other things) applies a known DC voltage to the line, and measures the current flow - it should see 0 mA current flow with phones all on hook. It then reverses the DC voltage, and expects to see 0 mA again.
+If it sees current flow when it applies voltage, you have a loop fault. If the current is different depending on whether A or B is +ve relative to the other, you have a rectified loop fault.