The Lemon Fool

Yesterday afternoon, at about 16:30 my broadband went down.

The phone line was working OK, but there was no DSL light on the router.

Phoned Plusnet and after a short investigation they found that it was something at the exchange and Openreach expected it to be back up at 21:45.

That is when you realise how much you rely on the internet and thank goodness that at least TV and radio keeps working without it.

Slarti

You can usually tether to your mobile as a backup.

LemonFool wrote:You can usually tether to your mobile as a backup.

Hello LemonFool,

Shouldn't you be logging in as Stonge?

PD

Ah, luxury.

Since suffering Virgin, I'm looking back to BT's copper as a golden age. Including the time it went down completely (not even a dialtone), when - in stark contrast to Virgin - I was able to get through to a service that promised, and delivered, a fix within 24 hours.

Sorry, yes don't know how that happened. Confused me as I suddenly had notifications from two years ago. Apologies to the mods.

What's often not appreciated, is that your copper wires to BT (if you have a standard, non DECT, phone) will keep working when there is a power cut. Neither your Virgin cable phone, or any type of WiFI, Skype etc. will. The local mobile masts, being mains operated, will also be down.

Hardgrafter wrote:What's often not appreciated, is that your copper wires to BT (if you have a standard, non DECT, phone) will keep working when there is a power cut

Yes. But surely if a power cut is in just the right place (or is sufficiently wide reaching), then the telephone lines fail as well?

I'm sure they build in a high level of robustness, but sufficient to keep the service running in any eventuality?

In very basic terms, I am imagining the equivalent of a single piece of wire crossing the country connected to a three pin plug in Dover. If Dover goes down, can the service be run from a three pin plug in John O'Groats?

I know electricity me.

Meatyfool..

Meatyfool wrote:

Hardgrafter wrote:What's often not appreciated, is that your copper wires to BT (if you have a standard, non DECT, phone) will keep working when there is a power cut

Yes. But surely if a power cut is in just the right place (or is sufficiently wide reaching), then the telephone lines fail as well?

I'm sure they build in a high level of robustness, but sufficient to keep the service running in any eventuality?

In very basic terms, I am imagining the equivalent of a single piece of wire crossing the country connected to a three pin plug in Dover. If Dover goes down, can the service be run from a three pin plug in John O'Groats?

I know electricity me.

Meatyfool..

It's many years since I worked on telephone exchanges, but they used to be powered by 48v batteries kept topped up by a mains supply, and usually with generator back-up. I suspect it's not dissimilar these days.

--kiloran

LemonFool wrote:You can usually tether to your mobile as a backup.

My son did for his, I just took a break from t'internet for a few hours.

I'd rather it had been of my choice though. Those running businesses from home, round here, were less than impressed I gather from talking to neighbours.

Seems to have been most of the town, with no warning.


Got to love BT

Slarti

UncleEbenezer wrote:Ah, luxury.

Since suffering Virgin, I'm looking back to BT's copper as a golden age. Including the time it went down completely (not even a dialtone), when - in stark contrast to Virgin - I was able to get through to a service that promised, and delivered, a fix within 24 hours.

Well this was anybody on fibre, of any sort, with any provider as BT Openreach still has a total monopoly, round here.

I mean, why would they bother telling any businesses, let alone domestic users, in advance that they were going to cut us off for a while?

Slarti

Hardgrafter wrote:What's often not appreciated, is that your copper wires to BT (if you have a standard, non DECT, phone) will keep working when there is a power cut. Neither your Virgin cable phone, or any type of WiFI, Skype etc. will. The local mobile masts, being mains operated, will also be down.

A few months back the town was plunged into darkness but mobile phones kept right on working.
Perhaps they are on UPSs?

Slarti

The mobile infrastructure might have been on a different circuit. Some, but not all, cell sites have battery back up. Switch sites etc have generators