Verifying the phone line

Use a normal phone handset to confirm you can make an outgoing call to ourselves. Dial the number 08450798200, if everything is functioning you should hear a couple of beeps followed by a high pitch screeching noise.

If you do not get this, you need to have your phone line checked. Contact your line provider for details.

Another common problem is noisy phone lines. A very simple test you can carry out is to pick up your handset and dial a 1 to get rid of the dial-tone. You should then hear a completely silent line, listen for any background noise, i.e. crackling, crosstalk etc..

If you get any background noise, again you need to contact your line providers to check the line.

If the line is okay, it is also a good idea to disconnect any telephony devices sharing a phone line with the modem. I.e. Telephones, faxes etc. Long phone extension cables can also cause a problem, if possible, avoid using lengthy extensions for modem connections.