Help - phone not working but Internet is

[bwfc0907]

Hi, master socket is working when I plug in house phone. When I put the cover back on the main socket, if the extensions are connected behind the face plate I lose the phone line but if I disconnect the 4 wires it works.
None of the 4 sockets are working around the house.
When you ring externally to the house it rings but the phone doesn't ring or can't be answered.
The 4 sockets are all internally wired but I do not know which box goes to which.
How can I find the fault? It certainly seems like a problem with the extension sockets ran.
Why does the Internet work? Sky box says no phone line connected.
I understand its the blue/white & white/blue wires are the important ones. No problem for 12 years & now this!
I'm lost, please help.

[seawright]

The problem is either a fault with the internal wiring or a fault with an instrument connected to one of the phone sockets so first unplug anything connected into a phone socket then use the known good phone, the one that worked in the test socket, to check each phone socket in turn. I assume that you have reconnected the extension wiring that you disconnected at the master socket.

[bwfc0907]

I've left everything else out so nothing at all connected to a socket. All sockets are dead.

As an aside how is the Internet working when that is connected to a socket that the phone won't work in?

[seawright]

If you plug a microfilter into the test socket and connect the router and the phone do they both work and can they both be used at the same time?

[bwfc0907]

Yes they both work at the same time. But still no joy with phone line if not in the main socket.

[seawright]

Then it looks like a problem with the internal wiring. The first thing is to check whether your extension sockets are daisy chained or star connected. If all extension sockets are fed by two cables except one (the last in line) which has only one then they are daisy chained. If one or more has more than two cables feeding it then it is at least in part star connected.

[bwfc0907]

Hi, appears to be daisy chained. How is best to find the fault.

[seawright]

Assuming that nothing has happened to damage the cable (decorating, moving heavy furniture, loose pets etc.) the most likely place for faults to occur are the unsheathed cable ends which should be contained within the extension socket or its mounting box. Pick one of the two extension sockets which has two cables feeding it and disconnect the cable cores (initially just the blue/white white/blue cores). Ensure that the bare ends are not touching each other or any conducting surface. Check the phone in the master socket and if working check in the other socket with two cable feeds.

[bwfc0907]

All wires are run under the floorboards except the 1 from the dormer. I'll by a little tool for mounting the wires this weekend.

[bwfc0907]

I've had a good go & fixing & I can now make calls but not receive. Any ideas?

Internet is still working.