How to test phone socket?

It sounds like it would be the responsibility of your phone provider to fix.

You could borrow a phone and see if that works when plugged in, but as your ADSL and phone stopped working at the same time, it's most likely a fault on the line, and most of that is outside of your control.

Phone and ADSL works now, there was a fault on a line outside.

But, just for knowing, can you check without opening socket if wires are lose?

starLED said:

But, just for knowing, can you check without opening socket if wires are lose?

Click to expand...

Not really.

In the UK, everything up to the socket is owned by the telephone company, so there isn't anything that the user needs to check up to the socket.

Diver300 said:

Not really.

In the UK, everything up to the socket is owned by the telephone company, so there isn't anything that the user needs to check up to the socket.

Click to expand...

And even more so, if you ring your phone provider (using a mobile phone) then they can check the line - there's a load resistor in the master socket, so they can check for continuity, even if there's no phone plugged in - and also check if it's S/C.

starLED said:

But, just for knowing, can you check without opening socket if wires are lose?

Click to expand...

Check for the presence of around 48V DC across the two phone line connections - the centre pair (or next outer pair for a second line) on a US RJ type phone socket, or the next to centre pair for a UK socket.

On the UK system, the external wiring and as far as the "Master socket" body are the providers property.

Any additional extension sockets or other wiring past the master socket is the bill payers responsibility.

For faultfinding you are supposed to remove the add-on DSL filter panel or lower half panel "Customer connection unit" (CCU) from the master socket.

That both disconnects any extension wiring and exposes the providers test socket, where you plug a phone in to verify the providers wiring. You do not remove the back part of the socket from the wall.
The filter or CCU is screwed on with older flat-front sockets and clipped on with newer curved front ones.


If it works there but not with the CCU or filter fitted, then it's down to you to fix your wiring - the provider will charge for any faults in that.

(If you don't have a master socket with a detachable panel, tell your provider and they should update it).

Test sockets, old and new type NTE5 master sockets:

Even though alot of problems occure in the plate itself, it is difficult to test without removing it.
Basically like troubleshooting everything else you start from a point test it, test another point, and narrow down the point from working to not working.

my favorite tool for troubleshooting was a TDR since it tells you the distance from a break. But just touching the line with a finger will give a nice jolt and a fair indicator if that point is active. because fault could be in the what i call "ground wire" the most sure way to test is a telephone line is a tellephone with clips aswell as a jack on it, we call it a BUTT-SET. only difference from the butt set and a regular phone is a little green/red led that tells you polarity, for if you have volts on a line without dialtone (not needed here though).