The quality of your telephone line calls can vary from one home or business to another. When you are dealing with the frustrating situation of lost calls, buzzing sounds or cracking that affect how well you can hear and be heard you need to consider bringing in a telephone line technician. They are the best people to bring in to solve your problems. Here is a look at three common phone problems, what the issues might be and some troubleshooting advice.

Three common phone line problems

1) Buzzing and crackling

When you are hearing pops, crackling, hissing or humming even if there is no one actually talking this is most likely the result of static interference. The more common cause of static interference is electrician interference caused by incorrect or problematic phone wiring, or other electronic devices nearby may cause it.

2) An echo on the line

Ever used your phone and found there is an annoying echo on the line where you hear your voice echoing back at you? This is due to voice signals being too loud which leads to the echo effect. Problems with phone wiring that causes electrical feedback as above can also cause the echo effect. A professional telephone line technician can investigate and solve it.

3) Voices cutting in and out

If you are tired of conversations on the phone that are choppy where voices come in and then disappear so you are only picking up some of what is being said, then this could be an issue with your internet connection. Either the speed is too low or the filtering from the firewall, modem or router is poor. These devices sometimes start blocking sound intermittently unexpectedly. It might also lead to calls dropping, having a delayed voice or not being able to hear each other at all.

Troubleshooting on telephone lines that have quality issues

Here are some things you can do to troubleshoot, keep in mind they are also things your telephone line technician will do when they come to investigate but it gives them an idea of where to start.

  1. Make sure everything is disconnected from that line – Everything you have connected to the phone line should be pulled out, modems, other phones, fax machines and such. If there is still a noise coming from the phone then it might be the phone itself that is the issue, not the phone line. Test the line with another phone and if the sound is still there call a technician.  
  2. After disconnecting add them back one at a time – If there is no more crackling or such add back in one at a time each thing you disconnected until the noise returns. This device may be faulty and causing the issue. Replace the device or calling in a technician to confirm it. 
  3. If you have static still – If there is still static on the line try moving other electronics away from your phone, you might just need some distance. 
  4. If you are still having problems call a reputable and licensed telephone line technician to investigate for you. Tell them what you tried so they have an idea of what else to look at.