Telephone Cabling

[AndreaK]

Hi! I am new to this forum, and wish to tell you about my experience which has nearly driven me bonkers, and all because I used a person who did not know what they were doing.

It all started some weeks ago when I asked a electrician to install a power point, and whilst he was there I also asked if he could put in a telephone point for my broadband connection, to which he said - No Problem! Well I set my computer up, and it was not long before I was having dropouts, this was really annoying, so I contacted the computer supplier who run through everything with me and said that the computer seems fine, all the settings are correct, perhaps you telephone cabling has a fault, get it checked.

So I contacted the telephone carrier, who told me to unplug this and unplug that until they said it appears to be all OK, however the dropouts continued, I approached everyone again, and I was really starting to get aggrieved, when finally a telephone technician visited my home (Because of my continual complaining) and identified a problem was there - although it seemed slight, he isolated the carriers network from my private network, and the carriers cabling was perfect, and the fault was found to be in my new cabling, although it was inter-mittant, so - he told me to get the person who installed the cable to come back and fix it for me.

When I mentioned the particular electricians name, the telephone technician passed the comment "I didn't know they were a licenced communications cabler", so I rang the electrician up - guess what - he could not supply me with a licence number for communications cabling. So after a brief expression of my thoughts to him, I hung up, and I was not going to get him to come back.

Luckily whilst telling some new friends we have made in Jamestown of this drama, they told me that there is a licenced telecommunications cabler in Jamestown, who is actually a ex Telstra employee. I rang the licensed man up, who came and tested my cable, checked the ceiling space and found that the cable was installed too close to the power, and when I was using some appliances this may be causing my dropouts, he redone the job, supplied me with his invoice stating his licence number, and I have had no dropouts since - thank goodness.

My experience for your benefit - A electrician is not the same as a licenced communications cabler, check their licences before you have any work done, and your purse and computer will thank you in the end.

[Richard]

I had a similar problem, but mine was a overuse of extension cords I'm afraid, I had my broadband cabled by (the licenced cabler, whom I know) and have had a fault free run since.

Yes - I agree, dropouts do test your patience.

[Ray]

I was lucky enough to have my cabling done by a local licenced installer, and have had no bother. But I can imagine the frustration of having your service drop out whilst online.

It appears that licenced cablers are very hard to find, and even when you do they are often booked out for some time, never the less it just goes to show that it is better to have the job done professionally.

We are lucky to have one in Jamestown.

[adminer]

Foxtel caused my problem. They installed a new 'phone extension for the Foxtel IQ. After an isolation test as described by AndreaK, found that the the connection they installed caused my Broadband speed to drop from around 3500/800 (ADSL2+) to less than 900/500 (slower than ADSL1 speeds).

I know Jamestown isn't on ADSL2+ just yet, but it just goes to show how cabling done incorrectly can stuff things up. Still haven't got back to Foxtel to fix it (Telstra found the problem), they are paying through me not ordering Box Office Movies 

[Luke]

Heck, I thought I was the only one with this sort of a problem, my problem was actual connection quality in a telephone point, and like the others, our local licenced ex telstra cabler, found and fixed the problem after being called in by the local computer dealer from whom I bought my system.

The cabler had some top quality fault analysis equipment which found the fault, he then rectified the problem, and I have had no issues since.

Thankfully in Jamestown we have such people available to cover a lot of different trades, unlike some of our neighbouring towns. Sure, they are not available at the drop of a hat, but they are available.
 

[hatchbackgirl75]

Could someone please PM me the details of the local licensed cabler? I think we're going to need him ourselves ...

[Ray]

Done.

[Cliff64]

You don't know what you have until you loose it. That's the old saying, and it costs. I am aware of my neighbour seeking some telephone cabling, and rang our local man who advised them that due to current health issues he was not doing this cabling at the present time. So I finally got onto a cabler living approx 75kms away, thats OK until they got the account, $1.20 km to Jamestown and back, Labour from time they left their home town until they returned @ $140.00 Hr. Plus the actual job, please get well our local man!

[Ray]

You don't know what you have until you loose it. ---snip---

How true that is,...

[hatchbackgirl75]

I should send the other half to TAFE and get him licensed, although he's so antisocial it probably won't happen.

He did ours himself - his father is an electrician and he's picked up a lot of the how-tos from being a pseudo-apprentice on various jobs. But without that certification, knowing *how* is not much use to anyone.

[Ray]

We certainly need someone in the town. Nearly everyone I speak to needs something done in the way of phone work, and travelling expenses make technicians just about unaffordable if they have to come from Port Pirie or Clare.

[hatchbackgirl75]

Turns out its about $2000 worth of short courses ... not having $2000 lying around this exact instant, I think this will have to wait a few months. The courses are heavily geared towards electricians who want to add something else to their repertoire, but I think most of the local electricians are busy enough already without doing extra stuff.

The lad is perfectly capable of installing phone and data cables, but doesn't have the piece of paper that says he's allowed to. He's good with TV stuff, stereos and so forth too. Basically anything that has cables. I really need to send him out to work ...

[Ray]

Yes, I think that household phone cabling should not be too much worry for anyone with a small knowledge of Mag and Elec. The problem being with what Telsta will allow you to connect to their system.

[hatchbackgirl75]

More that telstra won't let you do anything without austel accreditation

Something to save up for in the new year.

[CableGuy]

I have read with some interest the comments on this topic, and could rattle on for pages and pages.

As I am no longer actively doing this work, I feel I can comment without seeming to push a personal barrow, I should also disclose that I worked for Telstra in excess of 20 years, and still hold a Open Cabling Licence and am still fully accredited by Telstra to work on their network, and connect services to their network. Plus do quality audits on contractors on behalf of Telstra.

There are several types of licence, briefly they are -

 - Open (Highest licence available) ~ allows the licence holder to do all types of communications work, installing sockets in residences, wiring commercial properties, security cabling, data cabling, lift cabling, basically everything going.

 - Restricted ~ allows the licence holder to install sockets in a residence.

 - Security ~ allows the licence holder to install security cable and mode 3 sockets.

 - Being a electrician IS NOT A LICENCED COMMUNICATIONS CABLER, like being a electrician is not a licenced plumber.

Some short notes for your interest ~

1/ Just because a person has a ACA cablers licence does not mean they are Telstra accredited, they are two separate licences and have individual licence numbers.

2/ Every, and I mean EVERY job done by a licenced cabler, the cabler will provide the customer with a form TCA1 or TCA2, a copy of this form is also made available for the AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY for their audit purposes.

3/ It is a government requirement, and most computer companies, that on all of their data installations, that the cables are speed certified, this requires special equipment  (mine cost $15.000) so your unlicensed back yarder is unlikely to have one. The customer is provided with a read-out of this certification.

4/ When I was employed in Telstra, staff were instructed to disconnect from the network any service which had been done by unlicensed cablers.

5/ Fines for unlicensed cablers in a bulletin I have received are about $50.000.

6/ Ask your local insurance man if any damage, or fire caused, done by a unlicenced cabler is covered in your insurance policy.

7/ Only the person who actually holds the licence, can do the work, not his unlce Fred, or cousin Bob. I was told once that a bloke was working under his mates licence from Adelaide - total crap!

8/ Remeber unlicenced people can not get insurance to perform illegal work, so if you do the job or use a unlicenced tradesman, and something goes wrong, you are probably up the creek.