Sorry, this is long, but I need to explain the situation, which actually is quite interesting to those who have had the same problem, and a warning for those who have not. For years now - 11 since my DH passed away - I have had constant interference on the phone and the computer has been impossible most of the time. I have had a computer since 2005. When my DH died I started getting endless phone calls from cold callers - always the 'get you out of debt' kind. I was not in debt, although no life assurance. My daughter gave me a guardian phone about four years ago when they came out. It worked, except that it was almost impossible to speak to people for more than a few minutes because of the crackling. I would move about the house trying to find a place to speak without interference. It also meant that when the phone rang I heard it and got up each time (I am disabled) and stood by the guardian extension waiting to see if the caller continued. I hardly ever use the phone, so only family.
The computer was a misery too. I was constantly calling in the engineer for help. It got worse when I had a smart TV, and I still cannot access the catch up boxes. I had to try three times whenever I went into a site. I got the turned down page and the dinosaur every time I tried. Grocery shopping was a misery, because every five minutes I had to sign in again, and the popups in the bottom right corner were constant, no matter how I tried to stop them. The engineer blamed the phone line, because when I had the first one in 2005 my SIL ran the line from the front door to the study, over the top of the walls. The engineer said I had to get a new line directly into the study. I did explore that possiblity.
I had BT phone line and talktalk computer and aol. I could not get a straight answer from either. In fact, when talk talk this year were advertising fibre optics, I contacted them online to have this, but they said ''it is not possible at t he moment''. BT engineer admitted there was a fault somewhere, but that was all. No one offered to explore further.
It was so bad, and so worrying, especially as it was taking me 2 or 3 hours to order the shopping online, that when Plusnet advertised in September I signed up for it. On September 22 BT stopped the line. I WAS STILL RECEIVING INCOMING CALLS although I could not dial out. When my helper came and set up the new router and connected plusnet, ALL MY PROBLEMS DISAPPEARED. I have had no lost connections and absolutely no interference on the phone or the computer, that it takes hardly 30 minutes to place an order. Not once has there been any crackling or interference on the phone, BUT THE CREEPIEST is that now I no longer hear the phone ringing from the study to the bedroom: I only hear those calls put through for those who know about the guardian message. The disability living extension was built in 2001. I have had problems with the neighbour from before that. In the wet room there is what looks like and electricity plate. When I had a new xpelair installed in the wet room about 4 years ago, I asked the electrician if it was connected to the xpelair light/ventilation and he said it was not. The computer engineer said that it was not connected with the telephone. Now I am wondering what it is, and whether it has anything to do with the fact that I no longer hear the phone ring in the study. I am pleased about that because I do not have to keep getting up, but the phone was ringing so often I cancelled calls on the extension, sometimes 20 a week because the memory was full, and I still do not know why my phone rang even though it was cut off by BT at midnight on 22/9.2020.
I should be relieved, but now I wonder why, because there has certainly been a change for the better, but wonder how long it will last.