topic Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise in Broadband

BT Openreach Box making a noise

Louise367 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:08:00 GMT

My BT Openreach emits a high pitched alarm type noise several times per week.

I've reported this several times but no one at Sky seems to want to help and I've honestly lost the will to live.

Has anyone else experienced this type of problem before?

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

TimmyBGood — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:23:42 GMT

@Louise367

Do you know which particular item of hardware this is?

I'm not aware that any Openreach ONT model contains a speaker.

Edit: it could be the Battery Backup Unit which was supplied with a very early ONT.

This might be housed within a larger external enclosure.

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

GD1 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:19:25 GMT

@Louise367 Thats not something it can do as there is no speaker within these units, are you sure it's the ONT? When it's making this alleged noise have you switched it off, does it stop or continue?

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

Louise367 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:23:56 GMT

Not a clue what kind of box it is so I've just taken a picture

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

Louise367 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:26:48 GMT

I don't know what ONT is 🤷‍♀️

I have the technical ability of a rock and have no interest in learning - I just want up the tech to work as intended

If you go to the Facebook Page - The Louise Murphy Show on Listen Lanarkshire, I've just posted a short video clip of the box making the noise but in the meantime, please find attached a picture of the problem box

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

GD1 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:27:52 GMT

@TimmyBGood wrote:

@Louise367

Do you know which particular item of hardware this is?

I'm not aware that any Openreach ONT model contains a speaker.

Edit: it could be the Battery Backup Unit which was supplied with a very early ONT.

This might be housed within a larger external enclosure.

That would make sense if they have that.

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

TimmyBGood — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:34:48 GMT

@Louise367

That's a recent Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and as far as I know it doesn't contain a speaker.

While it may look like the LAN light flickering is connected to the noise, that's entirely normal behaviour.

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

Louise367 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:36:40 GMT

Why does the box make that noise?

I've never had a broadband box that's made any kind of noise before - it also goes off like 2/3 times per week ... does that seem right to you?

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

TimmyBGood — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:40:52 GMT

@Louise367 wrote:

Why does the box make that noise?

I'm afraid I don't see how that hardware could be emitting any noise: it's not equipped to do so and such a feature would serve no purpose.

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

Louise367 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:41:22 GMT

Did you have a look at the video clip I've posted on Facebook?

I've shared the link below for reference

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19SQPxRGnU/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

Louise367 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:44:14 GMT

(view in My Videos)

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

TimmyBGood — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:54:37 GMT

@Louise367

I'm just wonder if the location of the box is misleading you and the noise is actually coming from somewhere much further away but roughly behind it.

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

Louise367 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:52:55 GMT

The noise is def coming from that box.

there is nothing else behind other than the main wall to the house 🏡

I feel like I've spoken to every single department and person at Sky and they're all like ... ooohhh we've never heard of that problem before - I don't actually care if they've heard of it before, I just want someone at Sky or from BT to come and fix it but yet they they keep me on the merry go round of actual madness

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

TimmyBGood — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:59:48 GMT

@Louise367

As I said, ONTs aren't equipped with speakers, which is why support is going to be puzzled.

Any replacement of an ONT would have to be booked through Sky: Openreach (not BT in this context) aren't public-facing.

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

Louise367 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:58:49 GMT

If the technical team are puzzled by this, what do you think I am?

alas, I'm not surprised that no one can help with this ... I'm just going to cancel the whole bloody thing as I can't have this alarm going off every couple of days - It's doing my actual head in and no one at Sky seems to want to help

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

GD1 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:02:58 GMT

@Louise367 As I posted earlier when it makes the noise have you tried switching it off to see of it stops? If it stops it's the ONT, if it doesn't it's not.

PS cancelling Sky and going to another provider will mean they still use the same ONT, net result, no change.

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

Louise367 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:03:16 GMT

I pleased why Sky to send a BT Openreach Engineer about 6 months ago but alas, they sent a TV engineer and naturally when he came round, the box wasn't making the noise so there was nothing he could do.

I tried again this morning and after what felt like an eternity or speaking to every department, I'm no closer to a solution.

the guy in the tech team was like, I've tested your broadband and it's working fine ... and then I politely reminded him that I was trying to report a problem with the box and he said unless there was a problem with the broadband, he couldn't and would book a BT engineer - the whole service is cooked and in shambles and honestly, I've had enough.

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

TimmyBGood — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:04:39 GMT

@Louise367

Perhaps be aware that any other ISP supplying broadband over the Openreach network would expect to use the same unit.

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

Louise367 — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:05:02 GMT

Why would I think to switch it off because then it will interrupt the internet which I need for work?

if anyone knows how I can get a BT engineer to come out and fix this bloody thing, I'm all ears

Re: BT Openreach Box making a noise

TimmyBGood — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:08:53 GMT

@Louise367 wrote:

if anyone knows how I can get a BT engineer to come out and fix this bloody thing, I'm all ears

BT is an ISP in competition with Sky: they aren't relevant in this context.

Openreach is the national network maintainer: it's a division of BT Group but required to operate independently.

The only way to get an Openreach appointment is through Sky, and they would need to be convinced there's a fault with the ONT.