Troubleshoot Audio Interference with your Home Phone Service

If it’s more than one phone in your home that you are having issues with, there could be a network outage in your area. Visit Network Help & Outages to ask our virtual assistant Anna if there are any service issues in your area.

This is often caused by the Rogers equipment or your phone set being too close to other electronics. Try these steps in order. Only continue to the next step if the previous step didn’t fix the problem.

1. Check the placement of your Rogers Xfinity Gateway or Rogers Home Phone Modem (often found by a fuse panel or Internet modem), and your Phone Set. Make sure they are not next to or on top of any other electronics. If they are, move them apart and check to see if the issue is resolved.
   • Don’t forget fax machines or other devices that connect to the home phone wiring: when they “brain freeze” they can cause noise or no dial tone altogether.
2. If your phone set is powered, unplug it from the power outlet for 10 seconds, then plug it back in to reset the audio components of the device.
3. If the telephone cord for your phone set is plugged into a wall outlet, try disconnecting it and plugging it into the telephone port on your Rogers Xfinity Gateway (Tel 1) or Rogers Home Phone Modem (usually the grey Tel 1|2 jack unless you have two phone lines), directly.
   • If this fixes the problem, something connected to the exposed home phone wiring inside the home is picking up interference from somewhere. You can contact Technical Support and we can investigate for a fee. You can also use a local contractor to resolve the issue yourself. If you’re renting, you can contact your landlord for assistance as they may have a preferred contractor for resolving issues with the property.
   • If the digital noise is still there when your phone set is plugged into the Rogers equipment with nothing in-between, contact Technical Support for assistance.

The primary cause of static interference is damage to the telephone wiring at the premises or the phone set itself. Try these steps in order. Only continue to the next step if the previous step didn’t fix the problem.

1. If you have a corded phone, and you only hear static when moving or turning your head, check the cord between the receiver and the handset to make sure both ends are tight and there’s no cracking of the plastic covering. It may be time to purchase a replacement connector cord from an electronics retailor.
2. Check the telephone cord plugged into the wall outlet or the Rogers Xfinity Gateway or the Rogers Home Phone Modem for any damage and make sure it’s tight at both ends. It may also need to be replaced.
   • Note: If you still have DSL Filters from a prior provider attached to your phone set’s telephone cords, remove them. They are not needed for the Rogers service. They can break and cause static if they stop working as expected.
3. If you have multiple phone sets (i.e. a cordless phone and a corded phone, not a cordless phone with multiple handsets), unplug them one at a time and see if the noise goes away after unplugging each. Because they are all connected, any single phone set that stops working as expected can cause static for all the others.
   • Don’t forget fax machines or other devices that connect to the home phone wiring: when they “brain freeze” and cause noise or no dial tone altogether.
4. If the telephone cord for your phone set is plugged into a wall outlet, try disconnecting it and plugging it into the telephone port on your Rogers Xfinity Gateway (Tel 1) or Rogers Home Phone Modem (usually the grey Tel 1|2 jack unless you have two phone lines), directly.
   • If this fixes the problem, something connected to the exposed home phone wiring inside the home is picking up interference from somewhere. You can contact Technical Support and we can investigate this for a fee. You can also use any local contractor to resolve the issue yourself. If you’re renting, contact your landlord for assistance as they may have a preferred contractor for resolving issues with the property.
   • If the static is still there when your phone set is plugged into the Rogers equipment with nothing in-between, you can try plugging another existing phone to see if static persists and then contact Technical Support for assistance.

Humming or buzzing on the line can be caused by damage to the home telephone wiring or your phone set resulting in a partial short (where power can flow too freely between the two wires) a partial ground (allowing power to flow out of the circuit) or interference from other electronics or sources of power. Try these steps in order. Only continue to the next step if the previous one didn’t fix the problem.

1. Check the placement of your Rogers Xfinity Gateway or Rogers Home Phone Modem (often found by the fuse panel or by the Internet modem), and your Phone Set. Make sure they are not next to or on top of any other electronics. If they are, move them apart and check to see if the issue is resolved.
   • Don’t forget fax machines or other devices that connect to the home phone wiring: when they “brain freeze” they can cause noise or no dial tone altogether.
2. If the telephone cord for your phone set is plugged into a wall outlet, try disconnecting it and plugging it into the telephone port on your Rogers Xfinity Gateway (Tel 1) or Rogers Home Phone Modem (usually the grey Tel 1|2 jack unless you have two phone lines), directly. If your phone is already plugged directly into the gateway or modem, inspect the telephone cord for damage and contact with other telephone wiring or power cables: replace it if necessary.
   • If this fixes the problem, something connected to the exposed home phone wiring inside the home is picking up interference from somewhere. You can also contact Technical Support and we can investigate for a fee. Or use any local contractor or resolve the issue yourself as the wiring inside the home belongs to you. If you’re renting, we’d recommend you contact your landlord for assistance as they may have a preferred contactor for resolving issues with the property.
   • If the hum or buzz is still there when your phone set is plugged into the Rogers equipment with nothing in-between you can try plugging another existing phone to see if static persists and then, contact Technical Support for assistance.

Because you get your phone service from the Rogers Xfinity Gateway or Rogers Home Phone Modem and it is usually only connected to the wiring inside the premises, it not common to experience crosstalk on the Rogers service. When it does happen, it’s usually in apartment buildings where changes have been made to the intercom system that have resulted in two units being connected or split homes where the wiring meets at a common point.

This will require a technician visit to identify and resolve. Please contact Technical Support for assistance.

The most common cause of being able to hear radio broadcasts on your home phone service is the Rogers Xfinity Gateway or Rogers Home Phone Modem being disconnected from your home telephone wiring or unpowered. When this happens, your home telephone wiring – which is not shielded for Radio interference in most cases – can become a great big radio antenna allowing some handsets to pick up analog radio signals. Try these steps in order and only continue to the next if the step you just took didn’t fix the problem.

1. Go to your Rogers Xfinity Gateway or Rogers Home Phone Modem and make sure it’s still turned on/plugged into power. Reconnect it to power if necessary.
2. Make sure that there is still a telephone cord connection between your Rogers Xfinity Gateway (Tel 1) or Rogers Home Phone Modem (usually the grey Tel 1|2 jack unless you have two phone lines) and the home telephone wiring. If this was disconnected from the Rogers equipment or the nearby wall outlet, reconnect it.
3. If the modem is powered and connected to the home telephone wiring, check the placement of your Rogers Xfinity Gateway or Rogers Home Phone Modem (it is often found by the fuse panel in homes or by the Internet modem in apartment units), and your Phone Set. Make sure they are not next to or on top of any other electronics. If they are, move them apart and check to see if the issue is resolved.
4. If the telephone cord for your phone set is plugged into a wall outlet, try disconnecting it and plugging it into the telephone port on your Rogers Xfinity Gateway (Tel 1) or Rogers Home Phone Modem (usually the grey Tel 1|2 jack unless you have two phone lines), directly.
   • If this fixes the problem, something connected to the exposed home phone wiring inside the home is picking up interference from somewhere. You can contact Technical Support and we can investigate this for a fee. You can also use any local contactor or resolve the issue yourself as the wiring inside the home belongs to you. If you’re renting, we’d recommend you contact your landlord for assistance as they may have a preferred contactor for resolving issues with the property.
   • If the radio broadcast is still there when your phone set is plugged into the Rogers equipment with nothing in-between, contact Technical Support for assistance.

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