On Wed, 2007-10-03 at 03:30 +0930, Tim wrote: > > The phone lines a twisted pair of copper to the exchange, all the way, > still, as far as I'm aware. I don't think they've updated the wiring > around here in 40 years. Grounded at their end, but not at this end. Bingo! My Step Father, the master electrician, always insisted on separate earth grounds for computer rooms, at large sites. If your refrigerator compressor went wonky in the kitchen, you'd have spikes all through the house, through the common ground. Ground to the earth using one of those long copper earthing rods, instead of some copper water pipe, especially the telco line. Cheap and just might work for ya. Polarity could be a problem as a previous reply noted. In a 40 year old house, the socket might have been haphazardly replaced in the past. Another consideration might be your meter box. Rarely attended to, they need cleaning about every 8 years or so. That aluminum wiring from the pole to your meter is probably crusty as heck with oxidation and then weird stuff around the house starts happening ...usually you'll start replacing light bulbs like a madman. In some locals the util co. will clean it for you if you ask. They don't want your house to burn down either. If it hasn't been cleaned in 10 years, it'll be real gnarly with large knobs of oxidation on the connecting posts. Make SURE you insist that the lineman puts paste on the wires. Some are just too lazy to do a proper job. You cannot afford that. Be assertive. :) Trouble-shooting with a shotgun, for sure, Ric -- ================================================ My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say: "There are two Great Sins in the world... ..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity. Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad. Linux user# 44256 Sign up at: http://counter.li.org/ http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/oar http://www.wayward4now.net <---down4now too ================================================
