6 ways to improve performance of your cordless phone

One of the most common reasons people hear noise — like other conversations or radio stations — on the phone line is problems with cordless phones.

Here are six tips for fixing problems with your cordless phone.

Any piece of equipment plugged into your phone jack can act as an antenna and pick up CB or AM/FM broadcasting station frequencies. This is particularly true for cordless phones.

To troubleshoot:

Disconnect the base unit from the telephone jack.
Unplug all the charging units (including the base) from their electrical outlets.
Reconnect the base unit to the jack.
Plug each component back in one at a time, listening for noise on the phone after each.
If one phone is causing the problem, unplug that one and try another.

If only one unit is causing the problem, you might want to stop using that unit. Alternately, you can contact the manufacturer for recommendations.

Tip: If none of the solutions here seem to work, you might consider a radio suppresser or radio/noise filter for your line.

Your phone may work better in some places than others, so try out some different spots around your home. You can also try moving the telephone base closer to the handset.

Electronic devices don't always work well together and this can cause your phone reception to suffer. Try finding a spot for your phone as far away as possible from these types of devices:

Modems
Wireless networking equipment
Personal computers
Radios and televisions
Cell phones
Other cordless phones
Intercoms and room monitors
Kitchen appliances

Try changing the batteries in your handsets, or keep them in the base until fully charged.

It may seem obvious, but be sure the base is fully plugged in.

If your cordless handset has a CHANNEL (or CHAN) button, press it once or twice to improve sound quality.

Note: The manual that came with your phone should have additional troubleshooting ideas.

Surprisingly, weather and time of day can impact how well your cordless equipment works. Try using a corded phone when your cordless equipment doesn't work due to adverse weather.

Tip: If you're using a cordless phone and having problems connecting to the internet wirelessly, look here for WiFi troubleshooting ideas.