Recurring/intermittent "crackly line and disconnec...

Question

Ever since Christmas 2011 I have had an intermittent crackly line with dropping broadband problem. Since then I have had 4 engineers out - that I can remember, there may be more!
Let me first add, the crackling, when it happens, happens even if I unscrew master socket and plug corded phone into internal master socket.
Here is my roll of honour of Openreach guys:
Graham - found a fault several hundred meters away, did something, line clear for a day or so.
Jason - just happened to come when line not crackling, ran some tests, told me all OK, went away.
Harold - brought another guy with him, did a lot of shaking of lines outside, heard the crackling, did something, also replaced inside master socket for brand new one, line clear for about 3 hours.
Jason again (I think) - line was crackling like crazy before he came, he rang me to say he was coming, line cleared and was clear when he got here so again he went away. On his way driving out the village, he rang me to tell me there were other Openreach guys up the road replacing a cable which had a hole in it. He kindly stopped to chat to them, and rang and told me this, otherwise I'd have had no idea this was happening. He said that could have been the problem, I prayed it was. The phone line stayed clear for about a day, then major crackling returned today.
TODAY 25 January 2012
(PS last night phone rang in middle of night and then stopped. This morning when I did a 1471 to get the number, the last recorded number was over a day ago which is odd)
Line very crackly. Tested corded phone in master socket and still crackly. Used phone to make a call and it cut out on me. Broadband massively flakey. Whenever router looks like it's connected with green internet light on, it can't connect and then dsl and internet light go off.
Rang BT 151 to report fault. Got cut off. Line came back, and after being on phone reporting fault for about 15 minutes line cleared and was as clear as a bell straight after. Internet came straight back. Since then line has been clear as a bell and internet rock steady.
But I'm not holding my breath, this is the way it has been since Christmas. Today I cried on the phone to BT Faults as I'm so fed up with it.
About same time last year I had exactly the same symptoms, intermittent crackly line and flakey internet. Luckily it was fixed by a fantastic engineer who went and did something, called me to say all fixed, we chatted on the phone for a while and suddenly the crackle was back. He then said it was because it needed a 'lift and shift' which he organised and then line was good thereafter. Don't know if this is a red herring but the symptoms were exactly the same, and this fixed it.
Just to add (and this is something I'm going to monitor from now on), I think line crackle clears after I've been on the phone a while.
From doing a bit of internet research today this seems to be a common problem and hard to fix. Please can someone help me? Thanks for taking the time to read.

Answer 1

Thanks for replies. I am now keeping a log of phone/internet behaviour.
To update: after my last call to BT faults 3 days ago to report fault, it obviously hasn't been raised because I've heard nothing since. I know why this is, at the same time I was also in despair that BT have our house name down wrong. To be precise, the billing address is right, but the account address (?) is wrong. Every time BT engineers come out to find me they ring and say 'Can't find your house' and I have to tell them that the address they have is wrong (only the house name). I've tried to get this fixed twice before, and also mentioned it to the faults girl, so she palmed me off to someone else and obviously didn't raise the fault for me.
No matter for now, as the same evening I rang Plusnet my internet provider. They have been FANTASTIC! They can see my connection has been dropping seriously for ages, apparently I've not been continuously connected for more than 4 hours. They are sending me a new router to rule out my old one, they have told me to plug router into internal main socket and they will monitor, if connection keeps dropping they say they can instruct BT on fault which will then be known to be external as router has been in internal main box socket. They were so helpful.
If only BT were as good! I am seriously fed up of the same old lines I keep getting repeated to me when I call the fault line. And the fact that they keep closing the reported fault when I tell them that it's ongoing and intermittent and needs to be kept open until it is sorted.
Anyway, enough rant for now, at least my internet is working at the mo so I can post this! Will probably follow up some of your suggestions re getting to mods - when I have the energy to do it!
REgards
Kate