Anyone know about home phone lines?

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by LauraR, Jul 16, 2014.

  1. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    I have a service appt set up for tomorrow, but I am afraid I'm going to get charged for it since they are saying it's our inside lines.

    The Phone:

    One cordless phone with 3 extra that we scatter around the house. The phone goes into only one jack. We haven't used any of the other jacks in years.

    The symptoms:

    We have started to get a lot of static on the phones in the last few weeks (not sure when it started). In the last week, it's been so you can't even hear the person on the other end. Yesterday, the phone rang, I picked it up and no one was there. It rang again. Ditto. It stopped ringing so I tried the phone. No dial tone.

    I try our traditional corded phone we use in power outages. Same deal. So it's not the phone. I switched out the telephone wire. Same thing. Not the cord.

    So here is the weird thing. I call the phone with my cell. It rings. When I pick it up, nothing. On my cell it keeps ringing.

    Only test I've done:

    I opened up the Verizon ONT box outside our house. It looks like this:
    [​IMG]

    You'll see 4 voice jacks. When I unplug the cord in jack 1 and plug in my phone there is a dial tone. When I do the same with jacks 2 through 4...no dial tone.

    Should they all be working??? We have 4 jacks that I know of in our house. None of them are working. If we have any others, I don't know where they are.

    Anyone know what the issue could be?

    Could one bad jack cause none to work? Could one bad wire? If I opened the jack we use, I'm not even sure I'd know what I was looking for.

    We haven't done any wiring.
    We have had some bad storms...wind mostly.
    We also had Comcast or Verizon out fixing a sink hole just outside our house just a few weeks ago where their box and wires were. I'm wondering if that was the issue.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2014
  2. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Sounds more like the companies issue.
     
  3. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    I'm hoping so, Tim. I'm hoping those three ONT ports indicate a Verizon issue and not an inside line issue. The problem is that the one actually works, so I don't know if the other 3 are active ports. I wonder if they'd be empty if they were inactive. Anyone know?
     
  4. Phantom

    Phantom Brigadier Britches

    Yep, if you've eliminated the phone and cable problems, then likely to be the Verizon junction box, i.m.o. Unless it's bad phone wiring in the house, or some such, ( much less likely, but not unknown)..
     
  5. plastidust

    plastidust Command Sergeant Major

    Had an almost identical problem long time ago(17 years or so). Only it was intermittent, several days of static in the line then for a day or two no static. Then back to static and phone ringing and no one there. We lived out in the country at the time and the area was often subject to strong winds.

    Was told the same thing, "must be a problem inside the house." After pestering them for weeks, they finely found a problem in the line somewhere between the telco and the house. And the problem in the line wasn't on our property.

    This was with AT&T.

    Good to see you back Phantom.
     
  6. cabbiinc

    cabbiinc Staff Sergeant

    Just an educated guess here, but unless they'd upcharge for more jacks in your house then all four of those voice lines on the box should work. I'd unplug all 4 and retest those jacks with your plug-in backup phone that works.

    Yes, a bad line on the other 4 can screw with the rest. Or a bad wire. I only worked with telephone techs, I never was one, so I don't know what kind of impedence you should be getting out of the lines, but there should be a measurable resistance and not a closed circuit if you used a multimeter. My guess is that it's a bad phone modem (or whatever they call that Verizon box these days).
     
  7. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    The bad indoor wiring is what I'm worried about. I know it's not the phone or the cable going from the phone to the wall jack, but it could be the actual jack or wiring in the walls.

    That sounds similar to ours. The static has been intermitant. Its been going on for a while...not so bad, then would disappear. Then back. Just in the last week has it been so bad that you couldn't hear.

    They did a remote test and are picking up the box, so are saying its indoor wiring most likely. I don't buy that they can tell that, though, as reliably as it sounds.

    I"m hoping all 4 should be working. That would explain why when they remote test, they are detecting the signal, since one of them is.

    Are you talking about actually unplugging all 4 so they are all open? I can try that.
     
  8. gman863

    gman863 MajorGeek

    Laura,

    If they try to charge you for the repairs, there are some great curse words you can throw at Verizon to make them think twice. They include "Vonage, " "OOMA," "Basic Talk" and "Skype."

    It doesn't matter if you would even consider switching. The landline/VOIP market is cut throat; most companies would now rather do a little extra for people than risk them jumping ship. If it comes to waiving a charge and the person you're speaking with doesn't see it this way, ask to be transferred to the "retention" department (every company has one; their job is strictly to keep people from canceling service).

    Case in point: My five year old Vonage box bit the dust last week. Without even asking for a "deal", the phone rep gave me the option of having a free replacement shipped by two day air or an instant $40 credit on my account if I wanted to go to Best Buy or Fry's and buy my own replacement for $39. That's what I call service with a smile. :)
     
  9. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Are they going to come out and test it??
     
  10. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    hahaha! Yep. Believe me, I'd probably dump our land line altogether if I could. Unfortunately, our contract isn't up until January and we are tied into the trio of TV, Internet and Phone. :( They'd bang us with a cancellation fee.

    He was supposed to come out tomorrow, but they are trying to get a jump on things so is here right now. It doesn't sound like it's the box. Could be the wires or jack. :/
     
  11. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Ha! Nice!:) Guy just left and fixed the bad wire and said have a good one. So I'm thinking no charge.

    Oh, and can I say he was actually really cute. :-D That doesn't happen very often.
     
  12. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

  13. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    I'm just happy there was no buttcrack visible like when I had the plumber here. My daughter came in and it was like one of those tv shows. She looks down and her face was hysterical. I thought I was going to die I was trying so hard not to laugh.
     
  14. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

    Crack kills. :-D
     
  15. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Plumbers are required to have butt cracks!!!

    Glad you got it fixed. ;)
     
  16. Blujay

    Blujay Specialist

    Isn't that's part of the job description for a plumber in the US.:)

    was just about to drop in my 2c, but i see you're all sorted.;)
     
  17. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    I guess the stereotype comes from somewhere. :-D



    Thanks everyone for your inputI.:)

    So basically we had a telephone wire that came directly to the jack we used that somehow lost connection. He replaced it...not the whole thing, but just the part that seemed to be bad. It seems one of the previous owners added this jack and the wires are 'daisy-chained' from it. Anyway, all is fixed and as far as I know, no charge.

    The guy was great. For as late as it was (6:30) when he got here, he was in a good mood, he was nice....and did I mention he was good looking?:-D

    I really like when things work out like this. I have to say, Verizon customer service for me has always been excellent.
     
  18. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

    So, did you get his phone number? ;):-D
     
  19. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Sweet...now you can get those telemarketer calls!!!! :-D
     
  20. brownizs

    brownizs MajorGeek

    As long as you do not have an old Carbon protector inside the house, or a bundle of wiring rolled up behind a wall jack, or in your attic. The lines should be clear. If the tech is worth a nickle. They will know how to troubleshoot each line to each jack.

    Used to be in the old days. The techs would use a MegOhm meter to check the lines inside the house for problems. With the Digital phone systems, there is no "Drying Voltage" on the line, to keep corrosion or moisture out of the lines inside the structure.
     
  21. brownizs

    brownizs MajorGeek

    That was usually 99% of my tickets on board ship. A loose wire in a plug on a phone terminal for onboard ship com's, or bad plug at the patch panel board we used for Ship to Shore com's.

    The other 1% were replacing blown fuses, due to when someone would yank on a plug, or handset while the phone was on (had On & Off buttons), it would short out. Or the other was a ground wire that would pop off of the ground plane in the cabinet down in Aft IC.

    I grew up in this business, with my father having spent 20 years in the Air Force doing this stuff, and over 35 with the Telephone company.

    Back in the days when you leased the phones. The telephone company never charged for these service calls, or gave grief. All of the techs were always professional. Both outside and inside the offices. These days it is a different ball game.
     
  22. Phantom

    Phantom Brigadier Britches

    Hmmm...Was thinking that kinda thing, too, LoL! Anyway, cool it wasn't your wiring, then. (Bah! I've had too many Gin & Tonics, ha!), :p. The wiring thing happened to the g/f's old house. Then they had a Bush-fire and torched 3.5 km of line! Took 4 months to repair it, on emergency priority, W.T.F.! LOL.
     
  23. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Nah. I don't think the husband would have appreciated that one. I did offer him a beer though (it was 7:15 by the time he left). :-D

    roflmao...damn! Should have left it broken. A catch 22, that one. LOL

    I'm not sure what he used, but he had some handheld thing that he used to test the lines.



    I remember the days of leasing the phones. I'm pretty sure you paid for them 10 times before they died, so they better have fixed things for free. That's how they are with cable boxes. They make sure you have to rent from them. I figured we've paid for all of our set top boxes about 2 times over now at 6 or 7 bucks a month.

    I think we are lucky around here. We have two of the big companies vying for business...Verizon and Comcast. Comcast lost a ton to Verizon when they came in with their Fios. They treated people like crap before hand because they knew your only other option was Dish. I think they are probably regretting that.
     
  24. brownizs

    brownizs MajorGeek

    Comcast lost a lot to ATT, when they started up their U-Verse service. The good and bad thing is that for both companies, you have good techs and bad techs. At least with VZ, it seems that their techs are better at owning the problem, unlike Comcast.

    The bad thing is that the majority of the premise & line techs are averaging only five years of experience, due to how much turn over there has been in the industry. Engineers are only averaging around 10 years.

    When my father worked for the telephone company. You had all three groups averaging over 20 years of experience in and out of the field. A lot were previous military.
     
  25. blatherbeard

    blatherbeard Specialist

    This is definitely a huge factor. I can't even count how many guys right now just in my garage are newbies. And i know there are at least 2 more teams of guys with under a year experience right now.

    sometimes its stupid techs, sometimes its the crush of the middle manager wanting to exert power of his position over the 1st line managers, who pretty much have to do what their told, even if the tech is a good tech.

    Glad to hear the tech you had sounded like he resolved the situation pretty easily. Sounds like he had a brain ;)

    My guess is it was a short on the line somewhere. Im also glad that hes like me where he'll try to chalk it up to something other than the inside wiring.

    I try to never charge a customer, unless its utter stupidity on their end lol

    I would advise checking your bill though, just in case.
     
  26. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Have to say glad things worked out for you Laura and seems also that customer service from this chappy was also good, or was that because he was easy on the eye!! ;)

    Nah good that you have this sorted as I know things like this can drag on with no real resolution for months.
     
  27. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    LOL Dave. The easy on the eye was just icing. He was very pleasant and fixed the issue, so that was the main thing.
     
  28. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hey fixing the issue is the paramount thing, glad all is going ok now?


    I know what issues are like folks here are having one with a new car, some things have changed and options they cannot get on one model but can on another but for extra cost!! actually me too as I've bought a new one that's 12 weeks off delivery as its a special order, and had to go to dealership twice to reiterate my spec options, I stress about folk getting things right!
     
  29. Phantom

    Phantom Brigadier Britches

    Yeah, I had my old I.S.P. cut me off, whilst I was in hospital. Their compassion for me moves me close to tears!rolleyes Anyway, so I squared everything up with them A.S.A.P., then I still had to wait months and ended up with my phone cut off as well. Grrr, Optus are crap!:mad
    So, I switch back to Telstra, Sigh!*, so they take months just to give me a phone No. and 'Net. w.t.f.! :confused:crybaby
    They sure don't make my life easy, (Yep, I was paid up in advance, They just suck!:().
     

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