Help with phone problem

[WVBill]

Agree. It used to be if you had a power outage "at least the phone still worked" - not so any more if all you've got is cordless phones. We just went out and got a cheap phone as "emergency backup".

 

[MossRoad]

Like several others have said...

Disconnect from the phone jacks all of the phones, computer modems, answering machines, fax machines, Sattellite TV boxes... everything in the whole house that connects to the phone lines first. This eliminates a lot of variables. Then take a known good telephone to the DEMARK location outside your house, like you already did, and test it. If it works there, take it to each the phone jack in the house and test it at each one. This is where a cell phone comes in handy, as you can call yourself to see if the ringer works. If all of the jacks are OK, then start plugging the phones, computer modems, answering machines, fax machines, Sattellite TV boxes back in, one at a time, testing each time until you find the culprit. Don't be discouraged if everything works and there is no problem. Sometimes, as mentioned by others, if things are disconnected from their power source for a while, they will start working again. Have a great weekend and please let us know what you found.

 

[mikim]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( want to meet this 'nobody' character one of these days. )</font>
He's the brother of "not me" ... Not Me finally left my house with the last child .. amazing how even when there was only one child left - "not me" still lived there.

 

[herbenus]

Not sure it's clear from these posts. But when you disconnect phone, etc from phone line, I would also unplug from ac outlet as well.

 

[jerrym4]

I had the exact same problem about a year ago. After much frustration I isolated it to a cordless phone that was broke and would "answer" incoming calls automatically and then hang up a short time later.

 

[BobReeves]

Ringer voltage is around 90 volts, talk voltage is much lower. If none of the other sugestions produce any results you could weel have a wiring problem that only shows up at ringer voltage. Look for a conection that isn't very well insulated or a wire laying on the ground.

Could be dificult to find and may have to call in someone with the proper test equipment and knowledge to find the ofending wire.

 

[PaulT]

First the bad news - your cordless has bit the dust /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

The exact thing happened to my brother last year. Miss Glenda nailed it. The slick, high-tech cordless phone was fried - but not completely. Only enough to short circuit everything else. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif He used his old dial princess phone (does anyone remember how to "dial" a phone, not just push buttons?), and found everything worked fine as long as his cordless was disconnected from the line. He had to junk it and buy a new one. I've found that phones are much more likely to get fried than PCs - something I would never have assumed until I learned it first hand.


Now the good news - You get to upgrade the cordless to the latest and greatest, coolest new technology /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Have fun shopping!

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

<font color="blue"> </font>

Yep, 33 years, Bell System. Still doing it. Just hanging on till the end.

I have several dial phones. Did you know you can dial a number using a touch tone phone without using the touch tone key pad?

You can. Use the hook switch. Pick the phone up, put the receiver to you ear and hit the hook switch 10 times. See if an operator answers you.

It's the same as what a dial phone would do - on hook -- off hook.

try it.

(I don't tell anyone I work for a phone Company) , Tom

Seem to be targets.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

The office building in which my office is located experienced a power outtage right after I moved in years ago and it became very clear early on that I was the only business there that had an "old" style phone. The place was deadly quiet with everything black and my phone was ringing. It actually drew a small crowd, some of whom were so young they actually asked how it was still working without the power on. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Hakim]

I keep 2 of the old AT&T "desk" phones (touch tone) and they produce the clearest calls of any device I have. I was more or less forced into the digital phones over thep past several years, and at home at any rate, they are just horrible. Terrible volume, extraneous noise, etc etc. Now, I do have WiFi for computers, garage door, etc etc. I am sure there is interference. A few years ago I did ruip out all wiring and repalced with Cat 5. They helps.

Since I do some radio interviews over the phone. I find the AT&T model 2500 is by far the best, clear as a "bell" /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif. Also, as others have mentioned, even if you lose power due to storm or whatever, usually the basic hardwired phone will continue to work.

We bought one of those "lineman" handsets for testing at the demark box, since they charge so much to come out if you don't pay the monthly inside wiring "maintainace" fee.

I have bought those AT&T 2500's on EBay for about $10. Also you sometimes can pick them up at Salvation Army or other thirft stores for a dollar or two.

We use BizFon digital system at work. It is good for the price, but we have had the main unit and two of the phones go bad. That was my intial concern, durability. Basically the system lasts till the warranty runs out. ..Plus customer service is poor. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif