Anybody know anything about phones/phone lines?

M

mike76c3

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2008
Messages
101
Location
So. Cal.
My DSL works fine, and I can make calls to other people no problem. However, when someone tries to call me, they say it rings once, and then either they get a busy tone, or else nothing happens for about 5 seconds and then they get disconnected.

I reported the problem, but the earliest a tech will come out is Monday. So, I'm wondering what the likely cause may be. I've tried two different phones, including just a basic phone (no electronics, wireless, answering machine, etc.). I tried turning the DSL Modem off, and even just plugging the basic phone straight into the wall. I live in an apartment, so I can't really trace the wires from my wall jack. I also tried unplugging everything, and then after about half an hour plugging in just the basic phone. All of these were suggestions from AT&T's troubleshooting.

I admit I don't know much about phones, but it seems strange that if DSL works, and I can call out, that the problem would be something on my end.

Thanks,
Mike
 
Since your DSL works fine and you can make calls and you have ruled out the phone itself, I don't see how it can be anything other than AT&T's problem. I'd bet they've been out to the apartment complex to hook someone else up and did something to your line in the process.

DC
 
Your ground is bad. Voice is 48VDC, and ring is 72VAC. It rings to ground. People in the desert have this issue at times when soil is just too dry.
 
big2bird said:
Your ground is bad. Voice is 48VDC, and ring is 72VAC. It rings to ground. People in the desert have this issue at times when soil is just too dry.
Click to expand...

DSL rings different than ordinary twisted pair from daze of yore???

interesting....must be that capacitor in series with the bell that makes the LC circuit act funky.....

I didn't know that....

:shocking::banghead:
 
JeffP1167 said:
get cable ... end of problem
Click to expand...

I kinda tend to have to agree with you, and I have NO clue how computers can cope with the various VSWR problems on a transmitting/receiving line.....

I understand those wave reflections can be programed out, but dunno how, as that would have to depend on the line characteristics and length, which is high problematical, and to find a 'null point'...???

the solution probabality seems rather complex, to say the least....

curious if anyone doing that work can explain how it's done, to me....

appreciate it....

Thanks....:hissyfit:
 
My neighbor's shop had a similar problem a few weeks ago.
DSL worked fine, but when the telephone or other fax line rang, it would drop the DSL connection every time.
He called and they tested it remotely and said it was his problem.
Then he started getting new logon, password request from the phone company, so I went thru tech support with them and got new passwords etc, but the same DSL problem remained.
In the meantime, he got an offer from Comcast for internet, business phone with separate fax line and television (which he never had before) for almost 100 bucks less a month.
Tried out the internet just today, over 4 times faster than the dsl he had.
He's happy.
 
010752 said:
My neighbor's shop had a similar problem a few weeks ago.
DSL worked fine, but when the telephone or other fax line rang, it would drop the DSL connection every time.
He called and they tested it remotely and said it was his problem.
Then he started getting new logon, password request from the phone company, so I went thru tech support with them and got new passwords etc, but the same DSL problem remained.
In the meantime, he got an offer from Comcast for internet, business phone with separate fax line and television (which he never had before) for almost 100 bucks less a month.
Tried out the internet just today, over 4 times faster than the dsl he had.
He's happy.
Click to expand...

Another example of customer service in America...:pprrtt: no wonder we are in the toilet.
 
DeeVeeEight said:
010752 said:
My neighbor's shop had a similar problem a few weeks ago.
DSL worked fine, but when the telephone or other fax line rang, it would drop the DSL connection every time.
He called and they tested it remotely and said it was his problem.
Then he started getting new logon, password request from the phone company, so I went thru tech support with them and got new passwords etc, but the same DSL problem remained.
In the meantime, he got an offer from Comcast for internet, business phone with separate fax line and television (which he never had before) for almost 100 bucks less a month.
Tried out the internet just today, over 4 times faster than the dsl he had.
He's happy.
Click to expand...

Another example of customer service in America...:pprrtt: no wonder we are in the toilet.
Click to expand...

Younger neighbor age 40, across the street, he works for ATT/Bellsouth like his father/uncle/family has for generations....fairly typical story there....so anyway, he is into all this new shit they have brought out over the last dozen years, apparently he is one of the very few guys who actully knows jack shit WTF they are doing from designs on down to a wiring job.....

and they constantly getting into his shit when in middle of some major update/change for some HUGE CUSTOMER....so he in the middle of draining the swamp, and they call him in to solve some other childish problem some other nitwit can't figger out where the toilet paper is.....

Scott comes home some evenings, he just flat looks burnt, one glance and you know we are lucky he don't have a gun......

:mad::bonkers::goodnight:
 
big2bird said:
Your ground is bad. Voice is 48VDC, and ring is 72VAC. It rings to ground. People in the desert have this issue at times when soil is just too dry.
Click to expand...

Since there are 16 units in my building, would there be some kind of junction box somewhere I could check, or would this be in the wall?

Unfortunately cable isn't an option, as the local cable provider sucked, and the management company tossed them out. They went with DirecTV for TV, and AT&T is the only game for DSL.

This situation frustrates me a little as I've been out of work for some time now, and really need to get a job. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and get cell service (and change the phone number on my resume and resubmit to all the companies I've applied to).

Maybe I'll just have to take advantage of the nice weather tomorrow and go for a cruise :idea:
 
mike76c3 said:
big2bird said:
Your ground is bad. Voice is 48VDC, and ring is 72VAC. It rings to ground. People in the desert have this issue at times when soil is just too dry.
Click to expand...

Since there are 16 units in my building, would there be some kind of junction box somewhere I could check, or would this be in the wall?

Unfortunately cable isn't an option, as the local cable provider sucked, and the management company tossed them out. They went with DirecTV for TV, and AT&T is the only game for DSL.

This situation frustrates me a little as I've been out of work for some time now, and really need to get a job. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and get cell service (and change the phone number on my resume and resubmit to all the companies I've applied to).

Maybe I'll just have to take advantage of the nice weather tomorrow and go for a cruise :idea:
Click to expand...

The ground is located at the demarcation point where the SE cable enters the building. Call Pac Bell. They will run a diagnostic, and if it is on site, and their problem, the service is free. There may even be faulty in house wiring, or your phone is bad. They will tell you.
 
big2bird said:
mike76c3 said:
big2bird said:
Your ground is bad. Voice is 48VDC, and ring is 72VAC. It rings to ground. People in the desert have this issue at times when soil is just too dry.
Click to expand...

Since there are 16 units in my building, would there be some kind of junction box somewhere I could check, or would this be in the wall?

Unfortunately cable isn't an option, as the local cable provider sucked, and the management company tossed them out. They went with DirecTV for TV, and AT&T is the only game for DSL.

This situation frustrates me a little as I've been out of work for some time now, and really need to get a job. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and get cell service (and change the phone number on my resume and resubmit to all the companies I've applied to).

Maybe I'll just have to take advantage of the nice weather tomorrow and go for a cruise :idea:
Click to expand...

The ground is located at the demarcation point where the SE cable enters the building. Call Pac Bell. They will run a diagnostic, and if it is on site, and their problem, the service is free. There may even be faulty in house wiring, or your phone is bad. They will tell you.
Click to expand...

I found out one day phone lines have power in them when I licked the plug because it was dirty. Aside from that don't know much else.
 
JeffP1167 said:
big2bird said:
mike76c3 said:
big2bird said:
Your ground is bad. Voice is 48VDC, and ring is 72VAC. It rings to ground. People in the desert have this issue at times when soil is just too dry.
Click to expand...

Since there are 16 units in my building, would there be some kind of junction box somewhere I could check, or would this be in the wall?

Unfortunately cable isn't an option, as the local cable provider sucked, and the management company tossed them out. They went with DirecTV for TV, and AT&T is the only game for DSL.

This situation frustrates me a little as I've been out of work for some time now, and really need to get a job. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and get cell service (and change the phone number on my resume and resubmit to all the companies I've applied to).

Maybe I'll just have to take advantage of the nice weather tomorrow and go for a cruise :idea:
Click to expand...

The ground is located at the demarcation point where the SE cable enters the building. Call Pac Bell. They will run a diagnostic, and if it is on site, and their problem, the service is free. There may even be faulty in house wiring, or your phone is bad. They will tell you.
Click to expand...

I found out one day phone lines have power in them when I licked the plug because it was dirty. Aside from that don't know much else.
Click to expand...

:wink::noworry: I remember back in like 6th grade, we took a class tour of the local phone company switch terminal house about 1/2 mile down the street, looking at a piece of switch gear known as a number one cross bar, and those HUGE stacks of batteries all making 48 vdc, as battery backup for the phone system incase the electric power went out, very large cells about like in a Kenworth or larger, and painted .navy haze gray....

anyone can find a old movie on YTube about the operation of a #1 crossbar should see it....

what a way to literally connect wires.....

:crutches: My Uncle in Cleveland was a Cast Inst, Tech grad in the early 30's....went work for phone company/ATT....Ohio Bell....
followed Patton during the war, civil engineer rebuilding telecom networks......:crutches:

I remember the next time I saw him, asking about that crossbar, and commenting if they could use the then hot new device called a transistor to do the same thing, as I was building a transistor 'wrist watch' radio in a little plastic box....it got maybe 3 stations, stongest in the area, not enough Q in the tuned circuits....
 
Last edited:
mrvette said:
:wink::noworry: I remember back in like 6th grade, we took a class tour of the local phone company switch terminal house about 1/2 mile down the street, looking at a piece of switch gear known as a number one cross bar, and those HUGE stacks of batteries all making 48 vdc, as battery backup for the phone system incase the electric power went out, very large cells about like in a Kenworth or larger, and painted .navy haze gray....
Click to expand...

They still have racks of Edison storage batteries Gene. Usually clear glass, so you can see their condition inside.
However, they have added UPS units, as well as turbine driven generators.
I have worked in the 911 center for California. It has redundent systems everywhere.
 
big2bird said:
mrvette said:
:wink::noworry: I remember back in like 6th grade, we took a class tour of the local phone company switch terminal house about 1/2 mile down the street, looking at a piece of switch gear known as a number one cross bar, and those HUGE stacks of batteries all making 48 vdc, as battery backup for the phone system incase the electric power went out, very large cells about like in a Kenworth or larger, and painted .navy haze gray....
Click to expand...

They still have racks of Edison storage batteries Gene. Usually clear glass, so you can see their condition inside.
However, they have added UPS units, as well as turbine driven generators.
I have worked in the 911 center for California. It has redundent systems everywhere.
Click to expand...

Have you ever seen an FAA regional control center? They have some of the biggest UPS's i've ever seen. Around 1/2 megawatt each and have like 6 of them.

DSL bandwith is limited to around 6 Mb/sec. It's just putting a high frequency carrier on top of the analog signal. Trying to do too much with a crappy copper wire.
 
rodeck350 said:
big2bird said:
mrvette said:
:wink::noworry: I remember back in like 6th grade, we took a class tour of the local phone company switch terminal house about 1/2 mile down the street, looking at a piece of switch gear known as a number one cross bar, and those HUGE stacks of batteries all making 48 vdc, as battery backup for the phone system incase the electric power went out, very large cells about like in a Kenworth or larger, and painted .navy haze gray....
Click to expand...

They still have racks of Edison storage batteries Gene. Usually clear glass, so you can see their condition inside.
However, they have added UPS units, as well as turbine driven generators.
I have worked in the 911 center for California. It has redundent systems everywhere.
Click to expand...

Have you ever seen an FAA regional control center? They have some of the biggest UPS's i've ever seen. Around 1/2 megawatt each and have like 6 of them.

DSL bandwith is limited to around 6 Mb/sec. It's just putting a high frequency carrier on top of the analog signal. Trying to do too much with a crappy copper wire.
Click to expand...

Complete mystery to me how they deal with standing waves....

gotta be some buzzzzzzy chip in there working it's ass off to make any sense of it....

:sos::lol:
 
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