[Novalug] OT: Broken phone line ?

Roger W. Broseus Roger@just.net
Thu Jan 11 20:55:17 EST 2007


First, open the box and look behind the socket. Most houses built in 
recent years (like at least the last 35 or so!) have oodles of wires and 
are therefore redundant.

Go to the place where it all starts and see if you can trace wires that 
do work to a point that they don't. If that doesn't work, just switch to 
new wires.

Uh, first, I'd do a continuity test on the ones you think are faulty. 
Not as difficult as you might think: establish a loop by crossing wires 
at the far end and see if there is continuity. I've also hooked up a 
small battery (in a battery holder with wires to connect things - cheap 
and readily available at Radio Shack). Then, check for voltage at the 
other end.

Maybe something got fried - like the phones? Have you hooked them into a 
circuity you know works, e.g., a neighbor's?

/roger

gregory pryzby wrote:
> Calling all PHONE weenies.
>
> I just learned that my house phone (verizon) is no longer working.
>
> When you call my house, my verizon vmail answers IMMEDIATELY and our
> 'busy message' plays. So any incoming calls look like we are on the
> line. There is NO DIAL TONE when I pick up.
>
> So I go to the NID (courtesy box) and plugin. I have dial tone at the
> NID. 
>
> So that means it appears the issue is the house wiring. 
>
> Nothing has changed in the house, EXCEPT my wife plugged in the fax
> yesterday to send a fax and then unplugged it. She did it by
> unplugging the phone from that jack and using that cable to plug into
> the fax. 
>
> We have only ever used 2 jacks in the house. Those jacks are not
> working. I can not get a tone on any jack. I have a line tester and
> get nothing with the tester.
>
> So, I would say the problem is INTERNAL wiring. However, I am not sure
> why vmail picks up showing that the line is busy..... That is the
> 'strange' piece to me.
>
> Maybe a phone person can explain.
>
> Then explain how a cable was damaged in my house by ghosts.
>
> MAN I am frustrated... because it will be 1 week before Verizon can
> make it to the house.
>
> Oh, and forget trying to rewire this house. The wiring job was done by
> a blind drunk with bailing twine. It is just unbelieveably ugly.
>
>   
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>
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-- 
Roger W. Broseus
Linux user			www.just.net/~roger

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