48 volts is about right if no phone or other device is "off the hook". Although I would have expected a somewhat lower
number, 24 volts could indicate some device is still trying to use the phone line. Are you sure there's nothing you've
overlooked - an autodialer in a burglar alarm, an unused computer modem, a caller-ID box?

As others have said, assuming your internet connection is DSL, the fact that it's working is a pretty good (although not
100%) sign that your phone line is in good shape.

Eric Law


"PaulD" wrote in message ...
My telephone service is out. I have scheduled a tech to come out
tommorrow, but if I can troubleshoot this myself I am willing to try.
Here is the situation:
The telephone tested the line remotely and did not find a problem.
I do not get a dial tone on any of my phones. I have disconnected
all devices from their jacks and tried reconnecting one at a time. I
did not get a dial tone on any of the lines after disconnecting
everything and letting the system sit for several minutes.
Although I do not get a dial tone on my telephones, I still have a
high speed internet connection. This strikes me as odd, but I don't
know how these things work.
I do not have a more modern network interface. Instead I have an
entrance bridge. My multimeter indicates that I am getting about 24
volts between the green and red wires. One site I have read says this
should be closer to 48 volts. Does this suggest the problem might be
at the phone company?
Are there any other relatively simple things that I can check? What
would should I do next?