Murriel wrote:
Worsening static and now completely dead. The phones test OK on the
network interface device box attached to the exterior siding of the
house, which suggests that the problem is inside the house. We have a
maintainance policy for inside the house. Could this problem be due
to mice chewing wires? If so is there a danger? -- Worried

I am also on Verizon since last year. they changed out the demark box
when I went to Verizon.

So last month I got the crackly phone, got worse over several days, then
died completely.
I determined the demark jack worked fine.
the problem was between my demark test jack and the terminals going out
the lines in the house. The demark box itself was defective.
However, the tech jury-rigged the fix. He just attached the output
lines to a RJ11 plug and plugged it into the demark test jack.
Thanks a heap, Eric.