On 10/7/2015 12:18 PM, micky wrote:

For several days, people have had a hard time calling me. The phone
rings a bit then changes to a busy signal. Or once it sounded like
someone answers and then drops the phone

Then two days ago, I couldn't call out either. No dial tone.

Ah, but was there *battery* on the line? I.e., if the telco
thinks your line is "off hook", you won't get a dialtone -- and
it will "ring busy".

Did you have any recent (electrical) storm activity? Are your
services above or below grade? A protection device can fail
and look like a load on your line (your phone, when off hook,
looks like a load -- so, anything that looks like a load or
imbalance can make the telco think you are off hook)

Could the DSL modem be messing up the phone, even though the phone
signal does not really go *through* the modem? It only touches the
modem input . That is, the phone line input and the phone output are
both in the same side of modular Y-connector, which plugs into the DSL
modem.

Disconnect the house at the network interface. Plug a (good) phone
into the interface so *all* that is on the line is that phone (none
of your "customer supplied equipment" *or* wiring).

See if folks can ring you successfully in that configuration.

Reconnect your "house" and have the telco run a test of the line.
If it shows an imbalance, partial short, etc. you can then
isolate the house (again) and repeat the test.

You *don't* want them to come out and deal with a problem INSIDE
your house -- they will charge you for that. OTOH, if there is
a problem UP TO the network interface then it's their problem.

I had a problem in one rental property where the phone line
was laying on a hot air duct. Over time, the insulation failed
and it looked like a partial short. Enough to render the line
inoperative. But, with the house "disconnected" from the network
interface, the line tested good.

"We can send someone out to check the (inside) line for you..."
"Um, no thanks! I can do that!"