On Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 11:12:56 AM UTC-4, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 7:47:21 AM UTC-5, wrote:
My phones have no dial tone. My DSL internet works fine. When I call my home number from my cell I hear ringing, but the phones in the house don't ring.

I disconnected all phones and tested one by one. All dead. Still have to replace all the DSL filters one by one. But could they all 5 go dead at once? Could a surge go through the lightning arrestors, knock out 3 phones, leave the DSL router and answering machine untouched? I don't think so.

I don't have an NID. It's 1970s wiring, Bell System. The incoming phone line is in the basement and terminates on a lighting block arrestor. Two maroon solenoids on the sides with incoming wire connected above, and phone lines below.

I hooked up a two wire, red and green jack with RJ11 connector to the incoming wire posts and connected a phone. No dial tone.

So I'm thinking this is not a problem in the wiring or equipment in my home.

I'm asking if anyone sees flaws in my analysis.

Will Verizon install an NID in or outside at no charge?

Will I get marginally faster internet if I have RJ45 cable wired from the incoming directly to my router? It's not a long run maybe 6 feet.

Thanks for any expertise you can offer.

A DSL signal will actually jump a gap that opens the talk battery which is -48 vdc. I've seen it happen before when there was no dial tone but the DSL was working. Go to your demarcation point outside on the wall of your home and check for 48 volts dc across the green and red wires or the flat black drop cable that attaches to the protector. If there is no voltage, it's a phone company problem. The problem could actually be at the central office. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Phone Monster

I did try my little circuit tester, and it showed no power. I tested directly on the thick black phone wire, stiff copper, that comes into the house, before the lightning resistor box. Then I used one of those little Christmas tree bulbs across the two wires. Again, no juice there at all. So I'm about out of methods to test, and it seems like it is a phone company problem. Have to go visually inspect the phone poles.

Also someone who live 20 miles away said they are selling off local access responsibility to another company, and they were told they'll be without phone service for two weeks until reprogrammed. I've not heard of that in this area though.