I admit this is not the rocket science question of the day. But during a
recent storm, I heard a huge bag on the phone as I was talking. That
phone seems to be dead. That line is full of serious static. Any phone I
put on that line renders bigtime static. I switched the wires that
handle that line from the box to the main phone jack and the static was
still there. Then I looked more carefully at the phone box and saw those
little connector wires going to the terminal area. I unplugged and used
a phone there and heard the static very clearly.

So, deduction of the day, the problem is not in the house. Right?

The only reason I doubt it at all is that when I placed the repair order
the phone company person tested the line and said it was ok. I'll have
to pay for the visit if it's a fault in the house. But probably the test
routine they ran wasn't very meaningful.

"wheel" wrote in message
...
I admit this is not the rocket science question of the day. But during a
recent storm, I heard a huge bag on the phone as I was talking. That
phone seems to be dead. That line is full of serious static. Any phone I
put on that line renders bigtime static. I switched the wires that
handle that line from the box to the main phone jack and the static was
still there. Then I looked more carefully at the phone box and saw those
little connector wires going to the terminal area. I unplugged and used
a phone there and heard the static very clearly.


**** If you heard a dial tone at the external phone box customer service
plug, and were able to dial out, the phone company line test would say
it was OK, even if there was static. However, assuming you used a
good phone, the problem is on THEIR side of the box.


So, deduction of the day, the problem is not in the house. Right?

The only reason I doubt it at all is that when I placed the repair order
the phone company person tested the line and said it was ok. I'll have
to pay for the visit if it's a fault in the house. But probably the test
routine they ran wasn't very meaningful.

***** You are correct. However, do it once again to be sure using
1 or 2 different phones, if you have them.
No point in running up a $50 dollar charge because you overlooked
something. Good luck.

Andy in Fink, Texas

Thanks your advice is very clear. I used two phones to make sure.


In article ,
says...

"wheel" wrote in message
...
I admit this is not the rocket science question of the day. But during a
recent storm, I heard a huge bag on the phone as I was talking. That
phone seems to be dead. That line is full of serious static. Any phone I
put on that line renders bigtime static. I switched the wires that
handle that line from the box to the main phone jack and the static was
still there. Then I looked more carefully at the phone box and saw those
little connector wires going to the terminal area. I unplugged and used
a phone there and heard the static very clearly.


**** If you heard a dial tone at the external phone box customer service
plug, and were able to dial out, the phone company line test would say
it was OK, even if there was static. However, assuming you used a
good phone, the problem is on THEIR side of the box.


So, deduction of the day, the problem is not in the house. Right?

The only reason I doubt it at all is that when I placed the repair order
the phone company person tested the line and said it was ok. I'll have
to pay for the visit if it's a fault in the house. But probably the test
routine they ran wasn't very meaningful.

***** You are correct. However, do it once again to be sure using
1 or 2 different phones, if you have them.
No point in running up a $50 dollar charge because you overlooked
something. Good luck.

Andy in Fink, Texas

"wheel" wrote in message
...
I admit this is not the rocket science question of the day. But during a
recent storm, I heard a huge bag on the phone as I was talking. That
phone seems to be dead. That line is full of serious static. Any phone I
put on that line renders bigtime static. I switched the wires that
handle that line from the box to the main phone jack and the static was
still there. Then I looked more carefully at the phone box and saw those
little connector wires going to the terminal area. I unplugged and used
a phone there and heard the static very clearly.

So, deduction of the day, the problem is not in the house. Right?

The only reason I doubt it at all is that when I placed the repair order
the phone company person tested the line and said it was ok. I'll have
to pay for the visit if it's a fault in the house. But probably the test
routine they ran wasn't very meaningful.


Their tests are pretty good, even from the Central Office. They've got lots
of high dollar gear, but the trouble is getting somebody involved with
enough of a clue to use it. If you do, then they can tell you whether or
not your line can "Whistle Dixie" and if not, which notes are off key. The
typical problem, however, is getting that person with a clue.

Your test at the box "doesn't count at all" unless you unplugged the cord
that goes from "their side" to "your side".

When you say "that line is full....." and "[a]ny phone I put on that
line...." are you talking about separate phone lines, or just separate jacks
in your house?

If you only have one phone line coming into your house from the telco, then
every jack in every room is in parallel with the incoming line. Something
screwed up on any one of them can manifest itself on all of them and without
isolating everything, you're accomplishing nothing.

Suggest you unplug every single phone in your house. Don't forget modems in
computers, your Tivo box, your cable converter, your DishNetwork or DirecTV
satellite receivers, and anything else that may have required or inspired
you to attach a telephone line to it for whatever reason.

Now go to the box and find the point where the telco's pair comes over to
your side and unplug that connection. If it's a relatively new junction
box, that plug is a regular male modular plug (RJ-11). Now you should be
holding telco's side of the connection in your hand as a male RJ-11
connector that's not connected to anything. You might have to make a Radio
Shack run at this point.

You need an RJ-11 "barrel" (female-to-female connector), an RJ-11 phone cord
(6' or so) and a real phone. Not a cordless phone, not any kind of phone
that requires any kind of battery. Not a phone that has a speaker phone
function. Not a phone that has any sort of memory or fancy stuff at all.
Just a plain old phone; the heavier it is, the greater the chances are that
it's just a plain old phone.

Connect the telco pair's RJ-11 up to one side of the barrel and plug your
cord up to the other side. Now plug up the phone and try it. Static or
not?

Only after you've done these basic things, can you say that you've really
tested anything at all.

If there is static, then it's probably "them"; if not, then it's most likely
"you".

Also, all bets are off if you have DSL or a home alarm system that dials out
to a security company.

Good Luck
trebor

On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 02:23:11 GMT, "trebor4258"
wrote:


Now go to the box and find the point where the telco's pair comes over to
your side and unplug that connection. If it's a relatively new junction
box, that plug is a regular male modular plug (RJ-11). Now you should be
holding telco's side of the connection in your hand as a male RJ-11
connector that's not connected to anything. You might have to make a Radio
Shack run at this point.

That's an odd ass backwards set up. On my house (and every junction
box I've ever seen in my area) the male plug comes from the house and
the female socket is the telco feed.
Unplug the RJ-11 connector and plug in your phone. In order to plug
in your phone you have to disconnect the whole house so the process is
100% full proof with no adapter needed.

You need an RJ-11 "barrel" (female-to-female connector), an RJ-11 phone cord
(6' or so) and a real phone. Not a cordless phone, not any kind of phone
that requires any kind of battery. Not a phone that has a speaker phone
function. Not a phone that has any sort of memory or fancy stuff at all.
Just a plain old phone; the heavier it is, the greater the chances are that
it's just a plain old phone.

Why won't a modern fancy phone (known working of course) work for
testing purposes vs. an old princess phone?

George

Hi both of you.

I have to say that I don't see how it would work as you say it should,
trebor. The telco box I have here is quite new. There is a little
connector wire that comes from the terminals to a jack on the part of
the box that I can't open and which has the main street wires going into
it. If I unplug that connector wire and plug in my phone, I get a static
filled connection. It sure has to be going out to the street because if
that jack was connected to the house side of the circuit I'd get no dial
tone. So I think I agree with vaixpert. Thanks for trying...

In article ,
says...
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 02:23:11 GMT, "trebor4258"
wrote:


Now go to the box and find the point where the telco's pair comes over to
your side and unplug that connection. If it's a relatively new junction
box, that plug is a regular male modular plug (RJ-11). Now you should be
holding telco's side of the connection in your hand as a male RJ-11
connector that's not connected to anything. You might have to make a Radio
Shack run at this point.

That's an odd ass backwards set up. On my house (and every junction
box I've ever seen in my area) the male plug comes from the house and
the female socket is the telco feed.
Unplug the RJ-11 connector and plug in your phone. In order to plug
in your phone you have to disconnect the whole house so the process is
100% full proof with no adapter needed.

You need an RJ-11 "barrel" (female-to-female connector), an RJ-11 phone cord
(6' or so) and a real phone. Not a cordless phone, not any kind of phone
that requires any kind of battery. Not a phone that has a speaker phone
function. Not a phone that has any sort of memory or fancy stuff at all.
Just a plain old phone; the heavier it is, the greater the chances are that
it's just a plain old phone.

Why won't a modern fancy phone (known working of course) work for
testing purposes vs. an old princess phone?

George

Been in the telecom field for 11 years. I also have one of those newer
telco boxes on my house. If you plug a good working phone in outside and
have any noise or no dial tone the problem *IS* the phone company. This is
one of the reasons they moved away from the old terminal posts. Most people
don't have butt sets laying around!!
This allows the customer to seperate his wiring from telco's.

BTW, I don't work for any telco or communication company. Am an in house
tech for an organization with approx 11 phone systems.

Joe

--


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Hi both of you.

I have to say that I don't see how it would work as you say it should,
trebor. The telco box I have here is quite new. There is a little
connector wire that comes from the terminals to a jack on the part of
the box that I can't open and which has the main street wires going into
it. If I unplug that connector wire and plug in my phone, I get a static
filled connection. It sure has to be going out to the street because if
that jack was connected to the house side of the circuit I'd get no dial
tone. So I think I agree with vaixpert. Thanks for trying...


--


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"wheel" wrote in message
t...
Hi both of you.

I have to say that I don't see how it would work as you say it should,
trebor. The telco box I have here is quite new. There is a little
connector wire that comes from the terminals to a jack on the part of
the box that I can't open and which has the main street wires going into
it. If I unplug that connector wire and plug in my phone, I get a static
filled connection. It sure has to be going out to the street because if
that jack was connected to the house side of the circuit I'd get no dial
tone. So I think I agree with vaixpert. Thanks for trying...

In article ,
says...
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 02:23:11 GMT, "trebor4258"
wrote:


Now go to the box and find the point where the telco's pair comes over
to
your side and unplug that connection. If it's a relatively new
junction
box, that plug is a regular male modular plug (RJ-11). Now you should
be
holding telco's side of the connection in your hand as a male RJ-11
connector that's not connected to anything. You might have to make a
Radio
Shack run at this point.

That's an odd ass backwards set up. On my house (and every junction
box I've ever seen in my area) the male plug comes from the house and
the female socket is the telco feed.
Unplug the RJ-11 connector and plug in your phone. In order to plug
in your phone you have to disconnect the whole house so the process is
100% full proof with no adapter needed.

You need an RJ-11 "barrel" (female-to-female connector), an RJ-11 phone
cord
(6' or so) and a real phone. Not a cordless phone, not any kind of
phone
that requires any kind of battery. Not a phone that has a speaker
phone
function. Not a phone that has any sort of memory or fancy stuff at
all.
Just a plain old phone; the heavier it is, the greater the chances are
that
it's just a plain old phone.

Why won't a modern fancy phone (known working of course) work for
testing purposes vs. an old princess phone?

George

wheel wrote:
I admit this is not the rocket science question of the day. But
during a recent storm, I heard a huge bag on the phone as I was
talking. That phone seems to be dead. That line is full of serious
static. Any phone I put on that line renders bigtime static. I
switched the wires that handle that line from the box to the main
phone jack and the static was still there. Then I looked more
carefully at the phone box and saw those little connector wires going
to the terminal area. I unplugged and used a phone there and heard
the static very clearly.

So, deduction of the day, the problem is not in the house. Right?

The only reason I doubt it at all is that when I placed the repair
order the phone company person tested the line and said it was ok.
I'll have to pay for the visit if it's a fault in the house. But
probably the test routine they ran wasn't very meaningful.

Sorry I did not read all the other messages so this may have been said,
but I suggest that if you totally disconnect your home wiring and connect a
phone at the junction box and you still have the problem, you have pined it
one the phone company (BTW, check with your neighbors to see if they also
have a problem and check out your "known good" phone on their line to make
sure it is known good.)


--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

In article ,
says...
Been in the telecom field for 11 years. I also have one of those newer
telco boxes on my house. If you plug a good working phone in outside and
have any noise or no dial tone the problem *IS* the phone company. This is
one of the reasons they moved away from the old terminal posts. Most people
don't have butt sets laying around!!
This allows the customer to seperate his wiring from telco's.

BTW, I don't work for any telco or communication company. Am an in house
tech for an organization with approx 11 phone systems.

Joe


Hi Joe

I was rather lost in admiration when I realized what that little
connector and jack allowed me to to, ie test the connection out right at
the entry point.

Actually, the "new" style boxes are a direct result of the Carterphone
decision and deregulation. Once the courts said it was okay to plug
something into the phone systems that wasn't provided by Ma Bell (this was
years before breakup), then the phone company needed a way to separate their
wiring that they are responsible for and any devices and/or wiring that they
have no control over. That is why the box is called a 'demarc', or
demarcation, box, since it marks the spot where responsibility changes. It
used to be a cute little metal box with a slide-off top that had these neat
wooden tubes that looked like fuses in it. They provided lightning
protection, and the open connection made a good point for the service guy to
check where the problem was. Later, it was just a junction box hidden
somewhere, usually in the basement. Now it is the box with the RJ-11 (one
for each line to the house).

Tim
(Who has been involved for the last 28 years [I bought the last 801A in
Cincinnati - who remembers what 'they' were?])

"Joseph Isbell" wrote in message
t...
Been in the telecom field for 11 years. I also have one of those newer
telco boxes on my house. If you plug a good working phone in outside and
have any noise or no dial tone the problem *IS* the phone company. This
is
one of the reasons they moved away from the old terminal posts. Most
people
don't have butt sets laying around!!
This allows the customer to seperate his wiring from telco's.

BTW, I don't work for any telco or communication company. Am an in house
tech for an organization with approx 11 phone systems.

Joe

--


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Hi both of you.

I have to say that I don't see how it would work as you say it should,
trebor. The telco box I have here is quite new. There is a little
connector wire that comes from the terminals to a jack on the part of
the box that I can't open and which has the main street wires going into
it. If I unplug that connector wire and plug in my phone, I get a static
filled connection. It sure has to be going out to the street because if
that jack was connected to the house side of the circuit I'd get no dial
tone. So I think I agree with vaixpert. Thanks for trying...


--


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT BACK AGAINST SPAM!
Download Spam Inspector, the Award Winning Anti-Spam Filter
http://mail.giantcompany.com


"wheel" wrote in message
t...
Hi both of you.

I have to say that I don't see how it would work as you say it should,
trebor. The telco box I have here is quite new. There is a little
connector wire that comes from the terminals to a jack on the part of
the box that I can't open and which has the main street wires going into
it. If I unplug that connector wire and plug in my phone, I get a static
filled connection. It sure has to be going out to the street because if
that jack was connected to the house side of the circuit I'd get no dial
tone. So I think I agree with vaixpert. Thanks for trying...

In article ,
says...
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 02:23:11 GMT, "trebor4258"
wrote:


Now go to the box and find the point where the telco's pair comes
over
to
your side and unplug that connection. If it's a relatively new
junction
box, that plug is a regular male modular plug (RJ-11). Now you
should
be
holding telco's side of the connection in your hand as a male RJ-11
connector that's not connected to anything. You might have to make a
Radio
Shack run at this point.

That's an odd ass backwards set up. On my house (and every junction
box I've ever seen in my area) the male plug comes from the house and
the female socket is the telco feed.
Unplug the RJ-11 connector and plug in your phone. In order to plug
in your phone you have to disconnect the whole house so the process is
100% full proof with no adapter needed.

You need an RJ-11 "barrel" (female-to-female connector), an RJ-11
phone
cord
(6' or so) and a real phone. Not a cordless phone, not any kind of
phone
that requires any kind of battery. Not a phone that has a speaker
phone
function. Not a phone that has any sort of memory or fancy stuff at
all.
Just a plain old phone; the heavier it is, the greater the chances
are
that
it's just a plain old phone.

Why won't a modern fancy phone (known working of course) work for
testing purposes vs. an old princess phone?

George

28 Years!!!! Yeh got me beat!!! I am only 35 years old.
AT work we typically use 66 and 110 blocks. We use 110's on the wall field
to patch dial tone over to the jacks. Do you work on PBXs? We have 4
fairly new Definity G3's and an Audix voicemail system. Until last year our
switches were over 15 years old. Had three G1's and a System 75. Our four
main campus locations are networked via point to point PRI's in a star
config topology. Our smaller centers uses small partner switches. What I
am curious about is why Verizon dmarcs uses Krone blocks? Just gotta be
different? One time I asked a Verizon tech if he carried a 66 or 110
punchdown blade and he said no. Don't know if he was bsing me.

Regards
Joe
..

================================================

Actually, the "new" style boxes are a direct result of the Carterphone
decision and deregulation. Once the courts said it was okay to plug
something into the phone systems that wasn't provided by Ma Bell (this was
years before breakup), then the phone company needed a way to separate their
wiring that they are responsible for and any devices and/or wiring that they
have no control over. That is why the box is called a 'demarc', or
demarcation, box, since it marks the spot where responsibility changes. It
used to be a cute little metal box with a slide-off top that had these neat
wooden tubes that looked like fuses in it. They provided lightning
protection, and the open connection made a good point for the service guy to
check where the problem was. Later, it was just a junction box hidden
somewhere, usually in the basement. Now it is the box with the RJ-11 (one
for each line to the house).

Tim
(Who has been involved for the last 28 years [I bought the last 801A in
Cincinnati - who remembers what 'they' were?])



--


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"Tim Neumann" wrote in message
...
Actually, the "new" style boxes are a direct result of the Carterphone
decision and deregulation. Once the courts said it was okay to plug
something into the phone systems that wasn't provided by Ma Bell (this was
years before breakup), then the phone company needed a way to separate
their
wiring that they are responsible for and any devices and/or wiring that
they
have no control over. That is why the box is called a 'demarc', or
demarcation, box, since it marks the spot where responsibility changes.
It
used to be a cute little metal box with a slide-off top that had these
neat
wooden tubes that looked like fuses in it. They provided lightning
protection, and the open connection made a good point for the service guy
to
check where the problem was. Later, it was just a junction box hidden
somewhere, usually in the basement. Now it is the box with the RJ-11 (one
for each line to the house).

Tim
(Who has been involved for the last 28 years [I bought the last 801A in
Cincinnati - who remembers what 'they' were?])

"Joseph Isbell" wrote in message
t...
Been in the telecom field for 11 years. I also have one of those newer
telco boxes on my house. If you plug a good working phone in outside
and
have any noise or no dial tone the problem *IS* the phone company. This
is
one of the reasons they moved away from the old terminal posts. Most
people
don't have butt sets laying around!!
This allows the customer to seperate his wiring from telco's.

BTW, I don't work for any telco or communication company. Am an in
house
tech for an organization with approx 11 phone systems.

Joe

--



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT BACK AGAINST SPAM!
Download Spam Inspector, the Award Winning Anti-Spam Filter
http://mail.giantcompany.com




Hi both of you.

I have to say that I don't see how it would work as you say it should,
trebor. The telco box I have here is quite new. There is a little
connector wire that comes from the terminals to a jack on the part of
the box that I can't open and which has the main street wires going into
it. If I unplug that connector wire and plug in my phone, I get a static
filled connection. It sure has to be going out to the street because if
that jack was connected to the house side of the circuit I'd get no dial
tone. So I think I agree with vaixpert. Thanks for trying...


--



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT BACK AGAINST SPAM!
Download Spam Inspector, the Award Winning Anti-Spam Filter
http://mail.giantcompany.com


"wheel" wrote in message
t...
Hi both of you.

I have to say that I don't see how it would work as you say it should,
trebor. The telco box I have here is quite new. There is a little
connector wire that comes from the terminals to a jack on the part of
the box that I can't open and which has the main street wires going
into
it. If I unplug that connector wire and plug in my phone, I get a
static
filled connection. It sure has to be going out to the street because
if
that jack was connected to the house side of the circuit I'd get no
dial
tone. So I think I agree with vaixpert. Thanks for trying...

In article ,
says...
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 02:23:11 GMT, "trebor4258"
wrote:


Now go to the box and find the point where the telco's pair comes
over
to
your side and unplug that connection. If it's a relatively new
junction
box, that plug is a regular male modular plug (RJ-11). Now you
should
be
holding telco's side of the connection in your hand as a male RJ-11
connector that's not connected to anything. You might have to make
a
Radio
Shack run at this point.

That's an odd ass backwards set up. On my house (and every junction
box I've ever seen in my area) the male plug comes from the house
and
the female socket is the telco feed.
Unplug the RJ-11 connector and plug in your phone. In order to plug
in your phone you have to disconnect the whole house so the process
is
100% full proof with no adapter needed.

You need an RJ-11 "barrel" (female-to-female connector), an RJ-11
phone
cord
(6' or so) and a real phone. Not a cordless phone, not any kind of
phone
that requires any kind of battery. Not a phone that has a speaker
phone
function. Not a phone that has any sort of memory or fancy stuff
at
all.
Just a plain old phone; the heavier it is, the greater the chances
are
that
it's just a plain old phone.

Why won't a modern fancy phone (known working of course) work for
testing purposes vs. an old princess phone?

George