Home Phone Wiring Repair

My phones have no dial tone. My DSL internet works fine. When I call my hom e number from my cell I hear ringing, but the phones in the house don't rin g.

I disconnected all phones and tested one by one. All dead. Still have to re place 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, leav e 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 lin e is in the basement and terminates on a lighting block arrestor. Two maroo n solenoids on the sides with incoming wire connected above, and phone line s below.

I hooked up a two wire, red and green jack with RJ11 connector to the incom ing 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 i ncoming directly to my router? It's not a long run maybe 6 feet.

Thanks for any expertise you can offer.

Reply to
upperbuxsmog
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ome number from my cell I hear ringing, but the phones in the house don't r ing.

replace all the DSL filters one by one. But could they all 5 go dead at onc e? Could a surge go through the lightning arrestors, knock out 3 phones, le ave the DSL router and answering machine untouched? I don't think so.

ine is in the basement and terminates on a lighting block arrestor. Two mar oon solenoids on the sides with incoming wire connected above, and phone li nes below.

oming wire posts and connected a phone. No dial tone.

incoming directly to my router? It's not a long run maybe 6 feet.

Since you tested as close to where the wiring enters your house and there is no signal there, I'd call the phone company. That's what you're paying for. But one more test I'd do, try it again with everything downstream disconnected, by unhooking it at that block.

Reply to
trader_4

Sounds like problem outside the house. Phone company will not charge or should not charge to check since you do not have device to connect outside house. When I had wired phones and would call them they always asked me to check outside as if problem was in the house they would charge me.

Reply to
Frank

I suspect the items you call solenoids are actually fuses. A solenoid is a coil of wire with a metal center. When the power is engaged, the metal center moves. Whirlpool washing machines use solenoids to change cycles on the washing machine.

That said, sounds like time to call phone company with a trouble report.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

e:

home number from my cell I hear ringing, but the phones in the house don't ring.

o replace all the DSL filters one by one. But could they all 5 go dead at o nce? 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.

line is in the basement and terminates on a lighting block arrestor. Two m aroon solenoids on the sides with incoming wire connected above, and phone lines below.

ncoming wire posts and connected a phone. No dial tone.

he incoming directly to my router? It's not a long run maybe 6 feet.

Thanks, sounds a good idea. The system takes the yellow and black wires to a third terminal on the bottom of the block, and they carry to a small bloc k, I think a transformer, that plugs into a conventional electrical outlet, two pronged. If that goes bad does the whole system lose power? I never th ought so because the phones will carry power when there's a power outage, b ut what do I know.

Reply to
upperbuxsmog

No. That wall-wart is most likely for 1970s era phones with lighted dials. All power comes over the 2 wires. If you have a DC voltmeter, it would be interesting to read the voltage on each of the 2 wires, red and green, to a ground, such as an outlet box or cold water pipe, i.e. red to ground and green to ground. Also, across the red and green.

Reply to
Art Todesco

There is another thread here that says Verison is striking in the northeast. I bet they trashed something in the CO that took out your phone. If the DSL is working, your wiring is working. As a sanity check, try the phone on the wire to the DSL modem.

Reply to
gfretwell

rote:

my home number from my cell I hear ringing, but the phones in the house don 't ring.

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.

ne line is in the basement and terminates on a lighting block arrestor. Two maroon solenoids on the sides with incoming wire connected above, and phon e lines below.

incoming wire posts and connected a phone. No dial tone.

the incoming directly to my router? It's not a long run maybe 6 feet.

to a third terminal on the bottom of the block, and they carry to a small block, I think a transformer, that plugs into a conventional electrical out let, two pronged. If that goes bad does the whole system lose power? I neve r thought so because the phones will carry power when there's a power outag e, but what do I know.

I don't have one, the only thing I have is a WWII era testing light. Two en d probes and a tiny light of unknown wattage in the middle. It doesn't ligh t up on the incoming wires.

Reply to
upperbuxsmog

None.

I have DSL in the CO Rockies. I've experienced functioning internet while having no dialtone on my phones. I've also experienced a dialtone with no internet and most other variations. Basically, both phone call signals and internet signals can occupy the same copper wire cuz They're two different frequencies.

Yer only problem is if you are not getting a signal to the point-of-access (PA), in which case it's the phone company's headache, not yers. In yer case, the PA is not an NID. Regardless, there is still a point of demarcation, where yer POTS (plain ol' telephone service) line is still the phone company's and not yers. That is yer PA and where/what you should check. You need to plug a regular phone/laptop into that PA and see if you get a dialtone/internet. If not, it's on the phone company and is not yer problem. Anything after the PA and it's on you. End of story! ;)

I use an old push-button Bell Telephone Princess phone with lighted dial, where the dial works off the POTS voltage (approx 5V), so this phone shows me most probs. If you have to, plugging a laptop into the PA will also show slow service (do a speed test). Most of my probs come from the RJ11 connectors, specially unions, which connect two shorter lines to make a longer line. Eliminate them if you can.

Also, phone company modems can also become faulty. That's another good reason to check at the PA. If you rent a modem from yer POTS supplier, like me, it's they're responsibility.

nb

Reply to
notbob

home number from my cell I hear ringing, but the phones in the house don't ring.

replace all the DSL filters one by one. But could they all 5 go dead at on ce? Could a surge go through the lightning arrestors, knock out 3 phones, l eave the DSL router and answering machine untouched? I don't think so.

line is in the basement and terminates on a lighting block arrestor. Two ma roon solenoids on the sides with incoming wire connected above, and phone l ines below.

coming wire posts and connected a phone. No dial tone.

e incoming directly to my router? It's not a long run maybe 6 feet.

Will try that this afternoon. Could be the strike, or could be branches. Tw o weeks ago a big branch tangled up the wires. Electric Co sent a tree trim truck. He cut the branch underneath and the whole thing came down. Everyth ing was fine after that. This is new the last 2 days, I do have the sense t hat the phone lights were weak on Monday. And in fact now they do not light up at all despite the wall transformer. Odd.

Reply to
upperbuxsmog

You may wish to consider a trip to Harbor Freight. Or chat with some neighbors (you did mention having a cell phone) and see if any of them has some wiring skill and tools.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I have no idea what an NID is but isn't there a phone box on the outside of your house? Assuming there is, plug a phone into the jack inside the box. If no tone, call Verizon...it is your problem. If not dead, it is your problem.

Reply to
dadiOH

Try looking it up:

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nb

Reply to
notbob

ome number from my cell I hear ringing, but the phones in the house don't r ing.

replace all the DSL filters one by one. But could they all 5 go dead at onc e? Could a surge go through the lightning arrestors, knock out 3 phones, le ave the DSL router and answering machine untouched? I don't think so.

ine is in the basement and terminates on a lighting block arrestor. Two mar oon solenoids on the sides with incoming wire connected above, and phone li nes below.

oming wire posts and connected a phone. No dial tone.

incoming directly to my router? It's not a long run maybe 6 feet.

THanks to all for all the info. This is far more than I found searching onl ine. Consumers really do understand tech and what to do to help themselves! Thanks!

Reply to
upperbuxsmog

home number from my cell I hear ringing, but the phones in the house don't ring.

replace all the DSL filters one by one. But could they all 5 go dead at on ce? Could a surge go through the lightning arrestors, knock out 3 phones, l eave the DSL router and answering machine untouched? I don't think so.

line is in the basement and terminates on a lighting block arrestor. Two ma roon solenoids on the sides with incoming wire connected above, and phone l ines below.

coming wire posts and connected a phone. No dial tone.

e incoming directly to my router? It's not a long run maybe 6 feet.

yeah totally dead on the wire to the DSL. But the DSL is fine.

Reply to
upperbuxsmog

There was one of those in my first Apartment (in 1980). Some phones used the black and yellow wires to power the dial light (even with phone on-hook). You probably don't need it. Disconnect it.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

Unlikely, but ONE failing could cause the problem if it created a short (at the low frequencies used for phone but not the high frequencies used for DSL). Fixing that may even improve your DSL. Also, the problem may be elsewhere in your inside wiring.

I don't have a NID either. Doesn't matter since I switched to cable for both phone and internet. Why would you have solenoids there? Like another poster said, they could be fuses.

Do you get a dial tone with the two incoming wires only? (disconnect them and connect ONLY them to your jack)

It appears that you have failed to disconnect your inside wiring, while testing the incoming line. A NID makes this easier, but you still need to do it.

[snip]
Reply to
Mark Lloyd

For plain old telephone:

Off hook 5 VDC On hook 48 VDC Ring 105 VAC

IIRC, red to ground should show power.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

This is also a very high impedance source, It is not going to light a lamp unless it is ringing. Then it would light a neon.

500 ohms or less will take the line "off hook" and show busy to an incoming call. It really sounds like he is not connected to the central office but it is connected to the DSL hub which might just be a box on a pole, right up the street. .
Reply to
gfretwell

The NID is the network interface disconnect "box" you talked about. He has no dial tone, so it is a Bell issue. Verizon doesn't own the wires, so why would they get involved?

Reply to
clare

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