I don't understand why my phone system does what it does.

You're making a generalization here that is not true. Some systems may work this way, but many do not. For example, here in the NYC area, the large cable network Cablevision, only supplies a VOIP box that the customer plugs into the cable and AC supply anywhere inside their home. If the power goes out, there is no cable feed powering the box and you lose service.

Plus, many people are using third party VOIP phone services, like Vonage. They are not even part of the cable or phone companies. They send you a VOIP box that is also powered by the home AC.

Reply to
trader4
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Traditional telephone service has historically been more reliable than CATV service due to it's lack of active gear on the poles and remote from the central office.

With traditional phone service each customer has their own wire pair all the way back to the local telco central office switch so there isn't anything but wire on the poles and the central offices have been built to the old Bell Labs standards with substantial backup power.

CATV has always had active gear on the poles in the form of line amplifiers and now fiber optic "nodes", so there has always been an issue with needing to provide backup power at all those remote locations.

The situation is rapidly changing now where growth of urban sprawl and the need to provide data and video services to every customer has made it necessary for the telcos to shift to the remote terminal model which puts active gear in the field just like with the CATV system and subjects them to the same remote backup power needs.

Basically the old notion of the telephones always working is going out the window just as rapidly as the old notion of the cable never working. In many areas where the telcos RT transition is in place, which also correspond to areas where the cable operators are the most up to date, both services are of comparable, reasonably high reliability.

Reply to
Pete C.

Sometimes competition works :) It's also important to periodically audit your current service vs. current offerings as you may find that there are newer offerings that are less expensive and they don't automatically shift you to those cheaper options.

Reply to
Pete C.

BTW, I'm convinced because my speeds went up quite high for a few months while the cable was still on the ground and maybe even under water.

Then later it went down again. I'm looking into highspeed.

At least they told you! Maybe it was on your property, but in my case it was at the entrance to the n'hood a 200 x 80 foot stretch of grass that is used by dogs and children. (I think everyone picks up after their dog. :) )

Reply to
mm

LOL

Like I say, I could have lived with that, even been fine with it, but they didn't tell me until I happened to see a truck out there checking on it after my fourth call. This at least a year after I first called and at least a year before they fixed it.

There are probably work orders still running around and every year or two one comes to the front of the queue and they send someone out to look at the problem, but he can't find it.

Maybe it's because it was semi-public** property and not my own lot. That is, I think the apartment building nearby owns it, or the HOA, but I don't.

Reply to
mm

I apologize. I recall encountering one, such arrangement. It took me by surprise and took a while to figure out. What I described is what Cox is doing in its Omaha service area. With the voice port mounted outside the premise and, hopefully, near the incumbent telco entrance/interface, switching networks is more convenient and serviceable than if the dialtone were emanating from a modem/box behind a TV or computer some where inside the premise.

Where/how do they connect with the outside world to make VoIP work? Their connectivity is coming from either a physical, land-based network OR wireless/satellite provider.

Reply to
Jim Redelfs

I think my problem is solved. I bit the bullet and went under my house (crawl space) this PM, and found some 4" water! Seems my pressure tank's pressure valve/gauge was acting like a water pump, spewing water everywhere. Why this did not trip the breaker I don't know! God knows how long that has been going on. I replaced the valve/gauge, and evacuated most of the water with his sump pump, It probably will take several days to dry out under there! Almost immediately the phone buzzing stopped. Now the phones are all fine. They must have been submerged.

Now I have to put all the phone face plates etc back in place, not to mention all the furniture. Wife is talking divorce.

Thanks ALL!

Jethro

Reply to
Jethro

That your water system did not trip a breaker is probably a GOOD thing from a safety standpoint.

Did you hear the pump occasionally cycling in the middle of the night, when no one was using the water?

That's too bad. Get out the fans, I guess. (You couldn't GIVE me a house without a basement based on maintenance accessibility and safety.)

If the phone cables were submerged, that means they were not attached properly to the joists above. This is very poor technique. You may eventually have to replace one or more of the cables anyway. They gradually succumb to operating in a humid environment, even if they are not laying on the ground.

Moisture finds its way into the smallest defect in the outer sheath of the cable. One inside the cable, it STAYS wet within that area of cable for a long time, eventually destroying the cable at that location.

Did you paint while they were off?

Congratulations!

Sell the place NOW while the phone cable still works. HA!

Reply to
Jim Redelfs

The way I look at it, if it had tripped a breaker, I would not have had any water (no pump) and would have looked for cause immediately. As it was, I had no idea since I was getting water okay. The 110V for the gauge/valve was taken from one side of the 220V line for the pump. That may be why the 220V pump breaker did not trip.

No - it is under the house, out of earshot.

I have to agree there.

When it dries out, I certainly will look things over. Since I am somewhat disabled, though, that is going to be a problem.

You had to tell me that!

No

Now that's a thought, With housing market the way it is though, that is not an option. My place is paid for!

Thanks for helps & thoughts.

Jethro

Reply to
Jethro

... After all of this discussion, and even several posts from myself, my power went out today, and with it my phone service. No dial tone, but strangely DSL kept working. Sometime more than 5 minutes but less than 30 minutes after power restoration, the phone service comes back. In the mean time, I called Verizon and they were going to send a technician out in two days.

I guess that I am off to fight with the phone company over this. If need be, I will play the 911 card.

Reply to
M Q

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