I have dial tone on all my phone lines, but when somebody dials in there is no ringing on my phones. When i called from my cell phone and picked up the phone when it was supposed to be ringing i could answer it and hear myself talking, but there is static on the line. What is the problem. I also tested the inside lines for continuity and they were fine. The phone company came out and put splices right behind the main box outside. I can see how that would cause static, but would that cause the phones not to ring inside? There are two homeruns going to the box outside. If I disconnect the kitchen I can get the living room to ring in, but if i move the outside box at all it the static willl start and it will disconnect. If i mess with the kitchen phone i can get it to ring once. When I answer it there's static. Please help lupine
Most likely phone company problem but their standard response is that if it is your's, they will charge you to come out. What you do is plug phone into outside where line comes in and make sure problem persists. Then call them. It is best to speak to a person.
As was mentioned, you need to plug a phone directly into the demarc box (the place, usually outside, where the phone company's responsibility ends and yours begins. There will be a modular jack here -- sometimes there's a little plug that plugs there that connects all your house phone wiring, other times its a hinged door. In any case, unplug this, and you plug a phone in its place. If you get a good dial tone and ring, the phone company is doing their job, and you have an interior wiring problem. If not, stop, and call the phone company (actually, might be best to repeat the test with a 2nd phone, just in case it happened to be that phone's fault).
If it's your problem, unplug every phone and then try just the phone you tried the above test in, in a single jack. If it works, then you can plug stuff in one at a time until you find the culprit. If it's still bad, you have a more serious wiring issue -- possibly a minor short somewhere.
. While agreeing with the foregoing suggestions about how to trouble shoot whether the fault is outside (telco) or inside (householder wiring); a suggestion. Could be bad jacks? Those small jacks with very little spacing between the wire spring contacts can build up corrosion and 'tracking' between the two little centre wires which are often the phone line pair. This happens especially in a damp climate and/or the jacks are installed in cool outside walls where warm house air can deposit moisture on them. They are virtually impossible to clean. So replacement is best. To trouble shoot you would disconnect them one at a time until the trouble clears. Fix the trouble and then reconnect again one at a time (could be more than one faulty). Good luck. PS. Back before we had competition the telco (monopoly) took responsibility for the whole works and was concerned about your service.
You also had to pay the telco to come out when you wanted to add an extension (which also cost you an extra flat fee every month), or even move the jack 3 feet to the left. It was illegal to touch the phone wiring in your home.
I have 33+ years with the local ILEC (Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier) and, only tonight, ran afoul of a new customer that ordered our service at his brand new home. We install the SNI and, if the stub-out is present, will connect the inside wire at that location. This usually activates all the jacks in the home.
My poor customer's home was prewired with Cat5 4-pr but NO outlet plates installed and no splicing/connecting done at the convergence of the homeruns in the basement.
For no charge, I spent a few UNOFFICIAL minutes connecting two wires in the basement thereby activating a dangling jack in the kitchen - until he has time to lean on his builder or do it himself.
Agreed. In the days of the monopoly, Western Electric's idea of a MAJOR, NEW technological innovation: A new COLOR for the Trimline!!
We are the beneficiaries of The Big Breakup that occurred on January 1, 1984. We enjoy things that, under the old system, would probably have been MUCH slower in coming. The most important thing to the consumer, as a result of the breakup of the Bell System monopoly was the deregulation of the "inside environment". What's in YOUR place belongs to YOU. If you want an extra jack, and use bailing wire and zip cord to do it, so be it.
Dirty, Little Trade Secret: If you do NOT have an approved SNID (Standard Network Interface Device) with a plug-and-jack affair, you should not have to worry about charges for a technician visit. Trust me: There are probably millions of services "out there" that are "grandfathered" and do NOT have a SNID.
In many states, even if you HAVE a SNID, but decline the technician's offer to COME IN and fix the trouble, you are not to be charged. (Not so in Nebraska, moo-ha-ha! You gotum SNI, ROH and no coverage, ka-ching! $85.)
Don't put up with poor service. Become pro-active (the squeaky wheel). Be your own advocate - Make 'em fix it.
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