Still having phone problems.

[Tillaway]

The Sprint guy came out to the house a week or so ago.  Left me a note saying they need to come inside.  I called the customer service folks to set up an appointment and found out that they charge $100 hour to fix the problem.  Needless to say my internet does not work at the house,  $100 an hour is a bit spendy for me.
An interesting thing is that the box that comes out of the ground with the phone line in it is wide open to the weather.  Wires are exposed and some are not connected.  Someone took the cover off and was messing with it, not me, and it was open before the service guy came out to the house.  It seems as though they should have caught that but they did not.  They will probably try to blame me for it with my luck. :

[DanG]

Refresh my memory...is your phone noisy when you talk on it?

[Corley5]

We've had problems with ours the past month+ but think we've got it fixed now.  Our connection speeds went from a blazing 26.4 to as low as 14.4 and no higher than 21.6 on a good day.  Since we've gone to using cell phones almost exclusively we didn't realize how much static was in the land line.  Once we did SBC came out and fixed something in a junction box down the road 8) 8).  Our connection went back to 26.4 for 3 days and then on a Sat. afternoon the phone went totally dead :.  No dial tone, nothing.  The following Wed evening the phone came back on.  There were 8 SBC trucks at that same junction box that Tuesday.  They had a backhoe there and had dug on both sides of the road.   8)  Phone was working again 8).  We were suffering from internet withdrawl and Dee's online business had lost money and I'm sure I lost some hay sales because I couldn't be reached.  The phones worked good until the next Monday around noon.  I'd used the computer in the AM with no problem but when I came in mid afternoon for a break there was nothing.  I got a combination busy signal dial tone on the phone.  I took a phone outside and plugged it in at the box and got the same thing.  Once again it was on SBC's side and I was back on my cell phone to get it fixed and by two PM the next day it was.  Now we connect at the unbelievable speed of 28.8.  That was a week ago so it'll conk out in the next couple days : 

[DanG]

Greg, it sounds like they had a wet cable.  Hopefully it will stay fixed this time. ;)

Tillaway, was that the box on the side of your house that was open?  I don't know if we ever determined if you have a NID or an old fused protector.  Don't worry about the unconnected wires...it only takes two to run your line, and the rest are spares.  If the box got wet inside, it could be corroded internally, making it appear that the problem is inside the house.  Of course, it could be in the house, as well.  Kinda hard to troubleshoot from 3000 miles away. :

[Jeff]

I remember those slow connection days. Since we got cable I can't bare to sit at a compter with dial up for long. I just tested our download speed and it was 386 kps  and upload was 245.

[Corley5]

They finished layin a fiber optic line by here that comes from over towards Boyne Falls and goes to the phone control building in Wolverine.  I'm hopeful that we may be able to get high speed in the future.  Got my finger crossed anyway

[SwampDonkey]

It will only happen out on these back country roads if government subsidizes it. I see they (government) sent a slip inside everyone's phone bill for an addittional $0.53 for 911. I'm already charged $0.30/month from the phone company. They keep nickle and diming for these dang phones.  : Used to be $19.95/month now I'm paying over $30/month.

[Jason_WI]

Voice over IP is going to be the future. A freind of mine has Vonage over his cable modem. Unlimited anytime including long distance for something like 25 bux a month.

Copper line will be a thing of the past.

Jason

[WeeksvilleWoodWorx]

Tillaway,

At a 100 bux an hour I would tell them no thanks.

Do you have a gray box(approx 7" x 10") on the side of your home? It will have an access screw labled "Customer Access".

If not, tell them to correct the problem to the demarc and install a demarc with customer access.

If you do have one of these boxes open up the customer side, disconnect the modular plug and connect your computer directly with a long patch cable. If problem persists call bell back and tell them that. If not post back and we can help further!

Brian

[Tillaway]

The open box is across the road.  About 2.5 to 3' tall, looks like a bunch of wires to everyones phone up the road me.  So far I haven't found the phone box on the side of the house.  Its salmon season so I'm a "bit" distracted on the weekends. ;D  Anyway I'll track the box down on the house but so far no luck.  I'm beginning to think I don't have one.  The customer service person said we have good dial tone, but we do get a few clicks and buzzes when we use the phone.  Thanks for the help, I''ll check back next week.

[SwampDonkey]

Here's the box on the outside of the house



The cover slides up ^ to remove



There are 4 brakers in the top row, look like bolt heads. The two with yellow paint are new ones replaced after a lightning storm.

[WeeksvilleWoodWorx]

Here's the box on the outside of the house



The cover slides up ^ to remove



There are 4 brakers in the top row, look like bolt heads. The two with yellow paint are new ones replaced after a lightning storm.

That's an old two-line box in this neck of the woods. The new ones have an RJ11 connection for interface between home wiring and bell network, I'll try to get a picture today.

Brian

[SwampDonkey]

No networks out in boonieville, we're lucky we don't need a string and two empty bean cans to call with.  ;D

[WeeksvilleWoodWorx]

 :D By network I meant the phone system ;D

Sorry, didn't get a picture taken b4 dark :(

[DanG]

Yep, that's the old type "fused" protector.  The newer "NID"(network interface device :) has an hinged cover.  The connections are down the right side, and go to a RJ11 connector at the top.  RJ11 is the same as the little plug on the end of your phone cord.  You can unplug that, which cuts off your house from the phone co's network, and plug a regular phone (or your computer) directly into their network.  If it still screw's up, it is their problem.  If not, it is your problem.  Simple as that. ;)

[Blake22]

If you're really mad plug those two wires that they're using into a 110 socket. Then don't answer the door if you see an official lookin car outside. :D :D :D ;)

[WeeksvilleWoodWorx]

This is what the now famous NID looks like 8)



With customer access open 8)

Brian

[Tillaway]

I have the newer box for the house, I just don't have a long enough phone cord... actually I could move the computer to the carport... if my wife doesn't catch me. ;D

The box that is open is the underground phone utility box across the street.

Thanks for the help.

[DanG]

Till, the easiest and cheapest way to isolate this yourself:  Go to Walmart or Radio Shack and buy some station wire and a new jack.  Station wire is that beige, round little cable with 4 wires inside that goes from your NID to inside the house.  Put the jack on one end and run it in through the door, temporarily.  Disconnect all other station wires from the NID and put your new one on.  If the computer doesn't do better, call Sprint and tell them what you did.  They'll take a closer look if they know you have isolated it that way. ;)  Also, you can take your phone outside and plug it in to the isolation jack on the NID and see if the noise goes away. If it does, remove all the station wires and recheck.  If still noisy, their problem.

[Kirk_Allen]

You can pick up a 50 or 100 foot phone cord from Walmart for about 6 bucks.  I had to do that to run my computer to the outside jack to prove to the phone company it was NOT my problem.  Turned out to be a junction box down the road was full of mice. 

[DanG]

True, but if its a bad station wire, he'll have to have that anyway.  Plus, if it is in the house, he'll be able to determine which one is bad.  Ol' Tillaway just may hafta put on his thinkin' cap for a while, eh?  :D :D

[Furby]

DanG, most places around here no longer carry the four conductor wire. They now sell the 6 or 8.

Till,
Like Kirk said, you can buy 100' of wire with ends on it.
Or you can buy the tool and put ends on station wire.
Or just use station wire and put a jack on the end.

[Tillaway]

I might get around to it on Saturday, lets see fishing on Friday, cutting wood Saturday, Fishing Sunday.    I will try to squeeze it in.  The fishing has been good the catching is awful.  The Salmon are trickling in pretty slow. 

No Wal-Mart here and I think Radio Shack might still be around.  I have seen the wire you are refering to up at the builders supply place. 

[crtreedude]

That is good advice. Isolate the box and then you will know who it is - you or them. Even though it is frustrating, believe me, people screw up their wiring all the time, and then call the phone company - so they have to charge. If it is them, they shouldn't charge, but they have to know you will pay if they find out it is you. Most of the time it isn't the phone company.

By the way Jeff, my speed, running at a test in the USA (which is a little slower) is 767.6 kilobits per second, too bad you guys has such slow equipment up there.   ;D I do pay about 100 dollars a month for that speed though. Often it is 1024. I can download a meg file in under 10 seconds. Not bad.  I can get double that speed for a little more but I really don't need it, yet.

[wiam]

I have had noise on my phone and called repair service.  I am usually told about 6 times when I am on phone with them that if it is in my house there will be a charge,  Do you still want us to send someone?  I usually have noise when it rains. :-\ :-\    I have also called and sid my dial-up was slow.  Verizon told me they only garrante voice not data.  I have always had good luck with the techs.  I said something about the office always going on about in the house problems and the tech told me "We decide if the problem is inside, just tell them to send us out" :D

Will