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Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 7:25 pm
by dacflyer
I had a friend call me ( on my cell ) and asked what's up with my phone ( landline ) they said when they call it says ,This number is not in service.
So when i picked up my phone, it has a busy signal instead of a dial tone. i looked all over the net.. can't find anything related to this.
Everything i find is related to DSL or internet service or cable.
I just have a old fashion phone line.
last time i had this issue, was during the last Hurricane, when the switching office got flooded.
I'm bout fed up with Centurylink. their service becomes worse and worse. they claim 24/7 support, but there's no way to contact them.. sigh.

Does anyone know what can cause this issue ? i'm sure it's at the switching station again.. but what goes bad ?

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:34 pm
by Janitor Tzap
Wait a minute, you have a Gateway Modem/Router correct?

Your Phone & Internet are coming through the same line.
Thus, I would check and see if your Digital/Phone filter has gone bad first.

Next, if your still got zilch for phone.
Call in to your ISP/Phone provider {vie Cell Phone} and get a repair ticket.
Because more than likely the central box that you tie-in to must of been damaged.
And the only thing for it, is to have the tech come out to the Box and replace or fix the DSLAM.
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_s ... ultiplexer

I've experienced this problem as well, but it effected many of my neighbors and businesses on that box.
Luckily, since it was effecting so many people, the issue was fixed in a day or so.

Good luck!

Edit:
last time i had this issue, was during the last Hurricane, when the switching office got flooded.
I'm bout fed up with Centurylink. their service becomes worse and worse. they claim 24/7 support, but there's no way to contact them.. sigh.
If your not doing on line gaming.
Maybe look into Satellite Internet/Phone/TV service.
I know one of my neighbors switched to Viasat, because the DSL service is so flaky current with all the construction going on.


Signed: Janitor Tzap

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:46 am
by dacflyer
No, you misunderstood me, I said in the beginning, i only have phone... i do not have DSL or internet or anything else... it's just plain phone service..

If your thinking of my earlier internet issue, that is a totally separate issue.. i have cable internet here. the Phone issue is a totally different thing..

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 9:35 am
by Janitor Tzap
dacflyer wrote: Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:46 am No, you misunderstood me, I said in the beginning, i only have phone... i do not have DSL or internet or anything else... it's just plain phone service..

If your thinking of my earlier internet issue, that is a totally separate issue.. i have cable internet here. the Phone issue is a totally different thing..
Here is the wikipedia on VOIP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_over_IP
Most phone providers are using it now.
PSTN{ Public Switched Telephone Network} Integration

A VoIP media gateway controller (aka Class 5 Softswitch) works in cooperation with a media gateway (aka IP Business Gateway) and connects the digital media stream, so as to complete creating the path for voice as well as data media. They include the interfaces for connecting the standard PSTN networks with the ATM and Inter Protocol networks. The Ethernet interfaces are also included in the modern systems, which are specially designed to link calls that are passed via the VoIP.[26]

E.164 is a global FGFnumbering standard for both the PSTN and PLMN. Most VoIP implementations support E.164 to allow calls to be routed to and from VoIP subscribers and the PSTN/PLMN.[27] VoIP implementations can also allow other identification techniques to be used. For example, Skype allows subscribers to choose "Skype names"[28] (usernames) whereas SIP implementations can use URIs[29] similar to email addresses. Often VoIP implementations employ methods of translating non-E.164 identifiers to E.164 numbers and vice versa, such as the Skype-In service provided by Skype[30] and the ENUM service in IMS and SIP.[31]

Echo can also be an issue for PSTN integration.[32] Common causes of echo include impedance mismatches in analog circuitry and acoustic coupling of the transmit and receive signal at the receiving end.



Signed: Janitor Tzap

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:17 am
by haklesup
Did you pay your phone bill? Normally when a caller gets a not in service recording the line is unpaid and intentionally disconnected. I think you need to call your phone company (on your cell phone) to find out why. Busy on your end implies the wire is at least connected to the system and not damaged. I suppose there could be damaged equipment triggering the recorded response.

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 4:46 pm
by dacflyer
all my bills are up to date.. i'm never late with bills,, i pay them before i eat.
the phone is back in order, only way i knew this was because a robo caller wanted to extend warranty on my 77 wagon..lol
but i still have no clue as to why it did what it did..and i just found out that there is no local Centurylink office in town any more, they closed it last month. i never really liked centurylink no way. and there does not seem to be any other local phone company here.

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2019 6:15 pm
by Janitor Tzap
I've got Frontier, and I'm stuck with it until some other provider finally makes it out to my area. :x

And yeah, there was a local central office in my state.
But then in 2016 when they finally upgraded too an Optical Fiber Network, they took it out.
The closest central office to me is Chicago, IL.
If my Internet/Phone goes out, and it is only effecting me or a few others.
It can take up to a week before a Line Technician will show up at my door.
I can't fault the Line Tech, the poor guy has to service several counties all by himself.

The problem lies with the upper management not hiring enough Tech Lineman workers to handle repairs, and line maintenance.


Signed: Janitor Tzap

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 11:58 am
by haklesup
Well, Once I paid the city garbage bill to the city water department because they have similar names and I wasn't wearing glasses while operating an online banking session. I didn't figure it out until the late notice showed up. It happens to the best of us.

I think not all cities have exactly the same POTS equipment in the switch room so there may be variances in how a phone responds when equipment fails.

"The problem lies with the upper management not hiring enough Tech Lineman workers to handle repairs, and line maintenance."
If they did, you couldn't afford the service (ha ha)

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:40 pm
by Lenp
Seen a central office lately?
No relays, clicking, buzzing only the sound of the air handlers.
It's all solid state and when Zeuss visits, it is unfathomable what he can make happen!
Upgrades are often downgrades.

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 12:48 pm
by dacflyer
ya, i know how them places are now days.. just a few mainframes handles everything. multi story buildings are just storage now. only 1 floor might be used.
i am seeing less and less copper lines around my area.

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 1:50 pm
by Lenp
Yes, here in the East Verizon is doing very little to maintain the copper system. Messengers are drooping, lashing is falling off and nests of abandoned cables are wound on poles. Good pairs are hard as hard to come by as good service. They ran my copper to a fiber concentrator a mile or so away a few years ago and now the copper is breaking down so I often get hum when it rains. It's the last mile left!
Fios is not in the Verizon build out plans for here, so I am looking at VOIP with Comcast or maybe MagicJack.
There was a time you didn't need, or want, to make these decisions.

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 4:34 am
by dacflyer
with the way things are going, it looks like all phones will be VOIP in some way or form or another.
i found about 200ft of abandoned comm cable , the cable is like phone cable, but way thicker conductors, looked like 16 or 18 Ga and had about 50 pair.
i have scrapped most of it, but i'll keep some for electronics use.

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 1:25 pm
by dyarker
Maybe 19AWG?

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:09 pm
by Joseph
When I and my brothers and sister were kids we found some dumped wire. It was strange because the conductors seemingly were stranded steel. Maybe one conductor out of eight was nickel or something. That was about 50yr ago.

Re: Crazy Phone issues here..

Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2019 12:09 pm
by haklesup
last summer, neighbors Gardner cut a couple twisted pair lines while trimming the tree, still hanging loose today and nobody seems to notice or care. No doubt, unused. I see the lawn posts (those green boxes filled with a tangle of POTS wires) in horrible shape, apparently unmaintained all the time sticking up from peoples lawns, I think how could they still work. I think the networks wouldn't mind not having to maintain those anymore, I wouldn't be surprised to see them formally abandoned in some areas before too long.