Business Line: On Hold Issues

[kcdc]

I had Sonic's Broad Band + 2 Business Lines package installed at my new office location. Ever since the service was initiated we have had trouble with our phones. I put a call on hold and pick it up on another phone set. When I hang up on that call, the line is not released from the original phone. Sonic customer service tells me this is how the Sonic system works. This is not acceptable. Are we really expected to return to a previously used telephone in order to re-disconnect a call that was hung up on at another location?

I have had Fusion at my home and have been very happy. I've even had my in-laws set it up in their homes. My concern now is that I have recommended the business service to several business owners and I am greatly concerned that I have recommended they use an inferior service.

Please help me with this. I DO wish to maintain my service with Sonic, but we cannot operate like this. Please get me in touch with someone who can deal with this problem rather than a supervisor who says, "That's the way it is."

Casey Tucker, DC

[wa2ibm]

What type of phones do you have in your office? Are they individual instruments, or are they connected to a centralized controller of some type? Whether a call is on "hold" or not is typically a function of your individual phone system.

There are some individual phone sets that have a "hold" function that puts a small load on the line until it sees a shift in voltage, produced when you pick up another phone. If this is the type of phone you're using, then it's possible that there is something different about the voltages on the Fusion line, how far you are from the CO, or how the phone is interpreting the voltage levels.

Again, what's the make/model of your phones or phone system?

[kcdc]

I am using 2 AT&T phones that work together, a 984 and a 945. There is no central phone system. These phones are supposed to 'find' each other and interact. Office Depot sells them. I've been using them for 7 years and have never had a problem.

I have a patient who installs high end business systems. He told me there may be an issue with the voltage. He mentioned CPC, Calling Party Control. He also mentioned tech support probably would not be aware of it and it would probably take a phone tech coming on site to rectify the problem.

[wa2ibm]

I looked up the installation/user guide for the AT&T 984 system. It looks quite nice.

One of the things I noticed is that it uses data tones over the Line 1 connection to communicate between sets. These are similar to DSL tones. It was stressed that you must use a whole-premise DSL filter (not the micro-filters installed at each phone) to ensure that the DSL tones from your Fusion lines don't interfere with the tones that the phones use internally to communicate with each other.

I know that when I first attached my own Panasonic digital business system to my DSL service, that there was enough DSL signal energy coming through the initial DSL filter to cause inter-modulation of the voice signals within the digital conversion system. I solved that issue by putting a second DSL filter after the first one to reduce the DSL signals further before they got to the phone system. This resolved my problem between the DSL line and the phone system.

Maybe this might explain your issue and a second filter, in series with the first, especially on line 1, would solve it. As your phone-tech customer noted, you may have to consult with a phone system professional to resolve your issue.

[kcdc]

So you are suggesting putting a filter where the line jack comes out of the wall in addition to the filter they put in in the phone room. I'll give that a try. I should do that for each phone set I assume, yes?

[wa2ibm]

So you are suggesting putting a filter where the line jack comes out of the wall in addition to the filter they put in in the phone room.

I'd suggest putting a second filter right after the filter that they put in the phone room. Thus, the two will be in series. If the phone room filter has a "phone out" and a "data out" connection, the second filter should be on the "phone out" side, before that line goes on out to all your phones.

You definitely don't want to put a filter on the line that goes from the wall to your phone. That would filter out the tones that the phone system uses to communicate between instruments.

[kcdc]

I don't see a place where I could attach another filter. I think it will require someone who actually knows what they are doing. I will talk with my patient and tell him what you suggested and see if he is able to install another filter. There are two right now, one for each line. You mentioned adding one to line 1, would it be best (or problematic) to add to both lines?

[wa2ibm]

... would it be best (or problematic) to add to both lines?

The phone system uses tones to communicate between instruments only on line 1 as far as I can tell, so that is the primary concern. It wouldn't hurt to install one on line 2 as well to prevent cross-talk coupling.

[virtualmike]

One thing to consider is that Sonic.net puts the DSL signal at the maximum the line will support, while AT&T limits the DSL to much lower bandwidth. That may be contributing to the problem.

[kcdc]

One thing to consider is that Sonic.net puts the DSL signal at the maximum the line will support, while AT&T limits the DSL to much lower bandwidth. That may be contributing to the problem.

If that is the case, do you think the concept of adding additional filters to the line should help?