Disconnects kill my phone.

[erickpk]

Hi guys,

Please help. I'm a new customer (~ a month). First off, I have an appointment this Friday to switch my Fusion service from an old binding post to a new binding post; the one previously used by U-Verse. I attribute any internet problems I may have to the old post. Hopefully the issues I have will evaporate once I'm on the new binding post.

However, every time my internet gets disconnected I lose phone service. I'd call tech support, but there's nothing but static on the line; I can't make or receive calls. No previous disconnect has lasted more than 15-20 minutes, but this time my phone has been dead for 2 hours and counting. This is a problem.

My phone is supposed to be independent of my internet; not an IP based phone, voip, or whatever they're calling it. It was supposed to be a pots running off the old att copper. It doesn't seem logical that a non-IP based phone would lose service if I lose my internet service. I also can't account for the fact that now that my internet is up (speed cut by 3/4), that my phone is STILL out.

I need my phone... like now... my wife travels (in nyc now) and we talk nights.

[erickpk]

3 hours.

[wa2ibm]

Even though your voice service is POTS, it's still on the same copper pair as your ADSL2+ Fusion service. If you have a bad pair, and it sounds like you do, then both may go out at the same time. From your description of the noise and lack of communications via POTS, it's very likely a bad pair, somewhere.

Question: During the time that your voice service is not working, have you tried taking a phone out to the NID and plugging it in there? If you get the same result, then the problem is surely with the AT&T copper somewhere between your NID and the CO.

This will most likely be resolved when your service is switched over to the U-verse pair, or maybe not. Remember, U-verse pairs don't go to the CO, they go to the nearest VRAD terminal. If they're going to switch your service over to the U-verse pair, then they will also be switching the U-verse pair at the local B-box over to a new pair to the CO, or maybe to your old pair to the CO. In any case, the possibility of that fixing the problem are pretty good.

[erickpk]

The phone came back after I fell asleep, so I'm not sure how long it was out? I'm not going to nitpick specifics, but being out for several hours definitely isn't good. Speedtests show the internet is back to normal; however, error checking has been enabled, so in the am I'll call to have that removed.

I had new phone lines (and jacks) installed when we bought the house, which was a little over a year ago. Since installing Fusion (on the "bad" binding post) we've had AT&T out to check the line from the house to the poll. The tech said I had a bad box which was shorting and he said that he replaced it (pretty sure the language he used was "replaced" and not repaired; however, I'm not 100% on that?)

I just read a Sonic support email asking if I want another tech to come out Thursday? Since I have an appointment already set for Friday with both Sonic and AT&T I'm not sure how to respond to that? Presumably this could all be dealt with Friday, or do you suggest I take that Thursday spot? The wife doesn't get back home till Friday evening, so as long as this gets resolved before she gets home we're good... whichever way is fine by me.

Hopefully switching to the new post will mean I won't have to bother your support line every week.

*******************************

I was about to hit "Submit" and noticed that my internet went down again... and so did the phone. The internet sync'd back up; however, the phone is still out.

[erickpk]

*sigh*

Ok, even with error checking the internet doesn't stay on for more than ~ 5 minutes at a time. Something happened at 6pm today. I don't know what or where, but something happened.

[dane]

*sigh*

Ok, even with error checking the internet doesn't stay on for more than ~ 5 minutes at a time. Something happened at 6pm today. I don't know what or where, but something happened.

As your POTS phone and Internet are both badly affected, it is certainly a wiring issue or bad port. A dispatch will be required, so contact support ASAP if you haven't already!

[erickpk]

Hi Guys,

The phone decided it wanted to work this am so I was able to talk to support. Since I have appointments Wed and Thurs, so we're just going to stick with the Friday Sonic/AT&T 1pm meeting.

First they're going to move me to the new post, then we'll test if there are other issues. To me it seems a waste of time to have your guys come out and fix a post I'll only be using for what would be 1 more day. I've explained to the wife the issues we're having, so we're all good with Friday here.

Again, hopefully the move to the new post is all I need to resolve the issues. Thanks for all your prompt replies.

[erickpk]

Twice does not a pattern make; however, yesterday at 6 local time my wife called me on her cell, and this turns out to be the exact time my internet conked out. I heard a partial ring, then nothing but static on the phone line for the rest of the night. Tonight, the exact same thing happened. She called on her cell while I was gaming and my internet conked out. This time the phone didn't go too, but there was so much static on the line that I couldn't hear a thing she said. She hung up and called again, things were slightly better, but not much.

Again, twice isn't a pattern but I've had calls from land lines and had no such issues. Of course, she's called on her cell before and it wasn't this bad, but it's a strange coincidence.

[wa2ibm]

It sounds like the ring current is causing something to break down. Could be a loose connection or a surge protector going bad. Typical audio signals are very low, including data tones, but ring voltage is around 90 volts AC at 20 Hz. That's enough it give you a real kick in the pants if you're holding onto it at the time.

Anything along the path from you to the CO could be disturbed by that. This is another clue that needs to be passed on to the team that comes out to work on your issue.

[dane]

If you are missing filters on all other telephone devices, a voice call (in or out) can cause a loss of data sync too.