Anyone Have A Clue What Could Be Wrong With My Phone?

@pyewacket (43903)
United States
December 23, 2009 1:23am CST
Okay maybe someone out there in MyLot land could give me a clue what might be wrong with my phone. Anyone who knows me well, knows I'm NOT a phone person. I don't get many calls especially ever since I placed myself on the Do Not Call Registry to avoid the tons of telemarketer calls I was getting. I do have an answering machine that acts as caller ID and 99.99% of the time before I registered it was telemarketers..so it drove me nuts listening to them on the machine. I also don't make too many calls. I'm just SO NOT a phone person. Anyway...last Wednesday night for some weird reason I decided to pick up the phone..it's a landline phone. Nada...no dial tone. I thought, okay, maybe the jack gizmo needs to be changed. This had happened before when there was no dial tone and it was a simple case of changing the jack system which I know how to do. So next day, got a new jack system and installed it...still nada...still no dial tone. Then I'm thinking, gee maybe I need a new phone. So I did have a little extra money and got one..nothing fancy just a basic phone..okay hook that up...NOTHING..STILL NO DIAL TONE, so like what now? Thankfully I do have a cell phone so not completely phoneless. It's a freebie phone (worth about ten dollars) that I got through the govt program known as Safelink--if you get benefits, medicaid,food stamps, SSI or just very low income you qualify and each month you get free 68 minutes. So I got that cell phone around April and never used it so had a good number of minutes of it...and it came in handy, since, and get this, unbelievable, around 8 at night on Thurs my internet zapped. For some reason I wasn't connected...so made a frantic call to my provider (Verizon) and went through a whole check over the phone of what might be wrong...nothing could be found so an appt was made for a tech guy to come over on Friday between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Turned out it wasn't MY computer or connection but was a system wide problem as I got a call back saying a tech wasn't necessary to come out. Around 5 in the afternoon, my internet went back up. But while my internet was down I made a frantic call to one of my on-line mylot/FB friends...I just needed to talk to someone...LOL Right? And you know who you are Okay so all this time while I have my cell phone (thank goodness) my regular landline is nada, zilch. Now here's the weird thing. I made a call from my cell phone to my landline phone...I can hear my phone ringing on the cell, but it's not ringing on the phone itself. Now I always thought if a phone didn't work, one you would either get silence, a busy signal, or a recorded message saying the phone is out of service but NOT have it ringing. I know, I know, I plan to fiddle faddle with the phone again to see if I can make it work, I just haven't had the chance as I've been busy with other things with Christmas coming up and yes no doubt will have to call the phone company for them to come out and check it. But does anyone have a clue what might be wrong? Could it be the wiring of the phone in the wall itself? But then if it is, wouldn't my phone be out of service instead of hearing it ring through my cell phone...any clues?
6 people like this
23 responses
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
23 Dec 09
The ringing you hear on the cell has nothing to do with your land-line phone. You could unplug it totally from the wall and you would still get that ringing sound. It used to give a busy sound if your phone was unplugged, but not anymore. If you are using the phone, then you will get a busy signal, but so many people have answering machines, busy signals are almost obsolete. You should call your phone company. They can run a check on your line from their office. Most phone hubs are pretty overloaded. When you see line workers, they do a lot of cutting and splicing to get service to new people. Sometimes they 'tap' into an existing line for testing while they're up there. Maybe they did that and forgot to put you back into business. That actually happened to me once when I was still in Massachusetts. If that does end up being the case for you, don't hesitate to ask for a credit for the time that your phone didn't work. Let me know how it turns out, ok?
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (157027)
• United States
23 Dec 09
You know, I learned a lot from this discussion, but mostly I have learned to be thankful that I do not have phone trouble. It sounds like such a hassle. Based on this response and another I also see that it is pretty easy for the phones to be tapped into. All in all Pye, I hope that you let us know how it turns out.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Dec 09
I'm sure hoping they can check from their office as I would imagine if someone came out to check it in person they would charge a small fortune wouldn't they?
1 person likes this
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
24 Dec 09
The lines along the street, then from the pole to your home is covered by their nickle. Not sure how it works with your landlord. In theory, you should only be responsible for what is physically in your apartment. Since the rest of the property belongs to your landlord, he should be responsible from where it hooks to his building and until it enters your apartment. In theory. When I had my problem with the split and un-reconnected lines, the phone company was able to trace the service up to the break. They could tell right where the problem was from their office. They should be able to check from their office right up until it connects to the building. If the issue is in the building, then they would have to send a tech over. Another interesting thing I learned was that where my line was un-reattached was an area where there was a lot of activity, and new lines going in, so I was apt to have another problem at some point. To avoid the problem from happening again, they were able to reroute my calls via different lines through different neighborhoods where there was less activity. It worked great and I never did have another problem. Good luck!
1 person likes this
@jerzgirl (9208)
• United States
23 Dec 09
The ringing comes from the central system, not your phone, so you do apparently still have service - just not to your phone. My guess is that the problem is somewhere between your jack and the outside link to the main phone line to the pole. It is possible someone has hijacked your line and hooked it up to their line in order to get free service. I would make sure that hasn't happened so you're not charged for long distance calls you didn't and couldn't make. That happened to me in one apartment where someone tapped into my line. They didn't disconnect my line (too obvious), but when my phone would ring, so would theirs and they'd answer the same time as me. The phone techs found the tap and disconnected it. So, that's one possibility. The other is that the line from the outside connector to your apartment has simply gone bad or that it was cut somewhere along the way (a rat could have bitten through it). You need to call them and tell them you have had no dial tone for a week, that you've replaced the jack and the phone already and those things didn't work. If you have line insurance (used to be standard on all phones, but is now a separate charge you can opt out of), you won't be charged. You also won't be charged if the problem is at the box outside, but if it's the line in between, you'd face a charge if you don't have that line insurance. Good luck.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Dec 09
As far as I know, no one has tapped into my line as I don't see any usual charges made to my phone. I have unlimited long distance calls anyway through a package deal, so yes, someone could tap into it and I wouldn't even notice it with that plan of mine. Have no idea if I have line insurance though...how can I find out? Let me check their website again as it might mention something..LOL
@jerzgirl (9208)
• United States
24 Dec 09
It used to be called line maintenance on the bills.
1 person likes this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
23 Dec 09
If you can call the phone & it rings, sounds like the problem is in your house not with the service itself. However, I'd call the phone company and have them come out and check your DMark just in case. In my parents old house they had problems on occasion with their service not working like yours and it usually came down to their cordless phone. As soon as they replaced the battery in the phone or left the cordless phone disconnected for 15 minuets their service would return.
2 people like this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
25 Dec 09
That could be. You have an apartment right? Then all the costs to replace the wiring falls on your landlord.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
Yeah maybe on Monday I'll call the phone company. It could be the wiring IN the wall itself. My phone isn't a cordless one and everything looks okay from the connections I see but like I said it might be the wiring in the wall being old...it's been hooked up there a LONG time
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
Oh nuts my landlord will love being charged a bill...NOT
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Enjoyed talking to ya, Pye. You sure don't sound like someone who isn't a phone person.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Dec 09
Was great talking to ya to gal...
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
23 Dec 09
I agree with one responder. It definitely has got to do with your land-line. I have had this quite similar kind of encounter before. The phone plugged to the cord in the living room could work but in the room could not. And I called in to find out why. A man came and told me that the line inside the room needed to be fixed. There was something wrong with the wiring or something. And matter resolved after that. If it's possible, you have to call up someone on your end to fix it. Sometimes, it's got to do with the wiring cable.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Dec 09
Yeah no doubt about it...kind of do suspect it may have to do with the inside wiring itself so will have to call the phone company. Rotten timing with the holidays and all though--least I do have the cell phone
1 person likes this
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
25 Dec 09
Oh yeah, you are right. What an awful timing.. It'll be pretty tricky to fix it; wiring cables are always a mess for me too. I just call the technical guy to handle it.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
23 Dec 09
Hi Pyewacket, I kid you not but when this happened to me last year it was water in the socket. Worth a check. I was suprised with this diagnosis as it was an internal wall but the phone engineer said it had water inside and replaced the socket. He surmised it was coming from the shower on the other side of the wall and seeping through the tiles but my friend the tiler came round and checked the bathroom pipes and all was dry. So it all remains a mystery how water got inside but my advice would be to get a man round to check your sockets.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Dec 09
It would be weird if it turned out to be water in the wall somehow. The apartment next door to me...what is in the same area as the area of where my phone is, is their closet, unless it's water coming from a leak in the roof trickling down.
• United States
25 Dec 09
It could be your neighbor tapped into you. It happened to my son about 5 years ago a couple next door to him shared the same balcony and the guy just jumped over and sliced into my sons cable line and hooked it up to his own line so he could get free service. All in all the guy didn't know what he was doing and cut into my sons phone line by mistake anyway he called the cable and phone company because he was getting bad service from both ends (phone and cable) and they're the ones who caught them stealing. Hello so anything is possible. But I have had a similar problem and the operator told me to unplug all the phones in the house for 5 minutes then reconnect them. If that isn't it then it could be your box has water in it.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157027)
• United States
23 Dec 09
I hope someone can help you, as I have not got a clue. If your phone is ringing, through your cell, I would wonder if something was wrong with the ringer. You got a new phone, so it is not defective equipment, so that sounds like something with your provider, in their equipment.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Dec 09
Of course it could be the wiring in the wall itself. A lot here have suggested that if I call the phone company they might be able to check the problem from their office..hope so
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Really dont matter that you might not have a phone even hooked up if ya paid your bill it rings I found that out years ago. and I hate for the cable to go out secially when I am up at 3 and it goes out for hours and I can do nothing cant call out for phone is connected to the net good thing I do have a cell phone but cant call anyone at that time as no one else is up lololol Your connection on the outside might be messed up get phone co. out!
2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
24 Dec 09
HAtley, I do all that it was just the cable company had it all down even the tv for 4 hours one morning dont know what they were doing but it was their fault and nothing to do with my puter. and they do it alot too . I should holler and make them take off some money that I have to pay them for them knocking me off line and with out phone or tv for that long lolololol
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
I have a friend here who has the same problems from time to time...if his cable is out, then his phone and internet connection is kaputz too. Thankfully for some reason my internet now works despite not having phone service. And yes, will get call the phone company say on Monday...a lot of rotten timing with the holidays and all
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
23 Dec 09
lakota sometimes when the cable goes out you just have to reset the modem and if you have a router also the router. all you do is pull the skinniest wire out wait one minute and plug it back in to the modem, then do the same with the router,pull the skinnest one out wait one minute and just plug it back in. my son showed me which one and how to do it in order, and I will be darned it worked, I was back on the internet. now the cable people tried to tell me the same thing but I got a german lady whose english was so heavily germanized I understood only about two words out of every ten.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Now that is strange! I was going to say to check with the phone company, which I still suggest and you already said you're going to, but if it's ringing on the cell that makes no sense at all to me and I've gone through every problem with telephones known to man...or so I thought! Good luck and let me know how you make out! Merry Christmas!! Annie
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
I plan to call Monday...just didn't have a chance this week and with the holidays and all--least I have that cell phone for any dire emergencies
@BarBaraPrz (45224)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
23 Dec 09
The "ringing" the caller hears is not the "ringing" of the called phone, but rather the interval between rings. That's why sometimes you'll call someone and they answer right away and you think, Gee, it didn't even ring! So what you're hearing when you call yourself, is that the call is going through but no one's answering because somewhere along the line there's a break. Could very well be your wiring in the walls, or maybe someone cut your line from outside. Talk to your service provider.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45224)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
24 Dec 09
Even worse timing for the internet outage, what with the nice little bonus myLot gave us the other day...
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
Nope my internet connection is okay...it was down beginning last Thursday night and "magically" came back on around 3:00 p.m. the next day on Friday--so nope didn't miss out on the "bonus" here
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Dec 09
Yeah there probably is a break somewhere in the wall or something and yup, guess I have to call them......bad timing with the holidays and all though
1 person likes this
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Probably one of those glitches we all hate! Something in the lines it sounds like. Nothing coming through to your end might be a lose connection or something...hope you find out soon. I know how frustrating a situation like that can be!
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
Yes it might be the wiring in the wall itself that might be old and bad--phones have been hooked up to that same line for a real long time
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Dec 09
Where do you live anyway? Anywhere near the Twilight Zone? System wide problems? Sounds like you hit upon it. Verizon huh? I am thinking they are trying very hard to give you service where there is actually no service to be had. That is probably the screwiest lack of phone service I have ever heard of.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
LOL--I heard in the news people with Blackberry phones had disrupted service--and those phones are darn expensive!
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Dec 09
Well, nice of them to announce it on the news. When something like that goes wrong there is no way to get a call in to a tech. And I feel like I am in the Twilight Zone!
1 person likes this
@minx267 (15553)
• Hartford, Connecticut
24 Dec 09
lol, just a question but have you called the phone company.. ?? It's probably a problem with your line.. they can't fix it if they don't know about it.. lol good luck!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
With the holiday coming up, I just haven't had the chance to call...hope to next week
@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
24 Dec 09
I think your phone have a problem in it. There is technical problem with your phone case. This problem is what they called a downgrade version. Your phone must be upgraded it's version to work properly again...Have a happy holiday!
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
No I don't think it's the phone itself...but maybe the wiring in the wall...might be old
@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
25 Dec 09
That is also a kind of trouble. Perhaps, there's a loss with wire on the cable. But as a telephone technician then that one of the problem that we encountered that is why there are test doing into the cable before it suspect it is the phone...Because in the terminal itself have trouble...most especially if there is ground you experience hearing some party lines even do your not subscribing in it... Call the technician to check it up...
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Dec 09
Why do you not call your land line carrier from your cell phone and get them to check it out. I also have TracFone (freebie and have a ton of minutes on it as I do not give out the number to friends and only use it for emergencies...such as when something is wrong with my land-line.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
I got that Tracphone around April or May and never used it so I have a lot of minutes that added up...yeah, plan to call the phone company on Monday...just plain didn't get a chance to this week with Christmas coming up and all--thank goodness I have that cell phone though
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
24 Dec 09
Since you live in an apartment building, it could be something outside your apartment. If you get the ringing sound in your cell phone but not on the house phone, it is something outside your apartment. I found, at least in California, that if your phone doesn't work, you don't get the phone is out of service recording when they cut off your phone. If the phone isn't working it will still make the ringing in the phone you are dialing from. Also anymore you don't get the busy signal if your phone isn't working. If you know where your phone connection box is, the one that leads from the outside telephone line to the box that has the connection that leads to your home, there is a way to check it (if it's an upgraded line). It might be a gray box that opens like a police call box. Inside there will be the hookup like your line that goes into the phone jack. If you have one of the old dial phones with the cord you can take it down to the box, plug it in and if the dial tone comes through the phone than it is in your apartment, if there is no dial tone, it is the phone company's problem. Also, you can call your phone company on your cell phone and have them check your line. They have advanced equipment that can detect if the problem is in your apartment or outside the apartment. It shouldn't cost you anything to get this done.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
Since it's the holidays and all I just plain didn't get a chance to call the phone company..at least I have that cell phone so don't feel stranded without a phone. I wouldn't have a clue where the phone box is, probably the basement of the apt. building and no way going in there. Anyway plan to call the phone company on Monday...hope they can figure out the problem at their office and yeah, just hope it doesn't cost me anything especially if they decided to send someone out to check things out
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
24 Dec 09
oh wow, pye...could be almost anything. It's probably something with the system itself. Sounds it from what you say. I hope you get it all fixed real soon. I've had weird issues with my phone and internet and quite often shutting them off and turning them on again works. Unplugging and re-plugging etc. The fact that your phone rings tells me that it is more than likely a problem with verizon. Happy holidays PYE!!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Dec 09
It could very well be a Verizon problem...when my internet went down (also Verizon) I thought it was my computer and it's connections...nope..turned out to be a system wide problem with Verizon itself
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
23 Dec 09
hi pyewacket I would call the phone company as it sounds like its on the line someplace. as its not the phone jack. I am like you I do not know a thing about phones and what makes themn work or not work. I am at the point where I think I need to get an answering machine, here I am in a retirement center and I get a phone call wanting me to sell my timeshare. I went, what time share Ido not have a time share. The person asked if I was Mrs Hatley and I said yes, dumb me, well you sure checked on this computer thing that you had a time share. I went on I did no such thing and when she would not give up I just hung up on her. Or they want to help me repair my credit card or get a new guarantee on my car, and I am going I have no car. so again I just hang up.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
Sounds like you're plagued with those darn telemarketers and most of them are scams anyway...why not register your phone number with the Do Not Call Registry...that should eliminate a lot of those calls : https://www.donotcall.gov/
@lilgold (89)
• United States
24 Dec 09
you probably just have a cheap phone
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
Nope--the phone isn't all that cheap
• United States
23 Dec 09
I had a simular problem a couple years ago, but it was not the jack inside, it was the wiring that went to the jack on the out side of the house. I am pretty sure your tech didn't check it, because I was the one who found the problem with mine after two techs came to my house. If Ice or build up from snow get into the outside jack, it will nock the wires inside it loose, or it will get moisture inside and you won't get any type of messages, because the wiring isn't making a connection. If people call your house phone and get a busy signal, or it just rings and rings, but you hear nothing, That would most likely be whats going on....hope this helps.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Dec 09
Thanks..eventually I'll have to call my phone service..all is bad timing with the holidays and all though, so might have to wait to find out what the problem is on Monday