Finally, after 3 years, we got landline service in our home again. Unfortunately, the phone doesn't work inside the house, but it works fine on the box outside, i.e. it's our problem to fix, not the phone company. I don't really know what the problem is, as the wiring worked just fine before we had the service turned off. I tried to follow the line through the basement and it all looks intact, no rodent chewing or anything else.
So I have two questions:
If you've redone the wiring yourself, how hard was it? My husband and I are somewhat mechanically adept, he does basic car maintenance and electrical work in the home.
If you ever paid to have your house rewired, how much did it cost you?
No, I haven't redone the wiring, but on occasion we need to unplug ALL phones in the house. Wait fifteen minutes. Plug back into wall. That has corrected the problem.
Does the phone company not offer insurance for that type of problem? They do here where we live, and its AT & T. It's only a couple of bucks a month, just in case something like that were to happen. I'd look into it if you can, and explain that you just got your service and it doesn't work. Good luck, I have never had that issue.
If every outlet in your home doesn't work it is the main feed that is the problem. Without knowing what type of box you have I wouldn't know where to start to help you.
For instance our outside box is made to accept two lines. If they connected the line to the wrong side it is a matter or plugging that outside wire into the other jack. Simple, ya know?
Inside the house we have a box that is a kind of splitter. If you have one and they didn't reconnect it right then you have to figure that bugger out. I doubt this is the problem because there is no reason for them to have touched it.
Frankly I would start at the box and see if there are two different jack and go from there.
But yes, it is easy.
I never have, because I have my dad! : ) He does everything!
(and they say girls marry their fathers! HA!)
If you want to PM me, I'll give you my dad's phone number and he can maybe walk you through it. He worked for Ohio Bell for 30 years.
I have done minor troubleshooting when one jack wasn't working but not major rewiring. Phone lines are pretty simple and low voltage. I don't remember the exact rating, but you can check all along the circuit with a voltmeter to see where you're losing the connection. Just out of curiosity, how do you know that it's working on the outside box and not the inside? Do you have an old (with a cord) phone that you know works? That is another reliable way to test each jack... Oh yeah, if you have DSL on your phone line, you need to make sure to have a filter at every jack where a phone is connected...
