What Caused My Home Phone to Lose Dial Tone?

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SUMMARY

The loss of dial tone in home phone systems can often be traced to interior wiring issues, as confirmed by the user who tested a corded phone in the Network Interface Device (NID). Despite initial troubleshooting, including checking connections and considering a service visit from AT&T, the problem was ultimately resolved by replacing a faulty DSL splitter that was shorting the phone line. This case highlights the importance of isolating the problem to determine whether it lies within the home wiring or the external line.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Network Interface Devices (NID)
  • Basic knowledge of DSL technology and splitters
  • Familiarity with home phone wiring and connections
  • Experience with troubleshooting telecommunications issues
NEXT STEPS
  • Research how to test and replace DSL splitters effectively
  • Learn about common interior wiring problems in home phone systems
  • Investigate methods for isolating phone line issues using a multimeter
  • Explore AT&T service protocols for troubleshooting external line problems
USEFUL FOR

Homeowners experiencing phone line issues, telecommunications technicians, and anyone involved in troubleshooting DSL and home wiring problems.

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[SOLVED] No dial tone puzzle

I lost home phone dial tone last week. First, I called att service and they said it is an interior wiring problem. I confirmed this by connecting a (good) corded phone in the Network Interface Device. There was a dial tone in NID and I called my home number from my cell.

Then I disconnected all phone jacks inside the house and checked any loose connections. There were all good. I finally called att again asked for service inside my house ($70+ hourly rate) to fix the problem.

The night before the service appointment the phone line suddenly worked for no apparent reason, so I called off the att service. However, the next morning it was dead again and came back alive one time the same day before went dead since 3 days ago.

I have a DSL splitter to a second line and DSL is all functional all this time.

What can go wrong and how to attack this problem? It is a puzzle for me. Need some advice.

Thanks.
 
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could the phone itself be bad?
if that doesnot fix the problem
can you swap the DSL and voice phone lines ? at the out side box
next try
I would replace the wires/ jacks myself and get a new spliter too
as both will cost less then the ''SERVICE VISIT" from att

when I did that at my house I still had a problem
but I then knew it was not inside
the teck found the line to the house from the pole was intermittently shorting
do to hurricane wind dammage
he found that by shaking the line with a meter hooked up
BTW my DSL worked fine even when the phone was dead
DSL with work over only one line/wire voice dial tone needs two good lines/wires
I proved that by hooking up ONE WIRE and going on line
 
Last edited:
I used the corded phone at NID and it worked. That's how I confirmed it seems to be a interior wiring problem. Only that phone is connected to a jack inside the house right now.

"can you swap the DSL and voice phone lines ? at the out side box next try"
Not sure how to do it, but will look into it.

However, the second line is only available in one room, where DSL & wireless router are located. So, swapping lines won't completely solve the problem. I still need phone connection in the rest of house.

It still could be an outside line problem, right? I wonder how to make att take a closer look.

Thanks.
 
It was a faulty DSL splitter shorting phone line. Got it fixed. Thanks.
 

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