FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
"Help! My Phone Doesn't Work!"
“There's nothing happening!”
If you press all the line buttons on your telephone
and do not get a dial tone, check the intercom link. An active intercom link between telephone stations indicates the telephone system is not “down” due to a loss of power. Check your fax machine for dial tone also. If neither has a dial tone, using a cellular phone (or other means), call your local telephone company to see if a cable has been cut in your area, or if the telephone company is experiencing other problems. If not, place a service call with your telephone vendor or maintenance provider to check your telephone equipment.
“Not even the intercom works!”
If your telephone system has no lights, no outside dial tone, and no active intercom, then check the following list of simple suggestions that may get you back in business faster and more economically than first calling your telephone vendor.
1. Ensure the electrical outlet provided for the telephone system has power. (Most all surge protection has some form of visual indicator.) If there is no power, check the appropriate circuit breaker to see if it has been tripped.
2. If the electrical outlet has power, look to see if the power supply cord going to the telephone system has inadvertently become unplugged.
3. A brief power outage to a telephone system that does not have a battery back-up system (or has a faulty battery back-up system) can “lock-up” the central processor, resulting in a non-functioning system. By simply turning the telephone system off for a MINIMUM of one minute before restoring the power can sometimes clear this problem. (IMPORTANT: Check with your telephone system administrator before performing this procedure.) If this procedure clears your problem, it is time to consider purchasing or replacing your battery back-up system.
When calling for help, always remember to leave a telephone number where you or someone on site may be reached. A
cellular phone number is preferable, but if you leave a facsimile number, remember to place the facsimile machine in the manual answer mode so the calling party may reach you.
The suggestions mentioned above are merely a guideline to assist you in restoring your invaluable telephone service. If you are unsure of performing any of the procedures, please call experienced personnel to correct the problems you are having.
“My telephone has lights but I can't hear anything in the handset and/or be heard.”
Try the following possible solutions:
A) Replace the handset cord (curly cord between the telephone base and the handset) with a known good one. (The easiest place to find a “known good” part is from a telephone that is working.)
B) Replace the handset (piece you talk into and listen from) with a known good one.
C) Replace the base cord (cord between the telephone and the wall jack) with a known good one.
D) Replace the telephone base with a known good one.
If you have completed these steps and still have a problem with the telephone, there must be a more serious problem that requires a technician. You should contact your telephone vender at this point.
When calling for assistance, always remember to leave your business telephone number where you or someone you appoint as a contact person on site may be reached.
A) Replace the handset cord (curly cord between the telephone base and the handset) with a known good one. (The easiest place to find a “known good” part is from a telephone that is working.)
B) Replace the handset (piece you talk into and listen from) with a known good one.
C) Replace the base cord (cord between the telephone and the wall jack) with a known good one.
D) Replace the telephone base with a known good one.
If you have completed these steps and still have a problem with the telephone, there must be a more serious problem that requires a technician. You should contact your telephone vender at this point.
When calling for assistance, always remember to leave your business telephone number where you or someone you appoint as a contact person on site may be reached.
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