[asif9t9]

I'm with a reseller for internet, Velcom. But we just upgrade from regular ADSL to VDSL. 25/10 service. Two techs came to the house yesterday. I wasn't home, so I don't know who did what. I think the first guy just installed a new jack in the house. The second was wearing a Bell shirt and hat.

Anyway, the internet speeds are great. But now we see none of our phone jacks work for our regular Bell POTS phones. I just plugged a phone into the new jack that the modem is hooked to.....and the phone works. I called and left a message for Bell to send a tech. But can anyone think of something we should look for?

Also, my wife says the Bell tech told her something about us not needing filters anymore. Is that right? Remove filters we used to use when we had ADSL? Anyway, that's not causing the phone issue now. Thoughts?

 

[Norman_C]

something about us not needing filters anymore. Is that right? Remove filters we used to use when we had ADSL?

True - the new splitter they installed has an inbuilt filter for the phone line

we see none of our phone jacks work for our regular Bell POTS phones. I just plugged a phone into the new jack that the modem is hooked to

If you plugged it into the "tele" jack (not the ADSL jack, there are two), then there is something wrong with the wiring thereafter, as that jack should be feeding your house wiring. Worth checking for a quick fix.

 

[Macman]

I wonder, do you have your reseller on a "dry loop" second line, and your Bell POTS on the main line without DSL on it.

If so, someone may have accidentally disconnected or improperly connected the wire from the new "master" filter to the phone block feeding all the voice jacks. That's provided there IS one, and not just wires twisted together.

I've done this by mistake before. It looks like the wires were in all the way when I tightened the screws on the filter, but one wire of the pair wasn't making contact. This is why we are told to check all jacks once the work is completed. Saves a trouble call, upset customer, and a truck roll (which is what they really don't want!)

 

[asif9t9]

Thanks for the responses guys. As expected, this stuff is over my head. haha

So we always had one phone jack where our DSL modem was plugged into. What these guys did now is they installed a new jack just below that jack. So there are two jacks now where there was one. And let's call the old jack the DSL jack, and the new jack the VDSL jack.

So the internet works fine with my Sagemcom modem and the VDSL jack. And my Bell POTS phone works through the same VDSL jack. But all other jacks in the house, including the DSL jack, don't have any signal.

I took a look at the panel area in my basement, and there's this one mess of phone wires around some little device that says DSL and VDSL on it. Some wires are plugged in, some are loose. Just a mess.

Anyway we have a ticket and hopefully someone shows up this morning and doesn't charge us.

 

[asif9t9]

Can't make this up guys. No one called my cell. And no one knocked the door. But my wife who's home with the baby, she calls me at work using her cell to say there's no more power to the house. She went outside and found in the mailbox some card from Bell saying something like "checked NID outside house, dialtone works there".

So now we have no phone and no power. And I don't know who to call.

 

[asif9t9]

I guess coincidence. Wife calls back and power is back on. We hardly get power outages. But still no phone. sigh

 

[asif9t9]

Finally got in touch with Velcom. They said both techs that came out yesterday are Bell techs. The first from Telecon did the inside work. But they're just working for Bell. So Velcom told me to call Bell. On the phone with Bell now.... sigh

 

[asif9t9]

And Bell will charge me $99 to fix the problem.

 

[Macman]

Can you take a photo of it? Maybe we can walk you through it.

You should tell them that the problem started after they worked on it, which is the installers mistake.

 

[asif9t9]

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

 

[asif9t9]

I'm certain it's a simple fix. But there are so many wires of different colors, and I'm afraid if they did out I tampered then I'm really SOL.

You can see in the first photo the old jack and new jack with modem plugged in. That jack also works for phone.

The second photo is the mess in the basement.

It's like a splitter was installed but only one new end was plugged in properly.



Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

 

[asif9t9]

Here you go guys. Looks like I have to pay. Even to cancel my phone, I'd be paying.

Hmm we would never say call Bell. You are not even a customer of theirs. Only time support indicates to contact Bell is if it’s a phone line issue which we cannot fix.

By looks of it your phone line has problems. All I can suggest at this point is cancel your DSL and cancel your phone line and then reconnect the phone line. I know it’s a big mess but you need to contact Bell, we cannot resolve it. Internet is working. Phone line is not. Even if theres an inside wiring problem bell needs to fix it. I would contact bell and tell them your going to cancel the phone line if they don’t fix the phone line. Your on a regular phone line not dry loop.

We have no way to open tickets for phone line problems. Internet and Phone lines are managed by bell techs, we would be dispatching same type of person if we could do it at all for phone lines.

I know it’s a problem but really if we could fix it we would try but we have NO way to open repair tickets for phone lines. If we open a ticket for non working internet there will be a $100 charge, so no sense in doing that. If bells going to charge you $100 to repair the wiring ,call and tell them your going to cancel the phone line. You can then go with VoIP type of phone.



Rob Contaldi
Velcom.com / Velcom.ca
Direct: (416)800-7551 x517
Toll-Free (888)683-5266 x517
Fax: 905-793-6894
eCommerce and Telecommunications Simplified.

 

[asif9t9]

What do I do?

We will not credit anything, sorry. Bell caused the problem they can fix it. If it was our tech then it would be a different story.

We don’t have access to their equipment to fix these problems.

We don’t charge the same rates as bell so we definitely do not have any room to credit $100.





Rob Contaldi
Velcom.com / Velcom.ca
Direct: (416)800-7551 x517
Toll-Free (888)683-5266 x517
Fax: 905-793-6894
eCommerce and Telecommunications Simplified.

 

[ExDilbert]

What a mess. I would never accept such an awful installation. For starters, they should have installed a double outlet plate jack, not that ugly wall wart. In addition, that corning splitter should be attached to the panel board, the cover replaced on the old POTS connector and the wires properly dressed. (The voltage those exposed screws can be a safety hazard.) Whoever did that is a hack who should be fired. In addition, the non-working phones are an installation problem, not an internal wiring problem, and should be fixed at no charge.

They may have been Bell installers but they are obviously incompetent and lack professionalism. However, since they are reselling the service, it's Velcom's problem and you should deal directly with them. They are responsible for dealing with Bell and making sure the service works properly. Do not call Bell, you are not their customer, Velcom is. Do not accept the installation until you are 100% satisfied. It's obvious the the technicians did a substandard job, possibly intentionally, and they need to fix it at no charge.

 

[asif9t9]

Thanks ExDilbert. I feel like a jackass right now. My wife was home during the installation and she didn't give any thought to how they do things. One thing she did mention was the first tech didn't have a Bell shirt on, but the second tech had a Bell shirt on. She says the Bell guy made a comment, "like, who came before? why didn't he finish the job." We didn't really know what that meant. I am so distraught right now. I lodged a complaint with that agency, but that can take like 30 days plus.

The Velcom guy says I should threaten to cancel Bell because then they'll fix it. But I don't want to just cancel Bell because then I'd lose my phone number.

 

[asif9t9]

So on that Corning splitter, I notice I have a dialtone if I plug my phone into either of the three jacks on the right side. When I plug into the middle (DSL) one, there's a dialtone, but with static.

Does that tell you guys anything about how well it's hooked up?

 

[ExDilbert]

DSL signals sound like static. The jack marked phone will be the filtered line and should be static free. The other two lines should have static since they are unfiltered.

 

[asif9t9]

Hmm, well both the LINE and PHONE jacks are static free.

I notice the LINE and PHONE jacks have blue and white wires. But they are reversed on each.

 

[Macman]

The colors aren't important. My guess is the wires to the rest of the jacks must've been disconnected. That hack job makes it hard to tell what's what. Terrible.

It really isn't terribly hard to figure out and fix, but it isn't your responsibility to fix.

I agree with the other comments.

 

[asif9t9]

SUCCESS!!

I called Bell again last night...the phone division...and I told the guy I had internet installed and now my phone wasn't working. I didn't tell the guy on the phone about Velcom, and I could tell he assumed I had internet with Bell. He said a tech would come out today (Saturday).

The tech came out today and as I hoped, he was a nice guy. He went to the basement and checked the Corning splitter and right away said that whoever installed it didn't strip one of the copper wires enough. He re-did it and plugged it all in and I'm up and running. And he didn't charge me.

So Velcom would probably say this is what they expected. Bell came through for me. But even the guy who came just now sounded confusing. When I told him a Telecon and a Bell guy did the install, he told me those were both "Bell" guys. When I told him later I had internet with Velcom, he said that would have been a Velcom guy who first came.

Whatever...I have phone again.

Thanks again everyone.