Verizon problems

[bucolic_frolic]

my phone line is dead, but I still have internet. This happened last fall and they took 3 weeks to fix it. Now the same problem. I scheduled a repair visit for today, and waited home all day. They never called and never showed up. I got Chat tech support. They said they contacted the technician, and the "concern team" and they wanted the "best" technician for my problem. All of which I think is a lie. They had no intention of fixing my phone line. It is their problem. The phone is dead, no lights, no dial tone. But when I call it using my cell, it appears to ring on the cell phone, but of course not in the house because the line is dead. Last year Verizon seemed to think the phone was fine when they called because it appeared to ring on their end, but it was dead here all along.

I complained to the PUC, and they helped, but really they do little.

I'm ready to ditch home internet. I can grab twice a week library access. I could also get cable tv access, but it's no phone at about the same price as Verizon.

Any of you have no landline phone? How is that working out? No 9-1-1 access? Change phone number with all your contacts. I don't use a smart phone. There is that issue too, I'm a novice.

[nmgaucho]

1. Do a hard reboot

Nm

[bucolic_frolic]

2. I have no idea what you're talking about

There is no hard reboot for my phone line. The problem is 5/8 of a mile around the corner. Technicial told me last year he switched it to a new pair. Trouble is they're all from about 1935. None are perfect. I think summer's heat and static fry the resistors or whatever they use, but what do I know.

And they insist on testing the connection at the house to see if it's MY problem first.

[Kali]

3. Gave up land line a few years ago, but have multiple cell phones in house (for multiple people)

Internet is rural WiFi off a tower on mountain behind house. Was dealing with land line as old or older than yours. Companies don't want to maintain or upgrade old lines. Ours would crap out every time it rained. Now just the internet getz wonky. Cell phones generally are more reliable. They are on Verizon wireless.

[Maxheader]

4. verizon,,virg/mobile

Are both changing what devices they will support and what those devices must have on them...

This boost mobile will be gone after I run out the month..I'll eat the cost of the coolpad surf.

But now when I go to verizon I'm gonna need to buy an ipone..and it will need to be VoLTE and HD voice capable.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. I am so cooked

I need to read up on this stuff. I go to BestBuy, but they take 2 minutes and if you're not buying, they're busy. And I need to know what I'm buying. My clammer is LG vx4500 ... about 2004 vintage. LOL

Thanks for the heads up

[Sunlei]

6. I have a land line with phone & DSL.

A land line works even if the home has no power as long as the phone you use doesn't require power.

Is your internet DSL through the same phone line? If so there may be something wrong with your phone- you did say "The phone is dead, no lights, no dial tone"

What type of phone are you using? if wireless-the battery in the handset could be dead? or the 'base unit' could be bad? The base unit has to be plugged into power to work.

The way to test this is use a phone that isn't wireless, a basic wired phone like this $7.98 phone from Walmart https://www.walmart.com/ip/VTech-CD1103WH-Standard-Phone-White

A basic phone will ring, have dial tone just from the tiny electrical charge in the phone line. No need for the home to have power.

If a basic phone doesn't give you a dial tone-then outside where the phone line connects to your house there is another outlet to plug in a phone- test the basic phone there to see if the problem is with your homes wiring or Verizon's wiring.

If you have DSL through the phone line-it's odd the internet works on phone line but not your phone. That's why I suggest something may be wrong with your phone or perhaps your inside wiring. please test using a basic corded phone.

It is the federal law a basic land line must always be kept in repair for use of 911 & local calls. I'll never get rid of a basic land line, they're gold!

good luck.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. Thanks for your insight

I have Verizon high-speed internet. Not FIOS, so I guess I do have DSL.

Yes the problem is with Verizon lines. I don't have a box outside, I have a line that comes into the house and connects to 2 4" long resistors (I think they are). I disconnected the incoming line and hooked up 2 different AT&T pushbutton corded phones to it. One crackled slightly, one was dead. No dialtone, no lights on the phones.

Last year had the same problem. Lineman said it was the pair on the phone pole around the corner, about 3/4 of a mile I'd guess.

So something is wrong with these old 1935 copper phone lines on the poles, or the connections.

One last test I could try is to hookup the phone to the isolated incoming wire, and call it with my cell. That's a test I haven't tried yet.

[hauweg]

8. Google voice might be an option

No landline and no cellphone here but internet access. I'm using free google voice which is linked to an
old phone number (might be a $9 phone).
In google voice I picked a phone number from a list and now receive and do calls and texts on my laptop.
Without laptop it's possible to use a VOIP box to hook up a regular phone. Local and long distance calls are free.
International costs 1 cent a minute. Drawback : no 911 calls

[bucolic_frolic]

9. :hi: Thanks for these ideas

Thanks, those are options I would never think of.

Verizon fixed my phone. The phone line was dead on the outside lines somewhere, but it was also being shorted by my answering machine.

Time for me to enter the modern age! Thanks for your input!

[bucolic_frolic]

11. Goodness a post auto-removed

on my phone problems. was it something I said?

[appalachiablue]

12. Landlines, and even basic Flip Phones are dinosaurs now.

Verizon and other major cos. rarely offer any basic cellphones now I noticed--- it's almost all Smart Phones. Or Jitterbug which looks good, esp. the safety features but has a number of complaints and dicey reviews online.

Good luck with your issues, I can imagine that cos. don't want to invest in landline repairs and infrastructure if that's what it is-- cuz it's not, new, shiny and sexy! Lol.