Testing at the Network Interface can help isolate the problem
You are also responsible for any wires between buildings on your property. You may make repairs yourself, have someone else make them, or have us make the repairs for a service charge. You may also subscribe to one of our wire maintenance/Customer Assurance Plans for a small monthly fee. We do not repair residential customer-owned telephones.
If you are experiencing a problem involving your phone service, you can use your Network Interface Device (NID) to test the phone line and determine whether the problem is your responsibility or our responsibility.
If you call us right away without testing the line yourself, a technician may come to your house or business and perform the same test, possibly resulting in a service charge. Plus, if you determine the problem is your responsibility, you may not need to call us at all.
The NID is a weatherproof unit mounted outdoors where the telephone service wires enter your house or business. Usually the unit is a gray box, approximately 8 inches by 10 inches, marked with TELEPHONE NETWORK INTERFACE on the cover, positioned near the electric meter. Occasionally, the NID is mounted inside the house or business, and may be in the basement.
To perform the test:
- Unplug (from the wall jack) a non-cordless phone.
- Carry both the phone and cord to the NID.
- Open the NID’s cover by loosening the screw with a flat-head screwdriver.
- Inside the NID you will find a short cord with a modular plug just like the one on your phone cord. There may be a gray plug marked with an arrow instead of a short cord. Unplug the short cord or gray plug from the NID.
- Plug your phone cord into the NID.
- Try to make a call using the phone you just plugged into the NID.
- If you do not hear dial tone or are having the same problem when you make a call, the problem may be our responsibility. You may want to repeat the test with another phone to verify the results of the first test.
- Unplug your phone from the NID.
- Reconnect the NID’s short cord or the gray plug marked with an arrow.
- Close the cover of the NID. Using the screwdriver, tighten the cover’s screw tightly to keep the NID weatherproof.
Review the information in the first paragraph above. If the phone company is responsible for the problem or if you are responsible, but wish to hire us to fix the problem, call us. Notify us of the results of your test.
