Are the phone companies today harder to deal with than in the past? It seems that no one understands a simple request like bridging a line. I needed a church feed bridged so it would be ready at the old and new studio location so if there were complications with the move we could run the services and such from the old location and was told it couldn't be done that way. The did finally do it but it was like moving a mountain to get it done.
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Phone companies
- Thread starter spacetrucker
- Start date
Most of the people who knew what they are/were doing have long retired, either voluntarily or by attrition. What's left are people who read from menus on computer screens, and if your peg doesn't fit in their hole, you're usually screwed.
Add to that the fact that wire telco services are in decline and you have a double whammy-and it will only get worse.
Add to that the fact that wire telco services are in decline and you have a double whammy-and it will only get worse.
MOst everything is done by digital switch these days. This means a lot of flexibility, but also a lack of folks that know how to fly the switch if you need something other than a turn-up of service. Nowdays with broadband data so cheap, the need to rely on the telco is much less than it was in the past.
If you need to have copper run and punched down, you are generally at teh mercy of inexperienced tech, because of the aforementioned retirement and attrition of experienced personnel.
We run combined data/VOIP at our facility using an CLEC. Wouldn't ever ever go back to a copper-based ILEC ever!
If you need to have copper run and punched down, you are generally at teh mercy of inexperienced tech, because of the aforementioned retirement and attrition of experienced personnel.
We run combined data/VOIP at our facility using an CLEC. Wouldn't ever ever go back to a copper-based ILEC ever!
I won't get too much into this but I've had a horrible experience with phone companies doing something as simple as a p2p T1 circuit. We have no line of sight from studio to fm tx site so there is a t1 circuit in there, using a pair of comrex bric links for the FM and barix instreamer100/exstreamer 100 to get the AM audio to an STL.
This morning I get a call about 5:30 that both stations are sitting with dead air again, get out to the site and the smartjack is dead, no lights or anything. I know there is a problem out there somewhere but getting them to fix it is impossible. I've been fighting with it for 3-4 months now. Every time it's a different excuse, the latest is "it's normal for the smartjack to go dark to protect itself when there is lightning".... The fix was today and always is to remove the card for 20 seconds or so and plug it back in, there was 200v on the line all along. I'm thinking faulty card but they absolutely refuse to replace it.
Another thing is almost every time they send someone out, it's someone who just started work and knows NOTHING about what a T1 is much less how to diagnose any issues with it... And the 4 hrs this morning before they would even dispatch someone to look at this issue.. I called them around 6 and made my point that we were dead in the water and they just didn't care, said techs do not start work until 8, then they have to get their work orders for the day and drive 50 miles to make it to where I am..
This morning I get a call about 5:30 that both stations are sitting with dead air again, get out to the site and the smartjack is dead, no lights or anything. I know there is a problem out there somewhere but getting them to fix it is impossible. I've been fighting with it for 3-4 months now. Every time it's a different excuse, the latest is "it's normal for the smartjack to go dark to protect itself when there is lightning".... The fix was today and always is to remove the card for 20 seconds or so and plug it back in, there was 200v on the line all along. I'm thinking faulty card but they absolutely refuse to replace it.
Another thing is almost every time they send someone out, it's someone who just started work and knows NOTHING about what a T1 is much less how to diagnose any issues with it... And the 4 hrs this morning before they would even dispatch someone to look at this issue.. I called them around 6 and made my point that we were dead in the water and they just didn't care, said techs do not start work until 8, then they have to get their work orders for the day and drive 50 miles to make it to where I am..
spacetrucker said:Are the phone companies today harder to deal with than in the past? It seems that no one understands a simple request like bridging a line. I needed a church feed bridged so it would be ready at the old and new studio location so if there were complications with the move we could run the services and such from the old location and was told it couldn't be done that way. The did finally do it but it was like moving a mountain to get it done.
What phone company do you use? AT&T still has broadcast division to handle specific circuit set-ups. They understand things like dry pairs, EQ'd lines and the like. If you use AT&T let me know I will post the number here.
RF Man said:spacetrucker said:Are the phone companies today harder to deal with than in the past? It seems that no one understands a simple request like bridging a line. I needed a church feed bridged so it would be ready at the old and new studio location so if there were complications with the move we could run the services and such from the old location and was told it couldn't be done that way. The did finally do it but it was like moving a mountain to get it done.
What phone company do you use? AT&T still has broadcast division to handle specific circuit set-ups. They understand things like dry pairs, EQ'd lines and the like. If you use AT&T let me know I will post the number here.
We have AT&T in our area. If you can PM me that number, I'll put it in my file in case we need any special circuits. Luckily right now we have microwave for STL.
I've learned to avoid wireline services (other than dial tone POTS lines) from phone companies these days like a bad case of the plauge. I do thinkt they generally can keep a DSL line or POTS running, but that's about it. Any dry pair or T carrier services are subject to outtages that will enrage a guy. Luckily I have "bad 'ol STL' links still for all of my stuff. I don't play HD games yet and I have line-of-site where I need it so I have no need for the goofy T carriers or their failures. My friends that do are constantly cussing them for failing them regularly. I may end up getting some remote stations for my non-comm in other parts of the state however I can use the state's internet service that is tied together via fiber to just stream it over their network. Thank goodness I won't have to play T-1 games with these new CPs that are a lonnnnngggg ways away from me. I plan to stream it to a point of presence for their network (we have it here of course so the sending end is already in the building) and just analog STL it out to the towers. I'll use a DSL line and a Barix as a backup with a silence sensor to slam over to the backup in the event things go way wrong. I truely hate running out to fix something and having no plan B.
R
RolfTaylor
Guest
If the smart jack has a DB-9 on it it is best to hook up to it yourself. At the very least you can look at all the error stats and logs before the telco clears the info. 8N1 hit <space> a few times and voila.
If they are Adtrans you can get the "job aids" that will tell you a lot about them on their web site.
It also pays to have a T1 test set.
If they are Adtrans you can get the "job aids" that will tell you a lot about them on their web site.
It also pays to have a T1 test set.
A few years ago I was working a station in SW Florida served ( ???) by Embarq we had a SCA tennant and he wanted a 8kc dry pair to our transmitter. I went to the site to let the Telco man in to install. I wasn't going to tell him how to do his job just watch. He woud start at one end and flatten the line then move up the freq band to the top. Ofcourse, when he rechecked the bottom it was way off. I kept my mouth shut for three hours and finally ask, " Why don't you start at 1kc and then move up and down from that pont?" tHe did and had it flattened in ten minutes. He was very gratefull for the suggestion and even through he was in his fifties he had never done an eq'd line. So your right, there isn't any experienced telco installers left
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