atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Telecom Service & Providers Testing Line Signal Strength

Bryan, this is just from memory and I know you have access to the specs. I was thinking acceptable R/L was anything greater than 15 for AT&T, but Bell specs were a little looser, like maybe greater than 12. I do know it was always a sticking point between AT&T and the LECs when trouble shooting an echo problem. Anyway thanks for the info.

What Bill said!!! LOL

The more I think about it Bill… Like you stated -3dB in a true “return loss” measurement would not make any good sense… Would sound like reverb in a cave… And in all actuality it would be impossible.

Audible levels are measured in dB (decibels) as a ratio in reference to zero, so we’ll see neg numbers all the time. That normal, but a true echo return loss is a measurement is a difference (-, a subtracting function) between transmit power and reflected power. In which case a negative relationship would be a mathematical impossibility.

Right a true return loss test is not done with a 1000hz tone, although many did use it. It's a mixture of tones although I can't remember the frequency's used, been too long. If you were to listen to a circuit under a true return loss test it would sound something like data on the line. Prior to the true return loss test we used 400, 1000 and 2800 and all three had to meet specs. Spooky it's all coming back to me.

Back to the point at hand a return loss test would have nothing to do with signal strength as Bryan mentioned earlier.

WOW! Thanks for all the help..I'm the END-USER and I'm getter better support from this forum than I'm getting from my installer. I had the system installed in the last 30 days and support from my installer ended about a week after the install...they aren't returning my calls????

With that said, I need to get this feature to work as designed. The centrex feature is not an option.

HBISS has it right, the "Four Wire Return Loss" test sends tones between the lines and compares the results. Allworx support has told me I need 10 dBm on this test...and I'm getting 3dBm. However, it's strange to me that JWRacedog has the same Allworx system and his "follow me anywhere" feature works fine AND his 4 Wire Test return the same results as mine "-3dBm" So, now I'm not sure if Allworx support has me going in the right direction.

So now what? Not being a expert in this field, but just trying to think it through...I think the Telco's lines should be checked at the dmark point to confirm they are up to specs. (I don't know what those specs are?) AND the building's lines need to be checked between the dmark and my office switch, right?

Honestly there are variables to what the specs are depending on what and how you ordered your voice service and even state specific mandates. Here’s a somewhat generalized rule that should help.

-8.0 to 0 dB for non-conditioned voice lines.
-5.0 to 0 dB for conditioned voice lines.

Any gain would have to come from your switch, not the local company. If you and your caller can hear fine straight away this is not a supplier problem. If you're getting -3db at the DEMARC and you go trunk to trunk you now have a loss of -6db. There has to be some setting in your switch for trunk to trunk transfer in order for you to correct this.

Well---it's been a good discussion...but here's my take on it, so far. I think, as others do, that the lines are probably just fine. When your AT&T guy is there Monday to check the lines, see if you can have him check the Loop Current of each line just for kicks and giggles. You want what the reading is for each line, not just that "it's within specs".

I think there's too much "progamming" for your "Follow-me" programming. What you want to do is simplify things a bit. KISS.

Disable the programming that enables the system to monitor the call. It monitors the call, asks the caller what his name is, then asks the cell phone if they want to accept the call. Disable all of that hoo-hah.

What you want to have is for the caller to call an extension and have that extension have a prescence of "Away" that goes to the cell phone. Period. No special VM monitoring. Just go to the cell phone. It rings. If it's picked up---then talk. If it's not picked up, then it goes into the cell phones's VM.

If you have all of this "monitoring" what happens is that if the cell phone user doesn't pick up for one r4eason or another, the system sucks that call back to the original extension and deposits it into that extensions VM box.

To me, see if just a simple call that comes into the system and rings the cell phone (because of the active prescence) will work.

See if you can try that. If it doesn't work, and the lines are fine, then it may be some hardware problem with the system and your installer will have to bring out another 6X and see if that works any better. If it doesn't ---then that's the way it is.

I know that this feature works, and works well. Good luck, and let us know what happens.

First I have to say THANKS to all that contributed to this discussion. Also, a special thanks to JWRacedog...your the man! OK, so AT&T was out...couldn't or would give me loop current reading, but found the lines to be within spec. As for the system's "call monitors"...I never activated them, so that's not an issue. The good news is I got the follow-me feature working. How, I'm not sure, but here's what happened...Allworx had said to make sure the "Optimize for shorp loops" box was not checked and it wasn't. (It said to check only if FXD/IDAs less than 500 ft. away) But for shits and grins...I checked and then tried the follow-me feature and the volume was good. So, then I unchecked it and tested again...and it still good, so I left it unchecked (on all lines) and it's been working ever since. Thanks to all. P.S. Now onto the next Allworx issue...if you want to know more...check the VOIP forum. Thanks again.

Opps, not on the VOIP forum...check the Other System forum.