You mentioned multiple buildings. The fact that there are so many cross connect points is already pointing to improper design to begin with. Any more than two cross connect points is not proper design.

I have to ask, did this extension ever work properly? If so, has it always worked since day one or was it recently added?

I am starting to suspect that you may be pushing the distance limits of digital station ports on this system. I believe that the maximum is 750 feet, but adding so many cross-connect points effectively reduces this by about five percent per point.

Another thing you may need to consider is that you may have a defective cable pair on a segment of route to your station. These phones will operate marginally with three of four conductors operational. A true test will be to utilize completely different cable pairs in an attempt to restore the station. Better yet, maybe you can take the phone and temporarily connect it along the way at each cross-connect point to see where the faulty pair is. The first point where the phone stops working will show you the cable section that has failed.

Is this something worth further investigation? It is really starting to sound like a distance limitation that was already being pressed to begin with.

Try to get us some details on the overall design of the facility. Maybe we can give you a few suggestions on getting things corrected. You mentioned that you suspect that the installing company did an awful job and I am starting to agree with you. Based upon the fact that there are so many cross connect points alone pretty much proves that the system and it's wiring wasn't installed professionally.

No phone system, regardless of the brand or vintage should be installed in an environment such as what you have described. You need to spend money on correcting shoddy wiring, not on the phone system. Phone system wiring is not a "connect the dots" puzzle like the inexperienced seem to find appropriate.

Ed Vaughn, MBSWWYPBX