Shorting things is not a reliable method of testing telephone circuits. You need to use a test set.

Plug a single-ended 25-pair cable with a male Amphenol plug into the cable that serves the telephone in question. Then test the 13th pair (Bk/Gr) with a test set. If you do not hear dial tone, (and assuming that you really ***did*** punch down the Bk/Gr correctly at the KSU) then you have an open pair in the cable. The chances against this are about 1,000,000,000 to one. The chances that you did not punch the pair down correctly are about 1 in 25.


Arthur P. Bloom
"30 years of faithful service...15 years on hold"