Not sure if this is the correct place to ask.

I have some phone lines with static. I believe it's an internal problem.

In my warehouse I have some kind of patch panel which our old network consultant installed. Long story short we fired him awhile ago. This connects to the outlets throughout our office.

We've been in this office about 3 or 4 years now. We have an Electra Elite 48 system with DTU16D phones. We have 4 lines.

My phone has static usually on all 4 lines. It can last for days, can last for weeks. I usually don't even use my phone. I turn around to use the desk behind me, which is an inconvience and then people can't walk by.

Sometimes one other phone in the office gets static also.

Today my phone is okay, but another is having trouble that doesn't normally have trouble. She says it's only on lines 1 and 2.

I've already tried swapping out the cable from phone to wall. I've tried switching the phone with one that is always good and that one gets static, so that's why I think it's an internal issue.

The panel in the back is labeled which phone line is which. Do you think there's some kind of cheap tester I can get to isolate my trouble? I'll go look at the panel to see if the connections are secure, not frayed or anything, and not touching any others. I was just trying to avoid calling a repair service if I didn't have to.

I would check your handset cords before you do anything else. If you have those swivel adapters that prevent your handset cords from tangling, do yourself a favour and throw them away. If someone tells you they had static on lines 1 and 2, try to reproduce the problem on those lines from a couple of other phones. If you have a lot of static on one phone, turn around and use another with no problems, it isn't a problem with the line. Try swapping the handset and handset cord between phones to see if the problems move.

No, there is no cheap tester. You are first going to have to determine where the problem is. I know you said that you think that it's an internal problem and that very well may be but you need to start at the begining and check the CO lines coming into the system first. After that you need to determine if the problem lies within the system KSU itself or there is a problem with the wiring or jacks for the extensions.

From what you are telling us I don't think you have the experience to handle this yourself. I would advise you to have someone who is familiar with that system handle this for you.

-Hal

If you can trace the wiring back to the point where the lines come in from your carrier, you may be able to isolate the lines from your equipment and test with an analog phone. It really depends on how the carrier terminates their lines in your area. If you need some help identifying the demark, feel from to post some pictures.

that pretty well rules out carrier issues
rules out phone or cord issues

you've done a good job at user level troubleshooting


like Hal said , no cheap tester will help you

if you need a new vendor check out the installers link at the top of the page here or post in the looking for a installers section

No swivel adapters on our phones.

Yeah, from your discussion I think checking this out is over my head too. I just thought by chance there's one of those plug in testers I could get and go back to where the wiring was done by our old network consultant. You know, gotta do some research before I call a tech in.

The reason I think it has to do with the panel our old consultant set up is because the guy was an idiot. He did a lot of things wrong on our computer network. Think he did them on purpose to milk us for money because the owners of our company are older and don't know much. I'm the most technical one here, but with no certifications they don't always listen to me as much as they should.

The reason I don't think it's a phone issue is because (as far as I know) it only happens on three extensions in our office, so when I swapped a phone with one from a good extension that was static also.

Well, if you swap phones and the problem stays with the location and doesn't follow the phone then it's either:

1-The jack at the station side
2- The Cable
3- The jack at the closet side
4- The cross connect or cable feeding the closet jack
5- The port in the phone system
6- The wiring and/or termination of all of the above

If you're unfamiliar on how to troubleshoot all of the above, you'd probably be better off calling in a pro.

You've already done some of the troubleshooting and saved yourself some money.

Sam

Go to the patch panel, and the KSU (the telephone control unit) and remove and re-insert each patch cord several times. Do one at a time, so as not to confuse things.

The weakest link in any modern communications system is the plugs on the ends of the patch cords or phone cords.

By removing/inserting, you wipe any corrosion off the contacts that has built up.

The NEC Elite48 won't go through your Network, Chances are the 25pr. Tails are punched down on a 66 Block, If you have DTU phones,They sometimes had problem's with the Handset's.