Ok, so I'm the computer guy at a rural alaskan school district.
Apparently this also means I am in charge of the phone system as well.
I have been able, so far, to determine that it is a 384i system, and that it is a mess.
There is no documentation with this system.
There is no labeling on the rats nest of wires coming out of the punch down blocks.
There is no one here that has any idea about phones, or who remembers who installed the system.

Ok, no more complaining, I promise.

What I know so far:
384i system with approx. 60 extensions and a NVM-2000 system hooked in.

What I don't know yet:
How to make any changes to the system config.
How to find the extensions on the punch down block without blowing up the system.

Searching the net has led me here. It seems that the gurus of telecom land live here. I certainly hope so at least.

Any help to get me started would be greatly appreciated. I would also greatly appreciate a copy of the system/programming manuals for this system. They seem a bit hard to find.

Thanks,
Chris

Hi, Chris and welcome aboard! I think that your best bet for a first step is to invest in a tone generator and probe. They even sell them in home centers now, so a quick web search should have you in business for that part. These will make tracing the wiring much easier for you.

The reason that nothing is marked is usually because a properly-equipped technician should be able to use these to identify circuits. You are doing the right thing in assuming that you might blow something, so it is a good thing to ask the questions first.

As for the manuals and programming: The system you have is fairly popular, so this part shouldn't be difficult either. At the top of this page are link buttons for manuals and parts, so you really have come to the right place.

Now let me be the first to tell you that working on these systems is NOT the same as IT. That isn't meant to be an insult, but you really will find that you're going to be learning an entirely different craft. Invest in the manual and study it well before you jump in with both feet. You will save yourself a lot of frustration.

It isn't our normal practice to advise someone to do what you are attempting, but your situation appears to be a no-win. We'll do our best to assist you, but please understand that the intention of this forum is primarily to guide end-users with operational questions. We will do what we can, but expect that there may be support charges (handled privately with the provider) for anything beyond that. Stay tuned for a reply from someone well-versed with TIE/Nitsuko products. I'm sure someone will be along soon to give you more specific advice.

The 384i can be a bit of a bear to work on, but if you have questions or issues and can navigate through the phone programming, we should be able to help you out.