A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Ask Mr. Gremelin My Digital Phone

I get digital phone service from our cable company. Yesterday we had a pretty significant electrical storm but didn't lose power. I did, however, get this really high-pitched SHRILL tone over my phone line that wouldn't go away no matter what I did! I could make and receive calls, but could barely hear the other person from that tone being so loud and so high.

Today I called Time Warner's tech support and the fellow checked to make sure all my setting were correct and things were running at the right speed. Then he instructed me to unplug the modem for the phone and unplug the power supply and leave them disconnected for 5 minutes. He said if that didn't cure the high tone, to call back.

Well, I unplugged everything as he said, starting with the modem which he told me to do first, waited the 5 minutes and plugged it all back in. And great! That awful noise was gone!

Does anyone know WHY simply unplugging everything and giving it 5 minutes worked?


Merme

i'm not exactly sure merme, but i do know that there is something called residual power (which is why the radio continues after it is unplugged) that has to dissipate. many electronics have this, and it wreaks havoc with them when there is a blip in the system.

5 minutes is a bit longer than the normal time frame, but not out of bounds. usually it is 20 seconds to 2 minutes. that is one way to reset printers and such also.

if your modem had a blip causing the static (scream?) then if you didn't leave it without power long enough, it might not go away all the way because the residual power would keep it alive.

other than resetting it I don't know,, I have time warner too and wish I didn't get it,,,,,,, I had that high pitch every once in a while but mostly a clicking sound,, I thought was my phone them selves because they were old,, until I went and bought new phones,, But time warner told me they are still putting lines in and it will interrupt service occasionally, or create "noise" on the line and slow the puter down by weakening the wireless signal until our area is done, But I have both phone and wireless internet with them so when one goes bad they both do,, I even take out the battery from the router and take off the cable from the back and still i unplug everything ,, wait 1 minute and hook it all back up again,, then place the back up battery in,, usually that works until the next time, I think it really does have something to do with Hmmmmmm how can I put it,, like we hit refresh on your computer it refreshes the line, sort to speak ,, Uhhhhhhhh I think,, I answered as best I knew for that,, by them explaining it to me

Well, devices like that, just like your computer, have RAM, and by disconnecting the device for X amount of time you're purging the data from it (well, it drops the information).

5 minutes is a little excessive; 10-30 seconds should be more than fine.

You can use the same trick on your cellphone should it have issues; in fact, when calling in for tech support on your phone, it'll often be one of the steps they will have you preform (and yes, I did do tech support for a cellphone company)

Time Warner and I are not on good terms anymore. Yesterday I asked to speak with a supervisor and then asked to speak to her supervisor, which she would not let me do. I told her if I had another choice I would not be talking to her I would be on the phone changing service. Time Warner has the worst customer service ever.

INTERESTING! Thanks, everyone!

I didn't know my phone modem had RAM. I do not even know what RAM is! Something to do with memory?

Diane ~ I didn't want to go with Time Warner because it is such a monolith but it was the only company which could provide reliable service to my apartment complex! Over the cable lines rather than the phone lines. You see, ALL the phone lines in our state were owned by Verizon and the deal was that they were obligated to maintain ALL the lines even if the users weren't Verizon customers. Well, they balked at that part of their contract and lost in all the court disputes in Augusta and finally just recently sold to Fair Point Communications. But for the years that mess was going on, NONE of the tenants in our complex had EVER been a Verizon customer so they refused to maintain our lines. When I had phone/internet through a local cable company I dearly loved, I only had service 50% of the time and there wasn't anything they could do about it except continue to fight Verizon to fix the lines. So, I reluctantly switched to TWC and got a great great deal (BIG savings) on phone/internet/cable and have been very happy with the service.

Still, I wish this reliable and affordable service was through another company, just because!

Jiffy ~ residual power, huh? Well, I might have some of that myself, come to think about it! There are times I get in bed at night and my head won't shut off! My body might be going to sleep but my mind is still racing like all get out!


No wonder the poor little phone was so unhappy -- a messed up RAM, residual power troubles unable to sleep, and needing to be refreshed like a forum page!


Merme

merme, i have that mind racing thing too.

RAM stands for Random Access Memory, so yes, it does have "something" to do with memory ;)...

BTW, I use Vonage for my phone service; if anyone would be interested in "online telephone service" (such as that from your cable internet provider) I could email you a referral url

Ah James! You are so good! I figured out RAM had "something" to do with memory because in your original post you mentioned "purging the data". If it purges, it must also store, and that's gotta be something with memory! Thanks for explaining further!

Are you happy with your Vonage?


Merme *The non-Tech-head who looked at James's wish list and was fascinated by the gizmos and gadgets galore that he knows all about*

Been a customer since 2004 lol... With the same voice adapter at that (Linksys RT31P2) lol...


Its not that bad, is it?

James ~ how does a service such as Vonage work? And what is a "voice adapter"?


Merme

Well, Vonage (or phone service from comcast as well as any voip provider) basically transfers the phone service online... it'll work (to you) just as a landline phone would only transmitting your phone call from your isp's network (to the provider's central hub then to your caller from there) vs over your phone companies network which is already wired into your home through all of those little adapters currently in your wall).

If you order service to come out and install for you at an online phone service, some will actually plug your phone adapter into your phone system in your home, and disconnect the system from your landline company; but I think they can only do this on houses built after 2001 (I read the geek squad manual on installing internet telephony lol)

I know when the power goes out here, I have to unplug the modem and replug top get the internet going again