Can't get dial tone in maintenance mode

[Munzzzzzzz]

We recently discovered that the POTS lines set up for 911 calling had been disabled some time in the past. It appears that they were also powerfail lines, and it looks like all of the powerfail lines were disconnected intentionally.

We just got the two POTS lines that were for the 911 calls set back up again. The AT&T tech was able to get a dialtone and make a call out using the line. When I put the powerfail unit into "bypass mode", I can use the phone connected to the line to place a call. That tells me the line is working.

I tried logging in from a set using maintenance mode. When I do a "trunk select", I can hear the relays clicking as it tries to select that trunk, but there is a few seconds of "dead air", then it gives me a TRK017 message. I never get a dial-tone. I tried ground-starting the line when the PBX is trying to use the trunk, and am able to get a dialtone, but when I enter the number to call I get nothing - no ringing or anything.

The new POTS lines were set up with the numbers on TN's that previously had the same numbers on them, but these are new lines. Is there something that would have to be changed programming-wise to make them work? When I do a PRT of the TN, it does show "SIGL GND" which I am told is telling it to use ground-start. What else could be wrong? We do have a maintenance contract, but I would like to get this resolved without having to wait for another AT&T tech to come out.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[MikeRizz]

Are you certain the PFTU is wired correctly? I would wire the trunk directly to the TN, and then try and access it via the maintenance set. If it works, then you know the PFTU is not wired properly.

 

[phonz1]

I agree with Rizz, it sounds like a definite wiring issue to me, or a defective PFTU!

 

[hawks]

Have you checked the lines at the Dmark to see if they are Loop or Ground Start?

 

[Munzzzzzzz]

No, I haven't. I was thinking maybe the old ones were loop start and the new ones were ground start. How would I be able to tell that?

 

[Munzzzzzzz]

What I meant to say was, I was thinking maybe the old ones were ground start and the new ones are loop start.

 

[Munzzzzzzz]

In talking with AT&T, they are telling me that unless I requested it as a ground start (which I didn't), they would have set it up as a loop start, and that is probably my problem. I put in a change order to get that fixed, hopefully that will take care of it.

 

[Avaya911PLM]

As a side note, although POTS were always considered reliable E911 lines in the past, the view on that has changed.

Using a PRI for 911 allows you to:

1.) Have dedicated channels for 911 if you choose
2.) Overflow to any other trunk or trunk type
3.) Send station appropriate CLID to the PSAP instead of the 'front door address'
4.) System monitoring - If the trunk goes down, you get an error message indication.
5.) Calls will rarely go "high and dry" on a PRI. (I said rarely)

Good thing no one needed to dial 911 while the lines were out of service! Or did they and get dead air?


--
Fletch

Nortel Emergency Services PLM

http://nortel.com/e911

Check out this month's E911 Talk podcast at Nortel E911 Talk Podcast

 

[hawks]

It should work after they change to ground start, or you could change your signaling on the TN to Loop start. But I'm not sure what if anything to change on the PFTU to tell it GRD or Loop so maybe it's just better to wait on them to change it.