[Asterisk-Users] Analog FXO Woes Continue

[Jim Van Meggelen]

asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com wrote:
> I've been struggling with a test * install for a couple
> months now in a small office and am just about ready to give
> up on it.  It's not that the system itself is a problem.
> I've got everything (attendant, voicemail, FXS extensions,
> Cisco and Polycom hard-IP phones, and 2 VOIP carriers)
> working except for the frigging analog FXO interfaces.  These
> things are driving me completely mad.  Since this is
> obvioiusly a deal breaker, I'm looking for any more
> suggestions on how I might fet these things working.
> 
> The hitch is pretty clearly the quality of the lines I have
> from BellSouth but I can't get thim to identify anything
> wrong.  I have tried a Digium 1-port FXO card (can't remember
> part number and it's no longer on  their site, hmmm...) as
> well as a Sipura SPA3000.  With both of these interfaces, I'm
> getting consistent mis-dials on outbound calls, broken
> inbound fax-detection, broken DTMF detection in the attendant menus.
> Hours of adjustments to the gains on the Digium card only
> added echo and failed to reduce the offurenc of the other
> issues.  These same two interfaces worked fine on a line at
> my office so I'm pretty sure the issue is with the lines at
> the test site.
> 
> So, what are my options here for interfacing with these
> lines?  Would the channel-bank route affect this?

You should probably scope the lines with a circuit tester. Used Wilcom
T136 units can be had on eBay for about 20 bucks. They'll allow you to
check the noise and loss on the circuit. When you report it you don't
have to describe a problem, but simply state that the circuit is out of
spec. No guarantee that this is your problem, but from the symptoms you
describe you are definitely on the right track.

Good luck.

Jim.