Call us: 1.209.296.7502 | 1.888.886.5226 Volcano411.com

Phone Problems

Home Phone Problems

Information on reporting telephone repair issues and avoiding damaging phone lines.

My phone is not working. What do I do?

Telephone Troubleshooting 101

If you discover a problem with your telephone service:

Check all of the telephones in your house to assure that all telephones are hung up. If they are all on the hook and you still have a problem;
Unplug all electronic devices (from the jack on the wall) that are connected to your telephone line. This will include a cordless telephone base unit, answering machine, fax machine, DSL modem, dial up modem, home security system, satellite TV converter, LifeAlert device, propane monitoring system, phones that are in an out- building or garage on your property, large bell or other outside signaling device, or anything else that may be connected to your telephone line.
After all of these devices are disconnected from the jacks, plug a regular telephone (we’ll call this a “power failure phone” since it’s the type you use when the power goes out) back into any jack inside the house.
- If the problem has cleared, then you know the trouble was in one of the devices you just disconnected. To see which device it was, plug one device in at a time, wait 30 seconds, and test by listening to the power failure phone (the one you originally plugged in to test with). Continue testing each device one at a time until the problem returns. At that point you have found the defective device.
- If the problem still exists, try a different power failure phone in a jack.
- If the problem still exists using the second power failure phone, take your power failure phone out to your Standard Network Interface box (SNI) which is normally attached to the outside of your house. In some cases you may find that your SNI is attached to your garage, to a 4X4 post, or may be in a common location if you live in an apartment or housing complex.
With a phillips or slotted screwdriver, open the cover labeled “customer access”. Inside you will find a test plug that looks like the plug that is in the jacks in your house. Unplug the cord that is connected to that plug. With your phone hung up, plug your power failure phone into that plug. Wait 10 seconds, then pick up your receiver and test the phone. If the problem has cleared, then the problem is in the house wiring.
- Provided you pay a $2.00 monthly maintenance fee for your house wire, dial 611 from your SNI and let us know that your telephone has a problem inside, but is working at the SNI. We will confirm your wire maintenance agreement and make an appointment to come to your house to repair your lines.
- If you don’t have a wire maintenance agreement with us, you are responsible for repairing your own wire. Here you have 3 options:
  - You can repair the wire yourself; or
  - You can hire someone else to fix your wire; or
  - You can contract with Volcano Telephone to fix your wire on a time and materials basis. Just dial the 611 number from your SNI and we will be happy to set up an appointment with you.
- Either way you decide to fix the wiring, you can still have telephone service until the wiring is repaired by keeping your power failure phone plugged into your SNI and running the phone cord into the house through a window that is near the SNI.
If the problem still exists at the SNI, then Volcano Telephone is responsible to repair our lines. Find a working phone line and call us at 1.209.296.7501, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In most cases you will not be required to be at home for us to come out to repair the line. The exceptions to that rule would be:
- If you have a locked gate accessing your property; or
- If you have dogs that run free or are restrained near the SNI.

Our goal is to give you the best telephone service possible and we will strive to accomplish that goal.

What is the repair phone number?

If you have gone through the telephone troubleshooting steps and would like to report a problem to Volcano, please call the repair line 611 or 1.209.296.7501.

What are Volcano's inside wire policies?

Inside Wire (IW) definition:
Inside wire is that portion of the telephone wire that connects the telephone jack at the customers premises to the telephone companys equipment at a demarcation point determined by the telephone company in accordance with the orders of the Public Utilities Commission. In virtually every case, Volcano Telephone Company (Volcano) uses a lockable Standard Network Interface (SNI) as its demarcation point.

Residential landlord’s legal responsibilities:
IW is considered the property of the building owner. You should be aware that, under state law, residential landlords and not tenants are responsible for repairs and maintenance of residential inside telephone wire.

If the building owner is a residential landlord (lessor), the building owner is responsible for installing at least one usable telephone jack per rental unit. The landlord is also responsible for placing and maintaining the inside wiring in good working order, for ensuring that the inside wiring meets the applicable standards of the most recent National Electrical Code as adopted by the Electronic Industry Association, and for making any required repairs.

Responsibilities of the telephone company:
Volcano will always be available to install or repair IW.
Volcano will work with the customer to determine whether a malfunction in a telephone line is located in the customer’s IW or in the telephone company’s network.

Volcano will inform the customer of their options once it is determined that the customer’s IW is at fault.

Responsibilities of the customer:
The customer is responsible for reporting malfunctions of the telephone line to the telephone company.

The customer is requested to perform a simple isolation test of the IW at the SNI.

Trouble isolation procedures:
The customer reports to Volcano that his/her telephone line is malfunctioning.

Volcano advises the customer to unplug the IW at the SNI and plug a phone known to be in working order into the SNI.
If the phone does not work at the SNI, the trouble is assumed to be in the telephone company’s network, and Volcano will arrange for repair as soon as practicable.
If the phone works at the SNI, the trouble is in the IW. The customer has four options.

The customer can leave the IW unrepaired. In this case, the IW must remain unplugged from the SNI.
The customer can perform the IW repair.
The customer can arrange for any vendor to repair the IW; or
The customer can arrange for Volcano to repair the IW in accordance with the IW offerings described below.

The customer is also advised that if they decline to perform the test at the SNI, Volcano will perform the test. If the trouble turns out to be in the customer’s IW, however, the customer will be charged a $30.00 visit charge.

If the customer is a tenant (lessee) and the trouble is in the IW, the customer is advised that, under California law, the landlord (lessor) is responsible for installation and maintenance of one usable jack and its associated inside wire.

Volcano offers IW repair on a time-and-materials basis at the following rates:
During business hours:
$35.00 for the first 1/4 hour or fraction thereof, which includes travel time, $15.00 for each additional 1/4 hour or fraction thereof, plus materials at prevailing retail rates.

After regular business hours and Saturdays:
$40.00 for the first 1/4 hour or fraction thereof, which includes travel time, $15.00 for each additional 1/4 hour or fraction thereof, plus materials at prevailing retail rates.

Sundays and Holidays:
$45.00 for the first 1/4 hour or fraction thereof, which includes travel time, $15.00 for each additional 1/4 hour or fraction thereof, plus materials at prevailing retail rates.

Volcano also offers a $2.00 per month IW maintenance plan.
If you subscribe to the IW Maintenance Plan, in most cases jack and wiring repairs may be at no charge. The repair plan is optional and not required for basic monthly service. The inside wire maintenance plan costs $2.00 a month for each line.

Other vendors also offer IW services in Volcano’s service area. Please consult the classified ads in your local newspaper.

Four Hour Service Appointment Notice
Whenever a contract is entered into between Volcano Telephone and a customer for service or repair, and the parties have agreed that the presence of the consumer is required at the time of service or repair, Volcano Telephone shall specify, prior to the date of service or repair, a four hour period within which the service shall be commenced.

Where can I find information on digging safely?

Call Before You Dig! Call 811

Homeowners and Contractors can help stop DANGEROUS and COSTLY underground facility damage by simply calling 811 TWO WORKING DAYS Before you do any of the following:

Planting Trees
Drilling
Scraping
Digging Post Holes
Ditching
Plowing Cable or Pipe
Trenching
Auguring
Driving
Grading
Tunneling
Blasting

Planning a home improvement job? Planting a tree? Installing a fence or deck? WAIT! Here’s what you need to know first: Whether you are planning to do it yourself or hire a professional, smart digging means calling 811 before each job. Homeowners often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked, but every digging job requires a call – even small projects like planting trees and shrubs. The depth of utility lines varies and there may be multiple utility lines in a common area. Digging without calling can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm you and those around you and potentially result in fines and repair costs. Calling 811 before every digging job gets your underground utility lines marked for free and helps prevent undesired consequences.

When you call, you will be asked to supply information pertaining to your proposed digging. Each member organization which has buried facilities in that location, depending on their location policy, will provide information about, or locate and identify the location of its facility.

“Whatever You Do, Do It Safe…But Call Before You Dig.”