Your business is in peril; there's a phone line down! How are you supposed to get anything done now? You don't even know what the problem is. Getting a professional into your business and having them go over your phone system can take hours; that's hours of lost profits.

First, we'd like to correct the notion that professional help is always a hassle. For example, Central Telephone can often do maintenance work remotely on our cloud-based phone systems, and we pride ourselves on our efficient and intelligent on-site maintenance procedures. However, we do understand that time is of the essence when it comes to small business phone system repairs. 

It should be mentioned that most technical issues can be corrected without calling in a repair person or using tools on your equipment. For the convenience of phone system users everywhere, we've compiled a quick list of troubleshooting tips below that can fix a few common phone problems. 

Have You Tried Unplugging it and Plugging it Back in?

No, we don't mean to sound preachy, and no, we don't mean the entire system! When it comes to small business phone systems, the right wiring solutions can sometimes be simple resets, reboots, or an easy change of cords. 

In the right circumstances, this can fix such terrifying problems as: 

Not Being Able to Hear or Speak Out of Your Phone

This could be due to the wire degrading in the individual phone set. This issue can easily be addressed without having to call a repair service. Consider changing out the parts that can be unplugged or simply unplugging them and plugging them back in. If this is a continuous problem, consider purchasing a cordless headset or phone or getting a longer cord.

Noisy or Dead Phone Lines

Is it impossible to hear over the static or hissing from your phone? An issue at the source of your phone network could be to blame. Most phones utilize a demarcation point, which is essentially the network interface. These demarcation points are labeled to indicate the phone numbers and have a cord that leads to your phone's gear. 

Locate your network's demarcation point - where your private phone network turns into the public one (the line managed by your telecommunications company). Locate the marked line of the phone set having problems and unplug it, then plug in an analog phone for testing. 

If the line on the analog phone is no longer dead or noisy, the problem is on your end; if it remains dead or noisy, it's the phone provider's problem.

Phone Seems Completely Inoperable

If your phone does not offer voice, ring, display, or lights, it may seem completely inoperable. However, the answer to this problem might be a simple five-dollar solution. All one might do is replace the cord between the jack and the wall. 

If this doesn't work, try swapping the broken phone for a working one. If the "bad" phone suddenly becomes a good phone, the problem might exist in the phone's programming. If this seems to be the case, the phone may need to be replaced or fixed by a professional.

Common Troubleshooting Tips for IP Phones

IP phones are an important resource for businesses when carrying out daily tasks. However, IP phones can still have issues (like any other commonly used electronic device) when accomplishing a job. 

With this being said, we're going to cover some common issues regarding IP phones and how to solve the problems without contacting technical support.

How IP Phones Work

IP phones work via an internet connection. If your computers are having trouble connecting to the internet, it's more than likely that your IP phones are also having issues. However, it should be mentioned that internet issues only make up a small portion of common problems associated with IP phones.

Common IP Phone Problems

Common IP phone problems can often range from the simple to the complex. Such common issues are:

  • There's no dial tone on the IP phone network.

  • The IP phone network cannot receive or make calls from their systems.

  • The IP network has a distorted reception on calls.

  • The IP network is suffering from jittering or voice delays on calls.

  • The IP network suffers from one-way calls (whereas only one party can hear another individual).

  • The IP network is suffering from call dropouts.

IP Phone Troubleshooting Tips

Although diagnosing an IP phone network problem can sometimes be difficult, a few precautions can be followed. 

Make Sure the Phones are Provisioned

Doing so can help you check if the networked IP phones are active.

Ensure the Devices have an Active Internet Connection

Check the cables and outlets. If that doesn't work, try isolating the internet source to seek a solution.

Perform a Network Test

Test to ensure your internet connection works properly and fast enough to handle your activity. Bandwidth is a priority when operating large-scale operations.

Configure Router Settings

Ensure that your router settings enable port triggering and Inbound/Outbound metrics are open.

Considering the information above, it's pretty easy to troubleshoot your IP phone network alone - without having a technical professional come in and tear apart the building. When considering technical situations, the minor technical upkeep associated with IP phones should pose no problem in the future.

Need Business Phone Installation or Repairs? Central Telephone of Plymouth is Here to Help

These are just a few simple troubleshooting steps, but if you still can't figure out what's wrong with your phone system, it's always better to call us. Since 1979, we have supported the Twin Cities with expert telecommunications services and are ready to optimize your business phone or internet systems

Messing around can quickly make the problem worse! Call us today at 763-550-2000.