Troubleshooting Guide
Telephone
No dial tone?
Dial tone is a constant ringing?
Dial tone, but the phone doesn't ring when someone calls?
Get a fast-busy signal when you try to dial a long distance number?
Hear a lot of crackling on the line when talking to someone?
The phone’s display is blank or too faint to be read?
Data (Ethernet)
No network access?
Have very sluggish network access
Have local network access, but don’t seem to be able to get out to the internet?
If you were unable to fix the problem on your own please submit a repair request and someone will be in contact with you.
No dial tone?
1) Check to see that the cord is properly plugged in
at the wall as well as the base unit. If you’ve recently moved
your phone, be sure you’re plugged into the proper wall outlet.
2) Make sure the handset cord is securely plugged into the handset as
well as the base unit.
3) If this line is an extension, check to see if the line is in use
at the other location. Normally you will not be able to hear the other
extension from your phone.
4) If the phone still does not work, use another phone to report the
problem to the ITS Phone Desk (5-3663) or report a “COMMTRBL”
via the web.
Dial tone is a constant ringing?
1) Try keying in the following sequence of keys on the
phone – “#*112”, listen for the confirmation tone
(2 short beeps) then hang up the phone. If this works, the phone will
ring. Answer it, and hang up. Your phone should be back in service.
2) If the phone still does not work, use another phone to report the
problem to the IT Phone Desk (5-3663) or report a “COMMTRBL”
via the web.
Dial tone, but the phone doesn’t ring when someone calls? Please try the following before reporting a problem.
1) The ringer on the phone may be set too low. Check
the left side of the phone for the volume control, and rotate the control
to its middle position.
2) There is a possibility the ‘Do Not Disturb’ option has
been set. If the ‘Do Not Disturb’ indicator light is on
or the display reads ‘Do Not Disturb’, lift the handset,
press the ‘Do Not Disturb’ button and listen for the confirmation
tone (2 short beeps), then hang up your phone. If your phone does not
have a ‘Do Not Disturb’ button on it, lift the handset and
key in the ‘#’ sign followed by a ‘6’, listen
for the confirmation tone, and hang up.
3) There is a possibility that call forwarding is in effect. If the
‘Forward’ indicator light is on or the display reads ‘Forward’,
lift the handset, press the ‘Forward’ button, listen for
the confirmation tone, and hang up. If your phone does not have a ‘Forward’
button, lift the handset and key in the ‘#’ sign followed
by a ‘3’, listen for the confirmation tone, and hang up.
4) If you are still having difficulties with the phone, please report
the problem to the ITS Phone Desk (5-3663) or report a “COMMTRBL”
via the web.
Get a fast-busy signal when you try to dial a long distance number? Check to see if any of the following may apply.
1) To dial long-distance, you must first dial a ‘9’
to get ‘off campus’ before proceeding to dial the number.
2) The phone you’re attempting to use may be restricted from dialing
long-distance without the use of an authorization code for billing purposes.
Check with your department about these restrictions and to arrange for
use of an authorization code.
3) Certain long-distance numbers have been ‘blocked’ from
being called to help protect the resources of the University. If you’re
having problems dialing a particular long-distance number, contact
the ITS Phone Desk (5-3663) or report a “COMMTRBL” via
the web.
Hear a lot of crackling on the line when talking to someone? Check out the following.
1) The crackling may be due to faulty equipment with
whomever you are calling. Before you call in a problem, see if the difficulty
persists when you call other locations. If not, you may want to tell
the original caller of the problem so they can have their end checked
out.
2) Although this is occasionally due to a problem with wiring within
the premise, most of the time this is due to a bad handset or line cord
on the phone. The wires in the cords can short if twisting or fraying
damages them. Try replacing either/both cords if you see apparent abuse.
3) If you are still having difficulties with the phone, please report
the problem to the ITS Phone Desk (5-3663) or report a “COMMTRBL”
via the web.
The phone’s display is blank or too faint to be read? Try the following:
1) If you look the phone over carefully, you will find
a dial used to control the contrast on the phone’s display. Try
rotating that dial to see if it was just accidentally turned down too
low.
2) Check the phone for dial tone to ensure it’s plugged into a
working port.
3) If you are still having difficulties with the phone, please report
the problem to the ITS Phone Desk (5-3663) or report a “COMMTRBL”
via the web.
No network access?
Typically this problem results from a bad ethernet cable,
a problem with the setup of the machine, or a problem with the jack being
used not being activated. Please check the following before reporting
a problem.
1) Check to see that you are using the correct cable,
and that it is properly plugged in at the wall as well as the ethernet
port on your computer. You must be using an ethernet cable (preferably
a CAT-5 cable) between the jack and your computer. Phone cables will
not work.
2) If you’ve recently moved your computer, be sure you’re
plugged into a wall outlet that you know is activated for ethernet.
3) Make sure your computer is correctly configured with the proper drivers
for your computer configuration, and properly configured for an IP address.
4) If the computer still has a problem obtaining network access, report
the problem to the ITS Phone Desk (5-3663) or report a “COMMTRBL”
via the web.
Have very sluggish network access?
Typically this is the result of damaged communications cables, or a mismatch between the speed and duplex settings on your ethernet card, verses the same settings on the electronics supporting your ethernet connection. (This is particularly true for new computers, which come configured to ‘auto-negotiate’ communications settings.) Try the following:
1) Inspect your ethernet cable, and replace it if you
notice it is damaged or showing signs of excessive wear.
2) Rather than let the computer auto-negotiate communication settings,
set the parameters to 10mb and half duplex. (If you know your location
is upgraded to supply 100mb communications speeds, go ahead and set
the card to match.)
3) If you have a ‘mini-hub’ set up between the wall jack
and your computer, the problem may exist with the hub itself. Try plugging
your computer directly into the wall jack to see if the problem persists.
If not, dump the hub!
4) If the computer still has a problem obtaining network access, report
the problem to the ITS Phone Desk (5-3663) or report a “COMMTRBL”
via the web.
Have local network access, but don’t seem to
be able to get out to the internet?
Check the following:
1) Typically this is an indication that there is a problem with the
service outside of the domain and control of WSU, as our carrier’s
services experience problems also. Check this site’s network
status page to see if all services are operating correctly.
2) On rare occasions, there is a possibility that your computer has
been hacked, detected or identified as being disruptive to the network
or in violation of network policies. Call in to the ITS Phone Desk
(5-3663) to see if there is a known problem identified for your
system.
3) If you are still having difficulties please report the problem
to the ITS Phone Desk (5-3663) or report a “COMMTRBL” via
the web.