atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information LEC jargon????

Ok, we have PRI that is hard recycling. AT&T is telling me the problem is with a piece of CO equipment called a "switch mod". Since top management is demanding to know why we are having issues I am trying to explain to them that it's the LEC and that I have minimal control of the ETTR. Can someone out there with CO experience explain to me what this piece of equipment is and does? It seems to be killing the line power to the circuit every 10-20 minutes and the tester can't define the equipment in terms I can pass along (just keeps saying it's "office equipment").

I always have a problem with people who always have to know "why". It's like a little kid, whatever you tell them they will always come back with "why".

Repeat after me: "I have no idea, I work for you not the phone company. I can only tell you what they tell me".

-Hal

LOL! Hal, I only wish I could get away with that response, but with a daughter in college, a son who will need a car in a few months and another daughter who needs braces, I can't afford to be that independent. But don't think I haven't said it under my breath, along with a few less than flattering embellishments regarding their intellect and ancestry.

It’s been a few years but I don’t think things have changed that much. A switch mod is a group of equipment cabinets (usually 3 or 4) that house peripheral equipment in a 5ESS switch. If there was a problem with a switch mod itself, most likely there would be a great many customers experiencing some type of trouble. There would be many more people screaming besides your bosses. Most likely your PRI circuit terminates on a circuit pack in a Digital Line Trunk Unit that is a peripheral within a switch mod. I would expect that to be a problem rather than the switch mod. There are either 24 or 48 similar circuits on this circuit. In order to change this pack you have to drop the other 23 or 47 circuits as the case may be. If the tester feels that the problem is in a switch mod, he should ask for the pack to be changed in “safe time” or he should ask to have your circuit reassigned to another location.

There are number of other types of “office equipment” besides a switch mod. There could be some sort of digital cross connection equipment. There could be some type of multiplexer. The 5ESS and some of the various types of other “office equipment” have self-diagnostic and trouble logging capabilities. Your tester may have to involve switch maintenance or transport maintenance technicians in order to isolate the failing piece of equipment.

I know what you are saying. Sometimes you have to just grin and bear it.

-Hal

bf6b5yr,
Perhaps I should have mentioned that the tester told me 18-20 other circuits serving other customers are also down.

But in any case, your explanation is sufficient to satisfy the execs. So I am now off the hook until AT&T gets the equipment replaced.

So Hats Off to You! Another save by the knowledge kings of this board.

Well, as a Crusty old Phone man with over 40 Years of service, I have to side with Hal's stance.

I would have just told the client, "Here's my contact at the SERVICE PROVIDER YOU ARE PAYING, TALK TO HIM!"

Of course, that would have been after I assure them that the problem is not with their Local Equipment, and perhaps given them a brief bit of training on what is going on in the REAL WORLD OF TELEPHONY (In order that they know there's more to this than their equipment) - AND, More Importantly made sure they were aware of just what the ETA (Time Line) of the Provider's taking care of this would be, as well.

But, as Hal said, that isn't always easy to do.

Once the CO guy said what he said, you would have done well to play "anticipate the question" and realize the client was going to nail you to the wall about WHY and WHEN.

If you could have said WHEN, you may have prevented the WHY.

I don't know how much experience you have, but as I said, after 40 Years, you kinda' figure out what the customer is going to ask you once you tell them "it's broke".

I would provide the info that bf6b5yr supplied if you have someone that really wants details.

Good Luck....