atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services T1's, CSU's and DSU's Adtran 908E and Comcast

Well, I see that my original Post has been lost to the ether. So, here's a quick recap:

I have a Mitel in a business that had a working ISDN PRI with Verizon. It was set up as E&M Wink, both directions. The owner decided to switch to Comcast. Comcast sent, to me, their requirements so the PBX can communicate with their circuit. Comcast was providing a ISDN PRI from their "Cloud." Here is their technical response to my question: "Does your equipment support E&M signalling?" Their reply: "Comcast’s PRI does not use E&M, wink start/delay start/immediate start. Comcast uses standard ISDN PRI features only."

With a little more prodding, I found out the terminal equipment is an Adtran 908E. Since I hit a brick wall with Comcast, I decided to contact Adtran technical and find out if they, too, had no clue as to what E&M signalling is. Well, to my happy surprise, Adtran was completely familiar with E&M signalling and the tech I spoke with said they would be happy to instruct the Comcast installer on how to program the Adtran to provide E&M signalling to the Mitel. Now, understand, this was the result of about 20 emails and a few phone calls with Comcast denying ANY cooperation regarding their provided PRI and E&M. They kept missing the point that I was not asking them to change their service to accommodate the Mitel, I just wanted the "box" (in this case, the Adtran 908E) to make the physical connection with the Mitel as E&M.

Today was the cut. Here's an amazing bit of information. The Adtran 908E, Indeed, provides E&M Immediate or Wink signalling TO the PBX. Just to be Comcast, the programming ended up with the incoming signalling E&M Wink and the outgoing E&M Immediate. Really.....Their installing tech asked me to provide him with all the notes I gathered during this ordeal. He wanted them for the NEXT install.

As a Comcast "engineer" once told me: "Well, you know, we are NOT a telephone company." Well, that's EXACTLY my point.

Rcaman

RCA - No surprise to me that Adtran could save the day. Their equipment is top notch and backed with the best tech support I have ever experienced. I often have to give instructions to the cable company technicians on how things should work. They simply have no idea of the simple things like hunt groups for incoming calls, disconnect signaling, and many other small details that make or break a good installation.

Adtran has always been great. I took a bunch of their online courses way back when.

A happy ending! OMG!

How rare these days.......


Sam

A Mixed happy ending. Comcast ported 52 numbers to the one PRI. Consolidated had two T-1s installed, previously, and one was strictly POTS. So, now, everything is on the PRI and I have to build a ton of translations to make them work. Please understand that I provided Comcast with a detailed break down of all telephone numbers that went into that business. Some of those lines go to fire panels and burg panels and CAN NOT be over the PRI. Most are fax and modem lines and a few are for backup in case the PRI would go down. Having those lines on the PRI kind of defeats the purpose. Comcast is acting like it's not their fault. So, what else is new?

Rcaman

Well, not your fault. I assume that either the customer did not ask your opinion or went to Comcast anyway. Charge them for the translations and all the work and move on.

Sam

Update:

It took Comcast 21 days to install 5 of their "devices" that provide 4 POTS lines each off their coax. The installer came, hung the boxes and connected the coax and left, telling the maintenance man "It's your telephone vendor's responsibility to connect the lines. It would have been nice to know what lines were in each box, but, I guess that would mean Comcast would have to act like a "telephone crafts person" and they don't do that.

Rcaman

I just shake my head. My Temple is moving to a Comcast site. I've not seen work this bad in years.

Sam

Just ANI them yourself. I wouldn't trust them to get them right even if they did do it.

-Hal

Ready to...temporarily...come out of retirement if things go completely south?

Could you snap some pictures of the phone closet/room and post them? This sounds like a contribution for the Ugly Installation topic.