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mocycler
Premium
join:2001-01-22
Naperville, IL
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·AT&T Midwest
| reply to susangg6
Re: Install pro Q: Mis-stenciling of blocks?
This is an easy one.
(I am an RBOC central office tek)
The terminals on the "frame" where your service leaves the central office are mismarked, so the technician doesn't know what facilities to use to make your service work. It is also possible that they are "double-assigned", ie, everything is marked correctly but the equipment specified in your order is already being used by someone else.
I had one of these the other day. The order stated to put the customer on CFA 4, pair 96. One problem: CFA 4 was numbered from 100-200. There was no 96. Either the block was labeled wrong, or the order was written incorrectly. In either case, I had no choice but to send the order back.
As far as whose "fault" it is, you can blame Rhythms...they are responsible for properly documenting their equipment. The only way to fix it is for Rythms to send someone to the CO and remark the terminal block. Only they would know how long it will take.
The central office technician put your order in "jeopardy" with remarks as to why your service could not be connected. Usually, the orders are corrected and sent back to the CO the same day and the customer never knows the difference. But if they have to actually send someone to the CO, it could take longer.
I find it hard to believe there is some "conspiracy" on the part of Pac Bell. The average central office has hundreds, if not thousands of CFA's. Quite honestly, nearly every DSL order has small errors on it and if we really wanted to "stick it" to the competition we could find some petty excuse to reject them without fussing over CFA labels. If anything, we work a lot of orders that should be rightfully tossed into jeopardy because it's easier to work around minor problems than it is to send it back for correction and have to eventually install the circuit anyway. We reject very few orders...only if there is no way we can make the service work with the information provided.
Anyway, I'm sorry my answer is so long, but I hope it helps explain things.
peace,
mocycler
--
Character is what you are when no one is watching. | |
susangg6
join:2001-03-28
Fremont, CA
| Thanks for the helpful explanation. Hopefully, they will figure out what the problem is without undue delay.
As to why they didn't just fix it then and there, I don't know. Megapath called today to tell me that there will be a meeting at the telco tomorrow to look at the box and see if they can fix the nonfunctioning "cards" without "re-wiring the DSLAM". I hope that the decision is to do whatever it takes as quickly as possible (and if it isn't I will bug them until they do!)
Please understand that my frequent digs at PacBell are NOT aimed at the rank and file employees...the people who actually do the day to day work that keeps the network running -- they are aimed at the "suits" -- the corporate execs who make policy.
I know that the people on the front lines are doing their best, and when they are not doing their best, its because they have been ordered NOT to. I have spoken to installers on several occasions, and they have told me how they are prevented from getting people hooked up in the easiest possible way because the easiest possible way may not bring in additional revenue.
The problem is a political problem: Monopolies run their businesses in a way strictly designed to bring in the most profit and damn the customers (AND the employees!). The overwhelming majority of line workers want to do their best for the customer and take pride in their work.
Its the people in the executive offices who are responsible for the problems, not the workers. | |
GarageJoe
U2 Rocks
join:2001-03-21
Scottsdale, AZ
| reply to mocycler
Very nice information mocycler, its rare i find to actually have people in here that are actually technicians in the communications business and not just the average joe that has "read up on it" There is a big difference between reading it and understanding it. I run in to many that i have to explain better the practicality of what they are saying and how it relates to them in the every day world. I was an OSP Tech and a CO tech when i worked for Qwest and I must say I am glad that there is someone else out there with RBOC experience and that doesnt sounds as cocky as most on here do that do the work. You work for the ILEC not GOD, remember that (directed to cocky ILEC employees that feel they are above everyone else).
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Matthew
Ex-Northpoint, Qwest, Covad OSP Network Technician | |
carrieg2
join:2001-01-08
Cherry Hill, NJ
| said by GarageJoe:
There is a big difference between reading it and understanding it
Absolutely. I "read up" on DSL quite a bit, however, I am just now really understanding certain things (getting different stories from the ISPs and the LECs doesn't help either  ) and I certainly don't know the very technical side of things. That's why I really like DSLR and the people who are willing to share their knowledge  I just wish I knew more. Guess I'll keep asking questions 
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Is xDSL becoming a four-letter word? | |
GarageJoe
U2 Rocks
join:2001-03-21
Scottsdale, AZ
| Maybe I should just build a house next to the CO
I guess that question never gets old. I must admit I would look at people with a dumbfounded look on my face, because I couldnt actually believe they were asking me if I could do anything to make there circuit shorter. I was like what do you want me to do, build you a house next to the CO? They usually were like no but cant you do anything else? Like what? LOL Your line is the length it is because that is the distance between pts A and B. WOW, anyway back to your statement, if you did build a house next to the CO you would be the envy of many i would expect. I know of some land that you can build on if you want.
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Matthew
Ex-Northpoint, Qwest, Covad OSP Network Technician | |
susangg6
join:2001-03-28
Fremont, CA
| Joe, I hesitate to disagree with you because you are a pro and I am not....but I am not certain that its as simple as you say. The reason I say that is because my current ex-Northpoint and now Rhythms (albeit not yet functioning) circuit HAD to be no more than 18,000 ft from the telco, or else I would not have had 416/416 SDSL service for over a year. Yet...when Megapath tried to provision me via Covad, they were told that I was not eligible for DSL because the line was over 22,000 ft. What it turned to be was this: PacBell REFUSED to use the existing circuit and insisted on setting up a "new line" that was at least 4000 ft longer than the existing one. They CHOSE to do that. They CHOSE not to either use the existing line or run a new one along that shorter route.
Of course, at that point, Megapath pulled the Covad order and set me up with Rhythms. When PacBell again refused, Megapath told them that you MUST use the Northpoint circuit because its the only one available for this customer that will get her the service she wants and PacBell backed down and said OK (why is why I say having a strong customer-oriented ISP DOES make a difference).
Now: If the EXISTING circuit got from point A to B in 18,000 ft (or less) I have trouble believing that when they tell you what your distance "is" it necessarily "is" what they say it "is" (sorry if I appear a bit Clintonian, but sometimes what "is" is really is NOT quite so cut and dried.) | |
mocycler
Premium
join:2001-01-22
Naperville, IL
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T Midwest
|  Oh, susangg...I'll bet my union dues you are a victim of the dreaded "bridge tap"!!!
Here is my theory as to what happen to you and why you are magically 4000 feet farther away from the dial tone factory than you were just a while ago:
You had SDSL. That means your DSL was not a "line share". It was on a pair all by itself. Northpoint takes a dump and you get disconnected.
The phone company spent a lot of dough for the cable that used to be your SDSL. They don't get no income if it just sits around. So, it was reassigned it to another customer, probably within a day or so after you got disconnected.
You come along and place an order for ADSL, which runs off your phone line. The problem is that your phone line is on a bridge tap, whereas your old SDSL was not.
Now, I know you're thinking: "mocycler's explanation would make a whole lot more sense if I knew what a bridge tap was." Gotcha. Here you go:
Say you live next door to the CO (like GarageJoe said). They run a cable 20 feet from the CO to your house, but instead of stopping at your house, they keep running the cable 21,980 feet down the road and leave the ends hanging in a box somewhere. Guess what? THAT'S a bridge tap. If you disconnect, they can give service to a new customer down the road with very little effort. It saves the telco money. Unfortunately, when they qualify you for DSL, they must include the length of the bridge tap. So even though you are 20 feet from the CO, it "counts" as 22,000.
Bridge taps can be removed, but only if your ISP is willing to pay the telco to go out and do it. PacBell didn't "refuse" to use your exsisting circuit...you didn't even have an "exsisting circuit" (it was disconnected and given to someone else, remember?). More likely, Covad "refused" to pay PacBell to get rid of the bridge tap on your home phone line, whereas Rhythms agreed.
My second theory: Your home phone is on pair gain, but I won't go there.
I know all this does not solve your problem, but I hope it helps you see that there is often a logical explanation for what is at face-value a ridiculous situation.
good luck,
mocycler
--
Character is what you are when no one is watching.
[text was edited by author 2001-05-03 21:47:30] | |
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