ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Another design issue in the Code

Is there not already an RJ-11 located at the demark of nearly every resi demark post 1980 anyway. Most TNI's (those grey boxes most phone companies use as a demark) already contain one as a jumper between terminals.

The problem lays with VIOP where the CATV company is providing telephone service through a modem - that may not work during power outages. Some companies here in CA had to provide a UPS to power the modem initially - but I think that's long gone???

As a long time (6 years) and now former cable modem owner I can assure you a UPS on the modem is not going to be much help. After any kind of storm the whole cable service is down for a day or two and the "data" won't be back for a week or more after they get the TV going.
I finally got frustrated and took the slower DSL since when averaged against 12 hours of "zero", .9-1 mbps is faster than the 1.6-1.7 I got from the cable 6.5 days a week. (and totally dead for days after a storm).
Cable would have to actually have to work for a week or more without an outage before I would ever consider dumping my POTS phone for VIOP. So far I have not seen it. I do hit it pretty often since the weather station at my house updates my web page once a minute. I can look at my log and see when it is down. I reported this to Comcast and they just blew it off. Their definition of "down" is you didn't swap ONE packet in 24 hours.
I sat their modem on the front porch in the DSL modem box and told them to come get it.

I hear 'ya there Greg, I hear ya there. If my father didn't work for Es Comcastico, the cable modem in my closet would be a DSL or FIOS modem, whenever Verizon gets their fiber in this section.

My aunt and uncle (one of the head engineers for all Comcast systems in NJ and PA) have CDV, Comcast Digital Voice. They blame our old fashioned "two copper wire" service when their phone doesn't sound good. My dad and I always tell them "Don't fix what ain't broke."

Ian A.

I originally had MediaOne and their "one way" cable moden was blazing fast (3-4 Mbps). It also never seemed to be down. When Comcast took over they gave us the "new improved" 2 way service along with the digital cable box and it was so bad I took both back. After a while they had a salemen tell me the bugs were all fixed and they gave me a special sign up deal to take the modem and digital box back. I ended up giving them the digital cable box back as soon as the introductory rate went away. I lived with the lousy cable modem until they screwed up my billing and locked it out. It took them THREE WEEKS, 6 or 7 service calls and phone calls to the corporate headquarters to get it going. By the time they got it going I had my DSL modem.
When they cut off the analog TV service (in a few months) I am cutting the cable, and dropping it in the right of way. If I need a box for every TV I own I might as well buy satellite.

We finally dropped our landline phone service after we discovered our line had been dead for a week without our even noticing. The lack of telemarketers was nice! If anything, cell phones are more reliable- cell towers at least have generators. And redundancy. And if recent uproar over the nanny state is any indication, can pinpoint your location as well as a billing address!

As for a UPS on the cable modem... works fine when the problem is a downed line or blown transformer in the neighborhood. 9 times out of 10, though, if our power is out in the house- so is the cable company's equipment. If you shut your PC down fast enough, a 700kVA UPS will leave a cable modem and wifi router up longer than a laptop can run on battery

I guess I will be the only guy on the planet without a cell when they cut off my analog car phone next year.

...And I'll be the only one with normal, two copper wire phone service from Verizon.

Ian A.

OK, so the thread is being 'jacked...
Verizon DSL has been 99.5% trouble free from day one. Comcast TV (Digital HDTV) has been 'missing' about 35 channels for over three weeks as of today. 'Cable guy' is supposed to show today...3 to 5 PM..
Stories were 'central issue'; changing channel designations, area situation, distribution issue....and a few I forgot. "Credit on bill' was to be .01 per missed channel, per day.

Land line for local, calls including 911.
Everything else is cell phone. With enhanced 911 if I pick it up and say HELP, they know where I am and will be on the run.
I still remember rotary dials when I was a kid.
Has any one ever seen a Stroger Switch ?
He developed the rotary dial system because he was sure the operator was being paid by his competion to steal his call.
It's not easy getting old, but somebody has to do it.

I still have 2 rotary dial phones hooked up. One was one of the original phones when the house was built and still has the Ma Bell phone number label in the dial. The other is an old pay phone out in the pool bar. Great for a bad weather place.