VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

Deirdre

As I said in another thread: Dang— how we rely on technology.

My ISDN setup had been experiencing a host of troubles over the last several weeks.
My codec (Telos Zephyr 9202) needed service in September which was taken care of quite handily by Telos, but I started getting network errors and drop-outs after the unit was back a while. I was getting the most horrid digital noise bursts which sometimes went over the air!

I talked to the Telos people right away, and they asked me to look to the phone company for possible trouble, and boy, TelCo found a boatload of circuit trouble. This was mid December. When I got home from Washington DC, my line was DOA— inactive on both sides of the circuit. A significant amount of wrangling ensued, which caused my service to work and not work, work and not work over the course of days and finally, a tech was dispatched to my home where he found no trouble.

My service was restored in the mysterious offices of TelCo switching Friday the 21st and it worked for broadcast for an hour and a half and then another complete network drop that was so absolute, the codec couldn't even automatically redial. thank goodness it wasn't on the air at the time! I was able to finish out the rest of the broadcast, but Saturday morning, dead in the water again. Inactive, both channels.

This week, there has been more messing about, but my codec has not ever gotten a "ready" signal, and yesterday the Phone Tech was here again, where he tested the circuit from the jack in my office and it tested OK.
TOTALLY.
So, now, after finding errors all over the place in the TelCo central offices, it's my suddenlly my codec that's the trouble?
Man— what if it has been the trouble all this time? Why on earth would they have found so many network errors in their equipment?
I tried 2 different phone connectors from the wall to my codec, forget it.
In fact, I just tried another. No dice.
*sigh*

However—
Telos is going to send me a loaner unit FOR FREE. This way I can make the final test to see if it's the darned codec that is in trouble. I should receive it tomorrow. Ted at Telos is a gem. I won't spend a dime unless the other Zephyr unit doesn't work either, and I'll ship it back on my dime.
If it turns out that the codec really is the trouble, they'll fix that under warranty and I'll have the working loaner Zephyr until then.

Meh!
What a comedy of (network) errors!
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CarynClark · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:08 am Post subject:

Wow, DB, what a headache. You can't live with it (technology), and you can't live without it, right?

I hope that you find your solution with this next step so you can be on your merry way and not have to worry about it.
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Caryn Clark... The Hip Chick Voice!

"A positive mental attitude and having faith in your ability is quite different from being irresponsible and downright stupid." - Dave

bobsouer · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:07 pm Post subject:

Deirdre,

You're ISDN troubles make mine pale in comparison. I've had about a month of struggles that have finally been tracked down to a failing long-distance switch in the local telco offices. Changing to a different long distance provider on my ISDN service has taken care of the problem for the past several days.

I hope and pray that you're able to track down the troubles and get them resolved once and for all.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
ISDN, Source Connect, phone patch

anthonyVO · 14th Avenue Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 1470 Location: NYC

Wow DB - sorry to hear that!
About finding so many network problems - there are ALWAYS some level of errors or problems in their networks. Their usually only detected or investigated when someone pushes that has tech problems with something other than a plain phone.

In any case - about Bob's long distance - the most reliable network for long distance ISDN (for me) has been M C I dunno why - just worked out that way.

PEACE.
-Anthony

bobsouer · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:15 pm Post subject:

Anthony,

Interesting. M C I is in fact the company to which I've just switched!
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
ISDN, Source Connect, phone patch

BenWils · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:35 pm Post subject:

Bob is this happening for incoming calls? Or are you dialing out and having issues with your long distance carrier? Just wondering.

Here is a list of PIC Codes in case anyone needs them. I believe you can just dial the code before your number and it will route the call to that long distance provider.....1010222 is MCI's code.

http://www.thedigest.com/faq/picodes.html

JTVG · Backstage Pass Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 433

I'm not an ISDN expert but having months worth of trouble as well, I've picked up on quite a bit. Seemingly if the tech tests the line and it's ok, but your unit won't go into ready at that exact time, the problem is on your end. I had issues where mine would go in and out of "ready" but would always seem to work when they tested the line. This can be maddening because if the line is working according to the tech, it's "good" in their eyes and you must either A - be lying or B - have bad equipment. (so they say anyway). So your situation is good because solid continuous problems are almost always easier to troubleshoot then intermittent problems.

It's cool that Telos is lending you a free unit. Ted, by the way, told me he's the guy that voices most of the late night Time Life informercials so he can relate pretty well to us voice actors and our ISDN struggles.
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Deirdre · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:24 pm Post subject:

I've got MCI, thank goodness.

We discovered some of the inside-TelCo office trouble by using another carrier to pull up a test connection. I'm a troubleshooting demon, I am.
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DBCooperVO.com

bobsouer · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:49 pm Post subject:

BenWils · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:19 pm Post subject:

Hmmmm....that is weird, Bob. I hope the problem is resolved and you have no more issues with it. These type of hard-to-track frazzles can make times very frustrating. I am so glad you got help from a 'telco angel'. People that go above and beyond are the best!

Deirdre · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:07 pm Post subject:

"Above and Beyond"

That describes my pal Michelle, the ISDN Goddess on Northern NE Verizon.
Between her and Ted of Telos, I'm really quite confident my problems will straighten out.
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bobbinbeamo · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:14 pm Post subject:

DB- Sorry to hear of your tech woes. And during the busy holidays to boot! Hopefully the ISDN Gods will be smiling upon your situation soon!
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BenWils · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:25 pm Post subject:

DB, I am so sorry, I got so curious about Bob's problem, I forgot you had the initial complications. I hope things get worked out soon. Michele sounds like another one of those 'telco angels' to me.

I can attest to Ted's greatness as well. He solved my minor issues in like 30 seconds (user error Rolls Eyes

) He is the coolest of the cool!

anthonyVO · 14th Avenue Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 1470 Location: NYC

Deirdre · Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 9:24 pm Post subject:

Update:

Got a Zephyr Xstream from Telos today and hooked that puppy up. Took some wrangling with TelCo to get it to work, but it by golly DID work.

My own Zephyr 9202 had different readings today-- it went to INIT instead of staying on INACT.
Still, no dice with my unit, so I'm sending it off to Telos.
What the heck.

None of this makes sense.

At least this new unit is totally quiet!
When mines came back, they had re-invigorated the fan, and that little beastie is LOUD.
I put in an interrupt switch
oh holy crap

You don't think a tiny case mod is going to void my warranty do you? I put an on/off switch in the fan circuit rather than cut out the fan completely. I keep it on most of the time, only turning it off for live sessions with recording studio clients. It worked fine for months before I started getting the trouble that caused this mess.

oh, boy.
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