If you still use and pay for landline phone service, then you may occasionally run into a few problems with your service after you have had it for some time. This is completely normal, but it is also a little frustrating when you have come to rely on it working just fine for so long. The following problems with modern landline service are some of the most common, and the solutions that are typically used to correct these issues are included.

Intermittent Connectivity

When both your landline phone and your internet use the same connection lines and modem, eventually the modem wears out. It cannot transmit both internet and phone signals, so there are intermittent uses of one or the other. Either your phone will work fine and your internet will not work very well, or your phone will constantly drop calls and cut out when you are talking to people while your internet is perfectly fine. Intermittent connectivity can be managed by either upgrading your internet speed or swapping out the modem for a more recent edition of the "box" the company uses to provide service to customers. (These "boxes" are upgraded almost annually, so if yours is two years old or older, you can end up with intermittent service as a result of the outdated technology in your "box".)

​Neither Phone Nor Internet Seem to Be Working

If both your phone and internet service do not seem to be working at all, or work for a few minutes and then not at all, your "box" may need to be rebooted. Unplug everything from the modem. Then turn the modem off. Leave it for a few minutes, and then turn it back on again. As it is rebooting, plug your phone cables back into it, and your cable TV cables too, if applicable. Everything should be working fine now. If it is not, call your service provider.

Ping the Service Line

You, personally, cannot ping your own service line. However, the phone representative for the company can. This is done remotely by a program to which the phone representative has access. The phone representative opens and connects to this program, types in your information regarding your web address and telephone number, and then hits a "ping request" button on the screen. About sixty seconds later, the "ping" returns to the customer service rep's computer revealing whether or not there is mechanical trouble with the line. If there is, then the phone rep will set up an appointment for and with you to have a repair technician fix the problem.