Home phone service comes in two main forms: POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) and Digital Home Phone. Knowing the difference can help you better understand how your service works and what to do if you experience issues.
What is POTS?
POTS is the traditional, copper-wire telephone service that has been around for decades. It works even during power outages since it does not rely on your home’s electricity.
- How it connects: Directly through copper telephone lines.
- Pros: Reliable, works in power outages, simple.
- Cons: Limited features compared to digital options.
What is Digital Home Phone?
Digital Home Phone uses your internet connection or your provider’s digital network to make calls. It offers extra features such as voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding, and more.
- How it connects: Through your internet modem or digital adapter.
- Pros: Advanced calling features, often bundled with internet/TV services. Call forwarding feature included in the event of power or network outages.
- Cons: Requires power and internet service to function.
Basic Troubleshooting You Can Try
Before reaching out to customer support, here are some easy steps you can try at home:
For POTS (Traditional Landline):
- Check your phone device
- Plug a different phone into the same jack to see if the issue continues.
- Test the phone jack
- Try your phone in another wall jack to confirm if the jack itself may be faulty.
- Look for loose connections
- Make sure cords are securely plugged in at both ends.
- Check for outages
- Ask a neighbor if their phone service is also down—it may be a wider issue.
For Digital Home Phone:
- Restart your equipment
- Power cycle your modem or digital adapter by unplugging it for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in.
- Check internet connection
- Ensure your internet is working, since digital phone relies on it.
- Inspect connections
- Verify the phone is securely connected to the modem or adapter.
- Test with another phone
- Try a different handset to rule out equipment issues.
When to Contact Customer Support
If you’ve tried the steps above and your phone is still not working, it’s time to contact our support team. Please be ready to share:
- The type of phone service you have (POTS or Digital).
- The troubleshooting steps you already tried.
- Any error tones, messages, or patterns (like no dial tone, static, or dropped calls).