atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Telephone Repairs & Equipment A T T 974 and 984 phones

Have customer w/10 984s and 4 974 (4 line Phones) hooked up and working fine EXCEPT the intercom function, (at times) it doesnot work. Sets are programmed as per the users manual. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you Elindio

Elindio:

You mentioned 14 phones. Most 4-line phones only work within an environment that includes twelve identical phones and a perfectly-functioning wiring network. Twelve phones is actually pushing the limit. Each phone must also be programmed with it's own "address", even if intercom isn't really needed.

If you have more than twelve phones, chances are that you have two or more phones with the same intercom address. This will cause all kinds of strange behavior.

Those phones use FM modulation for intercom that "rides" on the first pair, as in line one. In addition, any installation that involves more that 600 total feet of cable can cause significant problems.

There is also the issue of loading down the lines. Any site that has 14 stations needs a real system. Please don't continue to support this already cancer-stricken installation. Even the manufacturer advises against more than twelve stations, and that is assuming that you have one continuous loop. I'll bet that you have home runs, and if you add up 14 runs, you have WAY over 600 feet of cable runs to deal with.

Cut to the chase; tell the customer that they need to buy a real phone system and by all means, do not offer any guarantees on any repairs you "might" be able to make to what they have. These phones are designed for tiny offices or SOHO environments and that is what the manufacturer is banking upon. They claim to offer support for up to twelve stations, but they rarely perform.

Another issue to consider. VTech, the manufacturer or AT&T branded telephone products since 2000, has a history of questionable quaility control.

I think that Ed is correct with the 12 set limit on NOKSU telephones. The limits can be found on the back of the box or printed in the instruction manual.

Using a non-system telephone with NOKSUs can also cause problems.