Compatability of telephone jacks and telephone patch cords

[wpshooter]

Had a tech in today trying to fix my intermittent DSL outage problem (on random basis could not get connected to the Internet from 9 to midnight - all other hours it worked like a champ) - think that it was a traffic/bandwidth problem.

In the process of troubleshooting the DSL problem the tech changed my telephone wall jack. He did his testing from the telephone box outback (whatever the initials are for that box) and said that all was good with DSL and he left before actually testing to see if computer could connect to the Internet thru the modem. I tried after he left and could not get connection.

Got him to come back and after some more changes on the outside box, still could not get computer to connect.
He then changed/replaced the telephone patch cord between the wall jack and modem and everything connected fine with new cord.

So, my question is, is it true that different telephone wall jacks require different telephone patch cords, i.e. are not all telephone jacks and patch cords universally compatible ? Would seem not, just wanted to ask.

And yes, the original patch cord was the one that came with the modem.

Thanks.

 

[JackMDS]

In essence they are the same but there is a different in quality of the component and the level of erosion over time.

So your cables needed to be replaced, it the not a compatibility issue, it is level of Bad performance of the old cables vs. better performance of the replacement.

 

[wpshooter]

Might be a performance issue but really strange to me that suddenly after the tech changes the wall jack that the ability to connect to the Internet MOST of the day, goes from 100% to zero.

 

[wpshooter]

Got to do some more looking at the wall jack and patch wires today.

I discovered the the old patch cord that I had been using for about 10 years and worked just fine with the Verizon modem until the tech changed the wall jack has only 2 wires in it and 2 brass colored contact points on the jack connector. However, the new patch cord that the tech used to get the data signal from the new wall jack to communicate with the modem has 4 contact points on the patch cord jack connector.

So, doesn't mean that the old wall jack was configured/made differently than the new wall jack that the tech used as a replacement ? Unfortunately, he took the old wall jack with him, so I can not examine it. But my guess is that the wiring (number of wires and contact points) have to be different on the old wall jack (which has probably been in this apartment for 30 years or more) from the new jack that the tech used as a replacement.

Thanks.

 

[sdifox]

Phone uses two wires, four wire is to support two phone lines. Maybe the tech used the second pair for dsl and that is why your patch cord didn't work.

 

[JoeBleed]

Phone uses two wires, four wire is to support two phone lines. Maybe the tech used the second pair for dsl and that is why your patch cord didn't work.

This was my thought when i first read it, but the modem wouldn't just use the second line to see if it works. I'm wondering if for some reason they moved him to bonded service. Yet, i think the modem would still work with just the one pair working/connecting.

So i think i fall back to agreeing with the old patch cord and jack were just old and had corrosion. once unplugged it would never regain a good connection to connect. The tech replaced the jack and then needed to replace the cord due to corrosion on both pieces. I've seen this a lot at work and old digital phones. they work until the corrosion eventually kills the connection or you move it and because you disconnected it, it will not work again until you replace the jack and cord. Corrosion on phone jacks happen more often at work due to the cleaners and their crappy methods of apply cleaner and wax to the floor....