How does it work.

[JohnnyTruant]

Originally Posted by Kendrick

Portable phones go out because they depend on the base having power to broadcast the signal. Without power, the base can't operate, and thus you have no signal for the cordless to work off. However, landline phones that are connected can feed off of the phone line, so even if your answering machine doesn't work, you can still make calls without the power on.

Yea, I have a 5.8 AT&T wireless set, and they always go out with the power, but my old school rotary phone still works.... it just takes 5 minutes to dial a number due to 10 digit dialing

[Data]

My DSL's never gone out (barring power outages), same with my phone line...

[Bryon]

Yea, but the thread is discussing power outages. Try to keep up.

[Scooby Dooby]

My phone lines are buried, and when we get a lot of rain, they get wet. On the reciever it sounds very staticy. Sometimes internet slows down or even gets turned off until usually the next morning/day.

[Gecko]

I don't think I've ever had my phone go out. The power has gone out a lot, so I've always made sure I kept at least one corded phone in my house. Phone lines seem to be more secure than electric lines.

[Reader1]

Our cable modem is plugged into both power and phone lines, so if we lose either power or phone service (which we often do during storms in my area), we lose DSL. With the cable modem, we had a box that stored up some battery power, usually enough to carry us until power was restored, and phone outages didn't affect it at all.

[Sapphire]

Originally Posted by Marcel

You had your phone line running from the outside. Those tend to go out in storms. Trees fall on the lines and stuff, or they get struck and surged out. Buried cables are safe from storms.

Do most places have burried phone lines now? Is it uncommon to have phone lines that are outside?

[Reader1]

I think in newer neighborhoods, the power, phone and cable lines are usually buried. I live in an old town, though, and they are just replacing the utility poles here, so looks like we can count on continuing to lose our power and/or phone when it storms.

[Action Man]

Around here, it all runs into one box and then goes underground so there are poles everywhere. A HOA thing.

[dream3133]

Very interesting thread.
Thanks folks I have learned something new today.