VOIP - Problem with Intercom [ Edited ]

[richard1987]

I am not sure where in the forum for me to post a similar question.

I recently moved and signed up for U-Verse bundle. So far, no issues with internet or TV. My big issue is the land line. I live in a condo with an analog intercom/buzzer system. The intercom/buzzer was working when the tech arrived and buzzed up to be let in the building.

Yet once U-verse was installed, bye bye intercom/buzzer. The tech tried his best calling his manager three times and also trying fellow techs. But since it was so late in the day, he could not get anyone with any helpful suggestions and his manager told him to cut his losses and close out the ...what is the term- ticket, appointment?

Well, I spent over 3 hours getting transferred from dept to dept, person to person trying to have AT&T send out a tech to get the intercom/buzzer working. At first, each person kept telling me it's my building's issue since the intercom/buzzer is broken. I kept repeating myself that it's not broken- it's analog and U-verse is digital. I need someone familiar with intercom/buzzers to make it work since it wasn't completed in the initial set up.

One person got tired of me explaining the situation and said I have to talk to the building maintenance as it's not AT&T's issue. Then she transferred me to the department that cancels services. How is that good customer service? I am less than a week into my bundle AT&T package and she's sending me off to terminate versus finding someone to approve a tech being sent to inspect the situation.

Even once I got someone to assign a tech to come out, I was told that there could be a $55 tech charge and that they could not send someone out that was specifically trained on intercom systems. Better yet, I got no four hour window and was told to wait all day Saturday for tech- 8 hour window. I didn't even get a start to that window. How am I being charged for a tech to come out when it was not properly installed to be compatible with intercom system? I was in the phone room with the original tech and there were AT&T u-verse tag notes so I know it's possible to have U-verse with analog intercom. But how oh how?

When I tried to check appointment status with the link that was sent to me, it says I have no scheduled appointment. So, will anyone actually be dispatched to inspect the situation?

Basically, please can anyone advise me that has an analog intercom/buzzer in their building and U-verse phone line, what do I tell the tech when he/she arrives (if I am actually scheduled) for helpful hints?

What do folks do who have analog intercom system yet U-verse phone line (digital)?

I am begging for any input regarding analog intercom systems and U-verse phone lines (I have TV and internet U-verse as well).

Is it possible to have a regular land line yet U-verse TV and internet? Since it goes through the phone jacks, not sure how that's possible?

HELP, please !

[Subject edited to reflect new topic]

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

If the intercom/buzzer is not compatible with VOIP, there is nothing to be done.  If you want to use the intercom/buzzer, you will need to switch back to a POTS landline.

The technical support agent was also correct that whoever is responsible for the intercom/buzzer system would need to tell you whether or not the system is compatible with VOIP.  I doubt that U-verse has techs that are specially trained on intercom systems.

Also, yes, you can have a regular POTS landline with U-verse TV and U-verse internet.

Do you receive a dial tone from all the phone jacks in your residence?

[richard1987]

Thank you, texasguy37, for such a quick response! Made me smile too as although my user name is richard, I am a female and was born in Dallas, TX with fond memories of many Ranger games. I got to even tour the ballpark with my brother's baseball team ages ago.

Hum, well if other folks in the building have U-verse, wouldn't that mean that it's compatible? If I wasn't such a wuss, I would have taken one of those numbers and knocked on their door to ask questions. It's a lot of older folks so they don't welcome strangers asking questions. I was in the phone room and saw tags hanging from phone lines that said VOIP.

There is a general note in the lobby about analog vs digital and that the building will not get involved. The note doesn't say the building isn't compatible, it just says to tell the tech that the building is analog and not digital and let the tech do their thing to correct it if the intercom doesn't work when installed. I guess they assumed that the person would know what to fix as it is suppose to double ring if it's someone using the intercom/buzzer and others have gotten around the issue.

I realize that not all U-verse techs are going to be trained on intercoms, yet shouldn't there be a few to confer with in today's day and age as I think more buildings have intercom systems? Or maybe since it's today's day and age, their intercom systems are digital- Ha? I am so behind in the times so who am I to say....

No, I do not receive a dial tone from all the jacks in the residence. I just tried to connect a phone to the wall jack in the kitchen and there is no dial tone.

Since I'm off to a good start with dumb questions, it's possible to have U-verse TV and internet yet regular POTS landline? I am confused on how that would work since it all goes through RG (please forgive me if wrong terminology as all these initials are confusing to me- NID, POTS, VOIP, etc..I have to look them up).

If that would solve the issue, I would gladly get a regular phone line as I am not using any special features or aware of just what they are with U-verse voice. I just chose it because it was a good bundle deal for all three and not aware that it was going to be such a major headache of analog vs digital situation with intercom. I am sure I could 'switch' to a different deal with bundling only U-verse TV and internet with a regular landline?

I'm trying to get this all resolved in the 30day limit because it was a year contract yet changes could be made within the first 30 days with no penalties. My clocks is ticking since I keep playing round and round with AT&T.

I really would hate to cancel subscription and move all my services to other providers due to this darn intercom issue.

Thank you again for your time!

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

Yes, a number of U-verse customers have a POTS landline instead of U-verse voice with their U-verse TV and U-verse internet service.

It appears that U-verse voice is not back feed into all the phone jacks in your residence.  When the tech is onsite, let him know that you do not have a dial tone at all of the telephone jacks, but you would like there to be.  He will know what to do to solve that problem.  Once that is corrected, that may very well solve the issue with your intercom.  I suspect that currently no active phone line is connected to the intercom, thus it is not working.

[richard1987]

Terrific, thank you!

I shall do so and very much appreciate the suggestions, help.

At worst, you gave me an option better than canceling all AT&T services and starting from scratch. I could do as recommended and have a POTS landline with U-verse TV and internet still. I was just messing around with current double play deals to see how that would affect the 'deal' I got in comparision to the triple play.

I feel better prepared for the scheduled tech tomorrow if they show up.

Thank you again for your time and help. It made a huge difference in my decision regarding staying with or canceling AT&T.

[richard1987]

Well, it will be a few days before I can provide any feedback and more gratitude for your help.

I knew something was hinkey when I got an email from AT&T to check my appointment status for 6/9 tech. It wouldn't go through.

I just spent forty five minutes with AT&T chat finding out that the tech isn't coming out to fix 'my' issue. I would have waited around all day 8am-8pm to find out that I didn't need to be home? I would not be getting that call a half hour before appointment as promised when scheduling. The gentleman said that the tech might have called me after 'resolving' outside issue. Mine is not an outside issue that I know of as the phone room is inside the building and someone needs to buzz you into building and get the phone room unlocked. I could be wrong, maybe they would just resolve not all the jacks working from outside box. Or making my phone line a regular POTS vs VOIP (is that right for uverse lingo). I definitely don't have a clue as I've proven here.

I have to start again on the hamster wheel later today when I get a call back to 'reschedule' my appointment. The chat gentleman said the system was down so he could not assist me. I have to wait till tech team gets in tomorrow and hope that the system is available for them to begin again with me?

I feel better prepared to discuss the matter though with the information you have provided to me. I hope to report back in a few days that I had better luck than these last few days with AT&T.

Thank you again for your help, texasguy37!

[BeeBeeSA ACE - Wizard · Accepted solution]

Maybe I'm to late to chime in but.......Having worked with these type systems before the way they normally work are as follows:  1) The "intercom" system has it's own line.  The party comes up to the "box" and pushes your button or dials your unit number, etc from a keypad.  The system then dials the number programmed for your button or code (your phone number to either a cell or your home phone).  You answer the call on your phone and then dial a digit usually "9" and that will unlock the door to let the party in.

This arrangement should have no problems working with any service.  Can you have the building re-program the unit to call your cell to test?

If it is some other arrangement please post back and I'll see if I can help further.

[aviewer ACE - Wizard · Accepted solution]

BeeBeeSA - I basically agree with you. I am thinking that the installer disconnected the intercom when he disconnected the tel sets from the POTS feed.

I expect that the CO dial tone has to feed to the intercom so it normally passes through to the telsets. when someone uses the intercom it opens the CO circuit.

The wiring needs to remain from set to intercom. The back feed from the RG has to go back to before the intercom to replicate the POTS functionality.

[richard1987]

Hello BeeBeeSA and aviewer!

Any input is appreciated as with the time I am having, it's never too late as I circle the drain of Uverse blackhole.

I was on the phone with AT&T for over 2 hours Monday, 6/11, only to be told that the system was down so no changes could be made to my account either way. Why didn't they inform me of this when I started the journey the first few minutes? I talked to over four different people in different departments. So now I have to call back later today, Tuesday 6/12, and start the hamster wheel again. I call it that because I go round and round yet go nowhere. They said they could not call me back when the system was up either. I had to try my luck once again....sigh.

System was down early Saturday morning and no one from tech team called me to reschedule between 8-10am CST as I was promised. Finally, after I spent two hours on chat when the call back window passed by.....an inside tech was dispatched to arrive sometime in a eight hour window of that day (1-9pm) . They had canceled the tech originally because it was scheduled as an outside issue. IF I had not been so persistent late at night Friday or early am Saturday then again in the afternoon on Saturday, I would have waited all day for no one. Lucky for me, the inside tech arrived only a few hours into the eight hour window.

Unfortunately, he informed me that the original installation tech who spent 8 hours plus didn't set up the system correctly. There were system failures all over the place because the original tech did not 'hit a homerun' so signals were going all over the place?

He spent a little over an hour reconnecting everything yet said he was not able to make the analog intercom/buzzer work with Uverse either. He said he did all he could and showed me on his phone that it is now 'passing' all tests. I had tech wait in condo while I went down to the intercom/buzzer and no double ring to inform him that it's not working. He told me there was nothing else he could do for me and was on his way. I did my best to plead with him stating that there are several tags hanging from the phone lines in the phone room that say "VoIP" so I know folks must have it in the building??. Since I did not go down to the phone room with this tech, I didn't have a chance to point out the tags to him. He just shrugged. Very nice guy who did his best like the first guy. Seems like I get one step ahead yet still many steps behind a resolution and I am getting so frustrated with AT&T as it's been days/literal hours on the phone or internet to arrive at the very same exact place with the 30 day to make changes timeclock ticking away?

Yes, BeeBeeSA, it is just as you described. The phone double rings, tenant picks up the phone and asks "who's there"  and tenant presses number 9 to buzz the person up if it's someone you wish to let into building. Unfortunately, the condo/building will not get involved with 'digital' issues. The only information I can get from them is the intercom/buzzer is analog. "Tell the tech it's analog and let them do their thing" are literal words from a condo board member. So, nope, they would not reprogram unit to call my cell phone or do anything at all to help in this situation since intercom/buzzer was working properly before Uverse was installed.

aviewer, I was told that the intercom/buzzer is now connected as it's passing the last techs tests. You are right though, the original tech had disconnected the line so I had dead phone jacks in all the other rooms. According to this last tech, he reconnected the intercom/buzzer yet still analog versus digital is the issue? Again, the 2nd tech said I have to get a POTS line as he didn't know what else to recommend to me.

I am beyond overwhelmed as it will cost me over $15-20 a month to have a landline verses the current VoIP and I will have many many many less features. All I will get is call waiting and id with a landline to try and come close to the VoIP rate I would have been getting and I also lose minutes. Did I stress I pay more for less with a landline? Not to mention I ordered triple play bundle online so I am going to lose those savings too along with gift cards. There are special savings for folks who order bundles online.  

I haven't lost my temper with anyone although I am close to tears now. I can't believe I will spend more of my life over this issue. I am so in over my head yet the customer service folks say I am the nicest angry person they've talked to in their days.

That's why I am so very grateful for the input everyone has provided here as I am at my wits end and I didn't have many marbles to begin with at the start of this misadventure. Thank you all for your feedback, it is valued.

[BeeBeeSA ACE - Wizard]

Can you ask the condo member or someone that knows the intercom system if the system has one dial tone line that dials each unit or if each units personal dial tone line must terminate at the intercom system?  If it's the latter, that's your problem, although I have never seen one that works this way.  The latter would require AT&T to back feed your line from the RG in your unit back to the main telephone room and then to the correct pair feeding your circuit on the intercom system.

Can you post the name/model number of the intercom unit so I can do more research?

[aviewer ACE - Wizard · Accepted solution]

richard1987 - Re: "I was told that the intercom/buzzer is now connected etc. -

Does it work? You tried it? If it does work on you existing phone, you can make your U-verse VOIP phone work on another telephone by connecting it to the phone jack on the RG. If this is a wireless set you can distribute other handsets around your dwelling. Of course, the disadvantage is that you have two sets of phones.

To make it work with one set of phones the connection from the RG (to the new phones) must be moved to the intercom phone to use extra wires to get the dial tone back to the phone room so it can be connected to the circuit before the intercom equipment (where the POTS was previously connected).

Hard to specify with words. Hope you can follow it.

The POTS phone service is analog. The VOIP phone service is digital only between the RG and the Central Office. It is analog from the RG to the telset, It is a different source of dialtone. This is the problem. Not analog/digital. When the circuits are fully understood and a wire is available for connection, it can be wired correctly.

Send a PM to attalex asking for super tech help. Go to this link - see send private message to this person - http://forums.att.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/318276

view messages by clicking envelope.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

---

richard1987 wrote:

aviewer, I was told that the intercom/buzzer is now connected as it's passing the last techs tests. You are right though, the original tech had disconnected the line so I had dead phone jacks in all the other rooms. According to this last tech, he reconnected the intercom/buzzer yet still analog versus digital is the issue? Again, the 2nd tech said I have to get a POTS line as he didn't know what else to recommend to me.

---

Do you know another resident in your building who has U-verse voice and their intercom system is working correctly?

[richard1987]

Thank you so very very much BeeBee SA, aviewer and texasguy37! Good suggestions everyone with much gratitude to you all!!!!

I took an entire day away from AT&T to recollect myself.

I have talked to the 'board' representative, member of this building and she can't help me out. If I went back to the phone room to see what condos have VOIP tags, it's kinda an invasion of privacy issue if I knock on their doors and ask questions or ask a board member to do so. I just got here and don't want to be fined or evicted for breaking condo association rules especially since i am renting from the actual condo owner. I am going to ask the owner some of the questions you all have provided me here and if they don't know, I will ask for permission to call the building management. There is no main office in the building. The building management is located in another suburb.

Unfortunately, I do not know the model of the intercom system. All I could view was Mircom on the prompter that says to 'enter dial code (condo number)'. While the line rings, the system informs to use "## to hang up". Then if I was in the condo, I would press 9 to buzz the person up. That's as much as I know about the system. When I checked Mircom site, none of the current models come close to resembling the one in my building. There's a simple telephone pad with numbers, * and # sign only. None of the other buttons to the right of keypad that are shown on current models. That was awful kind of you to offer your valuable time to do research. Thank you for your compassion, BeeBee SA.

There are all other kinds of nifty things we are suppose to be able to do like viewing who is buzzing on a monitor as well. Of course, since I can't even get the double ring intercom to work, I haven't even explored that route.

Nope, there is no dial tone in the kitchen phone jack yet the last tech that was out said it was degraded, aviewer? At first, he said the jack in the kitchen was the main jack then after opening it and messing with the wiring, he changed his mind. Perhaps it is the main jack yet it's all goofed up? He recommended not plugging an phone at all into that jack and never plugged one in to see if there a dial tone. So, that leaves the question of how did he know I didn't have the same problem of no dial tone in other rooms if none of the other jacks were available to check? The phone jack in one of the bedrooms has the uverse box attached so not sure if that's a regular phone jack or an Ethernet jack now? I didn't think of plugging in a regular phone to it to see if it works. Then in the master bedroom, the phone jack is painted over. There's a wireless box in that room for Uverse TV and one of the wireless extra phones from one plugged into RG. I guess I believed him because he showed me his phone that said all the system checks were green 'pass'. Silly trusting me now that I think about it.

He put in a new wall plate that has three jacks where the other one only had two. It goes blue, red then green jack. All jacks connected to RG. One jack as a splitter like thing so the telephones can plug into jack and not RG. Gosh I hope that makes sense as I apologize for my lack of technical jargon.

Thank you, aviewer, yet it went over my head. Perhaps if I get another tech to try and hook up Uverse they will be able to make sense of it or if I am able to talk to the tech line again. Noted though that it's not analog vs digital issue though as the condo stated and I regurgitated.

I will PM attalex as recommend to see if I can get any super tech help, thank you, aviewer. I might wait till later in the week though to PM for below reasons.

I assumed from all the several VoIP tags hanging with dates on them and condo numbers that there must be folks in building with Uverse phone, texasguy37. I can't 'invade their privacy' by asking those specific condos questions though. Best I could hope for is attending a meeting later this week and hoping someone there has Uverse phone. I am hoping the owner of the condo will attend with me for support and folks might respond to the owner they are familiar with versus the renter.

If I learn anything more from meeting, I will update on what my next step shall be. If I get around this, I will make sure to offer my assistance to any future condo renter/owner who is going to attempt Uverse phone.

I have a cell (AT&T once again) yet older family members do not so a phone in the condo is necessary otherwise I might just add a line to my cell phone and tell them I give up on Uverse or landline. I again assume the intercom would work since new phone number was not assigned till Uverse showed up that day and double rang when AT&T tech buzzed. Hum, at least, if worst comes to worst, I might just cancel VoIP and argue with AT&T about the loss of savings and giftcards for double play versus triple play as I did my best in faith and spent day/hours of my life on this matter.  

Thank you all for helping me ponder the situation and not giving up so easily without a fight.

[aviewer ACE - Wizard]

richard1987 - Is there a location where people post notes? You can post asking someone with U-verse to call you. Explain your problem & ask if their service can be looked at as an example of how it should work. THis is for the privacy problem.

[BeeBeeSA ACE - Wizard]

Since the building is not much help here is the info for Mircom:

U.S.A.

4575 Witmer Industrial Estates

Niagara Falls, NY 14305

Toll Free: (888) 660-4655

Fax Toll Free: (888) 660-4113

Call the toll free number and maybe they can help answer your questions or explain what exactly needs to happen for your unit to work with their equipment.  If there is no model number maybe take a picture before calling and once you get someone on the phone you can email them the photo so they know what unit you have.

[richard1987]

Thank you, aviewer and BeeBeeSA, for additional good suggestions!

I believe any messages posted on the mail room bulletin board have to be approved by the board association.

I will give Mircom a try after I try and contact building management or ask board members questions. I need to grow a thicker skin as the frankness of the board president has left me feeling like a schoolkid approaching principal. A bit annoyed with me for asking questions at all......not good.

At least, after thinking out loud with all of you, I feel like I have some good options if I have to do without U-verse VoIP in the end.

[aviewer ACE - Wizard · Accepted solution]

richard1987 - 

I was rereading your post of 06-13-2012 02:30:28 AM & it has a number of items that confuse me.

You say you do have a cordless phone base plugged in to  the RG and another handset in another room. So, those work and provide you phone service?

The three jacks could be an attempt to back feed dial tone from he RG or could be feeding other TVs. How many TVs do you have?

I thought you said the intercom was working on the main phone, but when I asked about it you did not address the question. Sounds llike it does not work.

at&t has left your wiring in disarray. You need to have Alex get you an expert to fix it. If you say to cancel voice & use just a cell, the intercom will probably not work because it is disconnected. You need to get it reconnected by at&t now. If not the condo may want to bill you to fix it at some point.

If you go back to POTS you may get the intercom working without special (Alex) assistance.

[richard1987]

Sorry, aviewer, yes I am sure reading all my notes can cause confusion.

Is wireless the same as cordless? Yikes, I probably should have said just cordless. Maybe I am not referring to them correctly? One set is AT&T vTech DECT 6.0 Three Handset Cordless Phone system with answering machine model sl82313 yada yada.

I have the mainbase of the cordless phone plugged into three color plate jack (blue, red, green). Then the 2 extra phones they give you with them in other places. It came in a set of 3. Those extra 2 only require a power source as they are not plugged into any phone jacks. Yes, I have dial tones in those cordless phones that go back to the main cordless plugged into three color plate jack.

I have another set of 3 set up the same way. So, there's a total of 6 phones yet only 2 are plugged into blue jack in the three color plated which links to RG through date cable. The blue jack in the three color plated jack has a splitter in it so the phone bases can plug in to jack then a data cable is plugged into the other side of splitter which goes directly to RG. None of the phone base lines are directly plugged into RG like 1st tech had done. None of the other 4 phone use jack...only power source necessary. All have dial tones and are cordless type.

IF I plug a phone into the kitchen phone jack, there is no dial tone.

One bedroom has the ATT U-verse TV going through it using phone jack as it's a normal U-verse TV receiver box. So the phone in that room is 1 of the cordless ones and not plugged into any phone jack at all. In the master bedroom, the Uverse TV goes through the ATT wireless receiver box. The phone jack in the master bedroom is painted over so not sure if there would be a dial tone or not. Phone in master bedroom is one of the cordless ones as well. There are no other phone jacks besides the ones mentioned in living room, kitchen, bedroom and master bedroom.

Living room phone jack has the three colored jack plate with RG. Kitchen has no phone not even cordless. One bedroom has phone jack with Uverse TV receiver and no phone plugged into that jack. Master bedroom has wireless ATT Uverse TV receiver and painted over phone jack.

There are three TVs total. Living room TV is Uverse DVR standard TV receiver box. Bedroom is Uverse standard TV receiver box no DVR. Master bedroom has Uverse wirless receiver box. I assume the Living room TV receiver goes to RG. The bedroom standard receiver goes through phone jack....only thing plugged into phone jack. Master bedroom has Uverse wireless TV receiver box so not plugged into painted over phone jack and nothing plugged into painted over phone jack.

No, the intercom has not worked since first, original Uverse arrived. When the first Uverse tech arrived to install service, he used the intercom. The phone double rang letting us know he had arrived to install service. 

I was told by second tech that the intercom was working even though I went down and buzzed with no double ring as he stood in condo witnessing no double ring. That's when he shrugged as said it is wired correctly as far as he can see. He chalked it up to intercom is not compatible and was on his way. I did try and ask him why there are those VoIP tags handing from phone lines in phone room then if VoIP is not compatible. Shrugged again and told me to get POTS line.

Noted that the intercom might not even work for a POTS because it has been disconnected now by one of the techs yet it possibly could as well.

You are correct, the second tech said my wiring was in disarray and that's why there were fail signals repeatively. He assured me he corrected everything and showed me green 'pass' on his phone saying that's how he knows he 'hit a home run' as the first, original tech did not do so. There were three pass green boxes.He said, "service lines corrected, failing links test passing now". And "no more bridge TAP"? I have no idea what that last sentence is suppose to mean. I suppose the three passes are for each form of Uverse and although technically VoIP is working, it's just not allowing intercom to work? 

I apologize again for the confusion as I know you all are going above and beyond to help me.

I was going to wait til this evening when condo owner talks to board association to PM Alex. I was hoping I could report back in thread that someone spoke up and knows how to get this resolved or has a hissy fit on me making me go back to POTS. 

If not, I will gladly PM Alex for any input on what to do before waving white flag of defeat.

Thank you for your time as it is much appreciated!

[richard1987]

Well, the meeting was canceled so I didn't get any answers that day. I was so disillusioned that I decided to wait till the weekend was over to get back on the AT&T hamster wheel. Yet I did work up the courage to contact board president and he is willing to help by talking to any future tech who tries to resolve this issue. So, I PMd Alex as suggested, aviewer, thank you.

I promise if I get a resolution, I will post any information that could help any future VoIP customer who may come across the same issue.

I do appreciate all the time taken and support you have provided me on my way to finding an answer, thank you!

[richard1987]

I have great news, my intercom is working!

You all made quite a difference and I can't give you all enough kudos! Your random acts of kindness saved me. I sincerely hope, pray that your generosity to strangers comes back tenfold plus.

I was able to get a terrific manager, David O, to help me resolve this matter. If aviewer hadn't been so very kind to provide Alex's PM link, I might still be on the hamster wheel! David O was patient and understanding along with quick acting, what more could I have asked for as he was knowledgeable as well. I felt confident in his determination to help me when making his acquaintance. I would provide his last name yet I don't know if that's allowed or if he'd all of a sudden get flooded with pleas for assistance. I had to mentioned him though for his excellent care.

At first, it seems the third tech had no better luck than all the other techs. Besides charging me $165 for the third no go visit, he told me I needed to have the wiring redone. When he left, it seemed like I was going to have to get the intercom people out to rewire and charge AT&T. I was not a happy camper. I had somewhere urgent to be so I left it at that when the third tech told me the intercom wasn't working. Later that evening when I got back, I thought I would just test it out. Delightfully, I heard a voice ask "who's there". I was even buzzed up by them pressing 9. Joy oh joy to finally have this adventure come to an end. Also, although I was charged, I was assured that the charges would be credited back to account. The next day, I made sure to requested that the third tech's boss be contacted to provide a well deserved pat on the back for fixing the issue. He should have more confidence in his skills. To just complain and not acknowledge good service too would be wrong on my part. He gave me his AT&T id yet again, I won't include it here as it might be a no no.

You were right, BeeBeeSA, the intercom had it's own line. Intercom has one dial tone that dials each unit. It's a free service so I don't even need to have a phone number assigned to the condo for it to work. That's why it was working when the first tech arrived and buzzed even though I had no working land line (telephone number assigned to my address) in the condo.

The issue began it's wrong turn when the first tech touched that connection. I am not sure what the third tech did that the second tech could not do because it was definitely not working when the second tech left as I tested it when he was here and several times afterwards in desperate wishful thinking. Third tech might not even know how he fixed it because he obviously left thinking it was still not resolved. All I do know is it was definitely something within the wiring in the condo as none of the techs touched the connections in the IT phone room of the building including the first tech.

Long story very long, I've got three recommendations to anyone who is considering Uverse phone and lives in an intercom building.

First, make sure to find out about intercom's dial tone like BeeBeeSA's inquiry to me. Doesn't hurt to have the manufacturer and model of intercom too like BeeBeeSA asked me as well. 

Also, find out if there's a specific phone jack that the intercom is wired to in your apartment, condo, whatever. Mine was the kitchen jack. There's no dial tone in that jack so calls cannot be made or received on the phone in kitchen. The kitchen jack only interacts with intercom system not Uverse phone connection. The phone in the kitchen jack rings if someone is trying to reach me via intercom in lobby and it double rings so as not to be mistaken as a regular phone call. I can press 9 to buzz someone up. That's pretty much it for function of phone in kitchen jack.

Third and final, have a basic trimline corded telephone handy. That's what I have connected to kitchen jack since I can't make or accept regular calls on kitchen jack phone. I am not sure if a cordless would work or not yet I do know a trimline corded does the job and only cost me $6.49 without tax. Someone probably could find one at a thrift store, Goodwill, etc. cheaper as I got my brand new in a retail store.

Thank you all for taking this adventure with me as I wouldn't have made it through the other end without your thoughtfulness in taking your valuable time to help me!

I didn't mark a specific post as 'accept as solution' because it's the sum of BeeBeeSA and aviewer that ended in a solution. Many thanks once again for your time!!!!

[BeeBeeSA ACE - Wizard]

Thanks for letting us know the issue was finally corrected!!  Glad we could help.  If you need anything else come on back!!  As you can see there are many knowledgeable folks here!!

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

@richard1987, you can mark more than one post as multiple solutions.   Glad you got things fixed.

[richard1987]

Wow, I hope better late than never.

Thank you, spd2demun, for letting me know I can mark multiple posts as resolved. I have done so.

My kudos again to all that helped me get this fixed, so very grateful to have gotten past this and would not have done so without this terrific forum!

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

YW, and it's never too late.   Hope all is still going well.

---

richard1987 wrote:

Wow, I hope better late than never.

Thank you, spd2demun, for letting me know I can mark multiple posts as resolved. I have done so.

My kudos again to all that helped me get this fixed, so very grateful to have gotten past this and would not have done so without this terrific forum!

---