iNID (ipSU2) battery backup issue

[coltrane]

We've been cruising alnog just fine with Uverse the past few months until last night.  The right-hand led light on the battery backup unit began flashing red and chirping.  Pressed button to quiet chirp, but still flashing red.  Got up this morning and contacted ATT tech support chat.  They told me I had to contact Belkin to obtain a replacement battery.  Called Belkin and took 15 min, to determine that it was NOT a Belkin unit.  Got back on chat, and received apology after apology (put the apologies aside and actually HELP me, right?).  Sooo, now we are to contact Fiber Safe Battery Company to get a new battery which I will have to replace myself.  Had to email them as at work and can't call.  Waiting to hear back. 

Here is my question:  Is there any way to bypass the iNID unit so that if the power goes out, we can make needed calls on our cell phone.  I don't see the true need for a battery backup.

You've always been helpful... thx in advance!

Mitchell

[coltrane]

Update... just heard back from Fiber Safe... they say to contact ATT support.  So the run-around has begun.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

The information from that you received from Fiber Safe is incorrect.  They, not AT&T, provide replacement batteries.  See the information in the link below for information on ordering a replacement battery:

http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB408106&title=Backup+Battery+for+your+Intelligent+Netwo...

[coltrane]

Yes... I have seen the nfo you are sharing with me, but when I share this with Fiber Safe, they say the battery is probable not bad, contact ATT.  So now what?

BTW... Is there a bypass?

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

Not sure what they mean by "battery is probably not bad".  How can they know?  Did they test the battery?

From the link below:

How to determine when to replace your iPSU battery

When the battery needs to be replaced, a chirp sounds intermittently unless you press the button to silence it for 12 hours. The chirp resumes after 12 hours if the battery is not replaced. Flashing red indicates that the battery needs to be replaced.

Solid green indicates that the batter is installed and functioning properly. Off indicates that no battery is installed.

http://www.att.com/u-verse/explore/battery-backup.jsp

You can also see the FAQ about the iPSU in the link below:

http://www.fibersafebattery.com/faq.aspx#question2

[coltrane]

Here is the text from their email:

Thank you for contacting Enersys. If you are an AT&T customer and are having problems with your service, please contact your AT&T representative. If your Fibersafe back up battery did not provide at least 4 hours of service during a recent outage, you will be contacted to have a replacement battery sent to you. We have found that 99% of the time the indicators are incorrect and sending a new battery will not fix the blinking/alarming issue. You will need to call AT&T technical support at 877-722-3755.

So there ya go?

Regards, Fibersafe Support

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

Well, you can pass that info on to AT&T.  They will probably schedule a visit from a technician.

[Computer-Joe]

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texasguy37 wrote:

Not sure what they mean by "battery is probably not bad".  How can they know?  Did they test the battery?

From the link below:

How to determine when to replace your iPSU battery

When the battery needs to be replaced, a chirp sounds intermittently unless you press the button to silence it for 12 hours. The chirp resumes after 12 hours if the battery is not replaced. Flashing red indicates that the battery needs to be replaced.

Solid green indicates that the batter is installed and functioning properly. Off indicates that no battery is installed.

http://www.att.com/u-verse/explore/battery-backup.jsp

You can also see the FAQ about the iPSU in the link below:

http://www.fibersafebattery.com/faq.aspx#question2

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What happens if you just remove the battery? Will the unit still supply the iNID until there's a power failure?

It's interesting that they say the battery will last 3-5 years at 77 degrees. Considering these units are normally installed in non-living spaces like garages, which will, more often than not, be well outside that temp range, I can't see these things lasting more than a couple of years at best under those conditions.

__________________________________________________________
How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?
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I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.
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There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.
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“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell

[coltrane]

Just an FYI... ATT installer put our unit inside, under a cabinet near the TV... Is it supposed to be in a garage for safety reasons?  I had the same thought as CJ did... What happens if I do nothing?  To be honest I'm really not that concerned about my voip working when there's a power outage, as long as I can call out on my cell.

The bottom line is... ATT put this thing in my house, and are making money off me.  When there's a problem with it, they completely disown it (I realize this is a policy in writing, they just never showed me this policy before).  So I contact the battery folks, and thet say "contact ATT".  Frankly I intend to contact ATT AGAIN tomorrow, but today I have NO MORE TIME to devote to this issue. 

This is extremely irritating guys.

[Computer-Joe]

If it's in an enclosed area like that, especially with a bunch of AV equipment, I would think the heat would shorten it's lifespan.

The indicator says the battery is bad. That would be enough to get me to remove the battery considering the unit is located indoors. Don't need the thing bursting into flames like the BBUs for the gateways.

__________________________________________________________
How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell

[EOC_Jason]

I so wish the uverse installer guy would have left us the normal power brick for the uverse router... The BBU they supply is absolute GARBAGE. Sure, you unplug it and the battery kicks on, however it apparently doesn't have any AVR ability because whenever we get a brownout the voltage drops just enough for the router to power-cycles, but the UPS doesn't kick on...

I haven't opened mine to see, but it's probably just a regular 12V ~8Ah battery, which you can find for ~$20-$25 at places like Gander Mountain or Academy... A lot of outdoor hunting equipment uses the same battery.