How to Trouble Shoot No Dial Tone

If phone has no dial tone, before calling your service provider. Try these simple trouble shooting steps.

1. Check phone cord if properly connected to cradle or base where the phone handset resides. 

2. Make sure the other end of the cord  is connected to phone jack.

3. For corded phone handset. Make sure spiral cord, and cord from the jack are clip in properly. 

4. For cordless type of handset. Check If the base of the phone is connected to power source.

5.Check battery or change battery of cordless handset if needed. 

6. Unplug phone from jack, plug in after two minutes. If you have fax machine, unplug as well.

7. If you have cordless phone unplug also from power source.

8. If you have more than one handsets unplug them all from the jack. After two minutes, plug in one by one. Check for dial tone as you plug one after the other.  This is to isolate the possibility of one handset causing the no dial tone issue.  Unplug that handset causing the no dial tone permanently. If you have one handset and you have several jacks. Try plugging in the handset to the other jacks to isolate a jack trouble. 

9. If phone and internet modem are using same jack separated only by splitter. Try to use a new splitter.

10. Call your home phone. If you hear a not in service recording. Check if bills have been paid. If busy signal, check if handset rests properly on the cradle. 

After doing these trouble shooting, and still will not fix the no dial tone issue. Call your service provider.

Your Home Phone has No Dial Tone

 It is your day off from work. You want to rest, watch tv and avoiding cooking.  You want pizza delivered right at your doorstep. You feel frustrated picking up your phone and there is silence.  You frantically dialed your service provider from your pay as you go cell phone, only to hear recording saying all calls will be attended to shortly as they are getting volumes of calls.

Do try these simple trouble shooting steps and see it you can fix your phone. Unplug phone from phone jack. Plug in back after one minute. If your phone handset is wordless, unplug the base from the power source as well. If you have, fax machine and internet modem, unplug them too. If there is a phone cord plug in at the back of a satellite receiver unplug the phone cord at the back of the receiver. Soon as one minute is up, plug back in. If you are lucky, dial tone will kick in after you plug back in phone handset.

If you have several phone handsets, plug in first the basic non cordless handset. Every time you plug in a handset to the jack listen for dial tone.  If one has dial tone, and you plug in another phone handset and lose dial tone. Unplug again the last phone you plugged in. That particular phone handset is causing the trouble. If you only have one phone handset and there is spare jack. Try plugging in the phone handset to the spare jack. If it works on the spare jack, it means it is the first jack causing the trouble.  Normally service provider charges replacement of phone jack, you can do it yourself. Or ask a friend who can fix it for you.

When you get dial tone and soon as you plug in your fax machine, and lose dial tone. It is your fax machine causing the trouble. Call then the manufacturer of the fax machine. If you plug in modem, and lose dial tone. Call your internet service provider. Same thing if you have satellite tv and you plug in back the phone cord at the back of the satellite receiver. Call your satellite service provider. Satellite service provider must replace the satellite receiver.

Before you do the trouble shooting, try calling your home phone first. If recording says not in service at this time, no need to trouble shoot. Call your service provider, check with them if bills have been paid. If paid, chances are someone must have installed phone service in your area. The installed tech might have inadvertently disconnected your phone service.