Knowing what my cat is doing

Most private branch telephone exchanges, or PABXs, rely on internal extensions to work. This usually means that telephone systems have one of two types of wiring system installed. The first is what is known as a proprietary – or sometimes digital – extension. The other is an analogue extension which you would fit a standard telephone to. In either case, you may notice that when you make a call to a particular extension that speech does not have the desired level of clarity. Crackles or drop outs in connections are common issues, as are meshed voices which end up sounding robotic. To handle a fault like this, here's what you need to do.

• Isolate the Problem

When you notice a problem with an extension on your phone system, it is important to make sure that the fault really does relate to just one phone and not to others. Test this by making internal calls from the phone extension you suspect to be faulty to other ones. This way, you can determine whether the problem is replicated each time you call. If it is, then this is a good indication that the fault is local to the extension in question.

Now try using a phone on the extension you know to be working and dial the extension numbers immediately above and below the one you have diagnosed with a fault. If the problem also occurs on these, then you may have to replace the PABX's extension module which will involve the services of a professional telephone technician. If not, you can try to fix the fault yourself.

• Phone Repair

In many cases, it is the phone on the extension that has the fault, not the extension itself. Unplug the phone and switch it for another one of the same type, for instance, either digital or analogue. If the fault moves with the phone, then the problem lies with that device. Gently tap the phone's handpiece to remove any dirt that might be causing internal components to stick in the microphone or earpiece. Switch the phone's curly cable for a new one and ensure that it is plugged into the phone extension outlet properly. If none of these measures works, then you may need to replace the phone entirely.

• Extension Repair

If the fault you notice stays on the extension even when you switch phones, then you may need to reinstall the telephony cable to that point. Although this will need a professional phone engineer, you can check a few things first. To begin with, make sure the wires inside the cable are terminated properly. Engineers use specialist tools to terminate analogue phone extensions, but a flat blade screwdriver can also be used to make sure that wires are connected properly to the extension outlet's terminals. Another tip is to make sure that the telephone extension cable is not too close to a power cable because this can cause interference.

For more information or assistance, contact companies like One Step Ahead Communications.