Sorting Out Some More Phone Connection Issues

Our phone line seems to be working fine since the tech re connected it after the wires just fell apart in his hands. After it was all over, the phone was working fine but I noticed a couple of lights stayed on on my Billion Modem/Router that weren't on previously. We have VOIP phone calls connected here for outgoing calls. Voip phone calls use the computer part of the phone line and not the regular telephone carrier section. This frees us from call charges and allows us to make calls nationwide to landlines for 10c a call, not time restricted. We can call Melbourne landlines for 10c and speak for 2 hours with this service. Our modem router has voip built in.

At one stage the Voip wouldn't connect at all. And the modem/router told me that a phone was not 'hung up' even though every phone in the house was 'on the hook'. Our Voip service has never been perfect and sometimes you would go to answer an incoming call on one of the cordless phones but all the other phones in the house would continue to ring! A quick hang up and re answer fixed the problem.

To solve this problem it was suggested I get into the modem/router and adjust the onhook/offhook settings which I did. This improved the problem but didn't fix it 100%. I am now guessing that we have never had a 100% perfect phone connection at the house. Now we do have a perfect connection and I now needed to readjust the onhook/offhook settings so the "Line" light on the router would go out and the voip would connect.

I actually have two modem/routers. I swapped them over yesterday afternoon and I am now using my DLink model. Everything is working fine. The second modem/router (above left) doesn't have to have onhook/offhook settings adjusted, it does it automatically.

I did a different bike ride yesterday and you can check it out here. The MapMyRide website works better with Internet Explorer! My ride this morning was a little shorter than previous rides because the sky was a little threatening (see left). We have a blustery north easterly wind today blowing humid air in off the Pacific Ocean bringing light showers. I just made it home in time to miss a short sharp shower of rain. Earlier in the day I tipped another 4mls out of the rain gauge from overnight showers.

The gazebo is back up again in the back yard. I did it as a one man operation and it took me a good 20 minutes to erect on my own. You would do it half the time with two people. The weather looks pretty reasonable for the next week or so; good for the gazebo.

The pool was 27 degrees yesterday afternoon. After the bike ride yesterday, I put up the gazebo, mowed the lawns and then had a swim. It was just wonderful. A later afternoon swim saw me relaxing in my floating chair with stubby of home brew in hand! Very pleasant!

Speaking of home brew, I put another "Black Ale" on this morning. Bottle washing and a bottling will follow over the next week. The photo shows the mix before I add any water. The mix is made up of 300gms of corn syrup, dextrose and malt along with 150 gms of Very Brown Sugar.

Trish is at the Tourist Info Centre again this morning and isn't due home till after 1 pm.

Remember you can click on all photos for a larger view.