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Troubleshooting Your Dedicated Circuits

In This tutorial:

  • Locating the level of the problem
  • Identifying DS-3, DS-1, or DS-0 level variables
  • Understanding circuit failure issues
  • Addressing carrier trouble ticket questions
  • Managing your dedicated trouble tickets
  • Troubleshooting outbound dedicated issues, step by step
  • Troubleshooting dedicated toll-free issues, step by step

Dedicated circuits save your business money when they are working, but if they fail, your company can come to a grinding halt. By identifying the problem accurately and by working with the information you uncover, you can greatly reduce your downtime.

Identifying the scope of a problem is always your first concern. When you know the level at which the issue exists, you can evaluate all the hardware and carriers that interact at that level and push forward with more tests. This tutorial walks you through all the troubleshooting techniques, shortcuts, and pitfalls you might encounter with your dedicated circuits.

Remember Keeping your objectivity is crucial, because the moment you close your mind to the possibility that the issue might be linked to a carrier or a piece of hardware, you begin reducing your chances of success. In the court of telecom, every variable is guilty until proven innocent. This philosophy should be the foundation of your cross-examination in the coming pages.

In this tutorial:

  1. Identifying the Level of Your Problem
  2. Identifying circuit variables in circuits that are DS-3 or larger
  3. Identifying DS-1-level circuit variables
  4. Identifying DS-0 or individual channel issues
  5. Categorizing the Nature of Your Problem
  6. Understanding dedicated call quality issues
  7. Understanding circuit failure issues
  8. Opening a Trouble Ticket for Your Dedicated Circuit
  9. Letting your channels be your guide
  10. Remembering the first rule of troubleshooting
  11. Remote made busy: RMB
  12. Installation made busy: IMB
  13. Avoiding permanent IMB status
  14. Managing Your Dedicated Trouble Ticket
  15. Getting the Basics of Dedicated Outbound Troubleshooting
  16. Step 1: Rebooting your hardware
  17. Understanding your trouble ticket options
  18. Step 2: Intrusively testing: Looping the CSU
  19. If looping the CSU fails
  20. Using a T-1 test set
  21. Step 3: Looping the NIU
  22. Getting the scoop on loops
  23. Step 4: Looping to your T-1 jack
  24. If you can't loop the T-1 jack
  25. Step 5: Looping the CFA point
  26. Following a Dedicated Troubleshooting Shortcut
  27. Validating the Circuit You Are Testing
  28. The Basics of Dedicated Toll-Free Troubleshooting
  29. Step 1: Identifying a provisioning issue
  30. Step 2: Redialing your dedicated toll-free number
  31. Step 3: Validating your dedicated RespOrg
  32. Step 4: Validating the DNIS configuration
  33. Step 5: Head-to-head dedicated toll-free testing