Our Telephone Environment:

We have our own internal telephone digital switch, a Tadiran IPx 500 (Coral ). It is maintained by Communications Systems Management, (CSM) of Florida. Telephone instruments at 101 Ray Watson Dr., (Base), are digital phones. The instruments at the Training Center are VOIP phones. CSM, (813.961.9351 and push the number for service.)

The link between our two facilities is a microwave link which we own. It has no maintenance contract. This link carries both voice and data between the Training Center and Base.( We are investigating the most cost effective way of replacing this link.) It is often down after an electrical storm. The fix for this is to re-set the routers both here and there. It is highly likely that we DO NOT have an internet problem if we can get on from the Base.

Our link to the outside world is a fractional T-1 service for voice and data provided by NuVox over lines leased from Verizon. NuVox, (1.800.600.5050). There is a sheet in the Server Room containing our account number for use when starting a trouble ticket with them.

So, we have 3 vendors who can be wholly or partially responsible for any kind of outage. This is not the best situation in the world because it can lead to finger pointing when no one knows precisely what the problem is and decides that whatever it is it is not their problem. We had this situation recently when CSM said it wasn’t their problem, NuVox said it wasn’t theirs and we subsequently discovered that it was a Verizon problem. Additionally, if we call CSM, and they determine the problem is not theirs, they charge us for the time spent in troubleshooting.

In sum, we have a telephone and internet arrangement that requires more sophisticated technical expertise than we currently have. We are trying to recruit that kind of expertise. In the mean time, we ask that you take some steps before you declare a telephone outage or emergency.
    1. If you suspect a problem, use a cell phone to call in to the front desk, 633-1411.
    2. If you have dial tone, call someone outside the Squad.
    3. If you don't have dial tone, use a cell phone to call NuVox
    4. If NuVox reports no problem, use a cell phone to call CSM.