Trouble with WE 202 and WE 302

[caltx01]

I posted this in the general discussion forum but then realized it probably belongs here instead.  Sorry about that, I am a newbie to the forum.

About 10 years ago I obtained a WE 202-D1 with E-1 handset, and a WE 302.  I installed mini-networks in both of them and put a small in-line ringer on the 202.  Both of these telephones have been working fine with my telephone service ever since.

Just recently I noticed that both of the phones stopped ringing when a call was received.  Upon investigation I noticed that now when I pick up the handset on both phones and turn the dial, the dial tone returns after the dial stops.  If I depress the switch hook the dial tone stops as it should, but it seems the dial pulses are no longer being recognized.

Since this happened with both telephones I am pretty sure it must be associated with some change made by my service provider - Suddenlink.  However, I called their technical service line and they assure me that there is nothing that they are doing that should be causing this problem.

So, I am looking for advice from the forum as to how to tackle this problem and what to investigate.

Thanks for all advice!

Cal in Texas

[Phonesrfun]

Is your provider giving you dial tone via a VOIP system, and if so, did they recently chang out your ATA, or router?

If it happened to both phones at the same time, and since it apparently affects both ringing and dialing, the chances are it is the provider and not you who has changed something.  Did they recently upgrade some part of their system to fiber from copper?  Even if they leave the final link to your house as copper, sometimes that change can have an effect on your service.

So, back to you with questions...

[caltx01]

Bill, you hit the nail on the head.  I have telephone/cable/HS Internet bundled through Suddenlink.  I checked with them and indeed they no longer support pulse dialing on their system.

So, here is the next question, and please excuse my minimal knowledge, but I am learning!  If I use a pulse to tone converter in order to use my 202-D1 and 302 phones, will I still need the mini-networks that I installed in them years ago to get them to work correctly on my old standard ATT phone service?

Thanks again!
Cal B.

[poplar1]

You still need some kind of network. A mini-network is fine. The 302 should already have a 101A induction coil and 195A capacitor; either these or the mini-network will work.

You also said your phones stopped ringing. How many phones are you trying to ring at the same time? If you unplug all but one phone at a time, will that single phone ring?

[Phonesrfun]

To echo David, yes you still need a network.  Most VOIP based systems should still support up to 5 legacy phones at a time, but some providers are probably going cheap on the routers that provide the ringig current, since most people these days have all electronic phones such as cordless phones which take a fraction of the current of a legacy phone.  That is why David was asking how many phones are plugged in at once.  Try it with only the 202 or the 302 connected (one at a time) and see if you get any ringing action.

You may be stuck with just having other phones in the house to ring instead of your antique phones, other than spending some money to buy a PBX or devise some other way to ring all the phones at once.