chittur@cn.ecn.purdue.edu (Venkatesh K Chittur) (08/28/89)
I recently moved to southern New Jersey, and applied for a phone connection on August 7. At first they told me that they may be able to have someone over to do the connecting (or whatever); then later someone called and said it would be delayed indefinitely because of the strike. They did give me a phone number, though. Apparently, as the apartment complex I am living in is a new development, someone has to come and physically do "something" at the phone box outside the apartment. The apartment has telephone wiring and jacks inside also. I plugged a phone into the Network Interface Jack, just to check, and heard only silence. So what the heck do they have to do? Seems to me, one just has to open up the other side of the box (a simple socket driver is enough) and connect whatever wires are needed, right? Isn't it simple? Why won't the telephone company let *me* do it? Then they would only have to set up the "stuff" in their office to make my number work, right? I can understand them not permitting me to do something like this if I can get this necessary service from elsewhere, but since I *have* to get service only from them, and since they are unable to provide me with it, shouldn't I be able to find an alternative? I would appreciate any information on this subject. Please email if possible, as I may not be able to read the net; I will forward copies of responses to anyone interested, or post a summary if there is enough interest. Thanks in advance. (P.S. I am not expressing any opinions about the strike. I don't know anything about it, so no flames on that, please!) -- Venkatesh K. Chittur (chittur@ecn.purdue.edu, pur-ee!chittur)