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From: res@ihuxn.UUCP (Rich Strebendt)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: phones that go chirp in the night
Message-ID: <608@ihuxn.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Apr-84 10:49:47 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxn.608
Posted: Wed Apr  4 10:49:47 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Apr-84 02:26:05 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 23

I may be mistaken on this since I have not worked with a telephone
operating company, but I believe that a central office equipped to do
so periodically checks the integrity and quality of trunks and loops 
(local lines) automatically during low traffic times (such as in the 
middle of the night).  This test procedure does not cause the phone to
ring, but does involve making a connection to the line then running
some tests under control of a small computer.  Trunks or lines that
fail such tests are then scheduled for maintenance during the following
day or so.  This process catches a lot of problems while they may not
be noticable to a human being before they become catastrophic.  
Since it sounds like your phone is sensitive to the disconnection of 
the line at the end of a call, I wonder if it isn't also reacting to 
the disconnect at the end of the test procedure.  Perhaps someone from 
one of the telcos could fill us in on this.

Disclaimer:  Since I work in the Computer Systems division and not in
the division responsible for Local Loop, the foregoing may be totally
erroneous.  It is based on recollections of discussions and vaguely
remembered magazine articles and memoranda.  I am quite willing to be 
corrected.

					Rich Strebendt
					...!ihnp4!ihuxn!res