Bizarre behavior from landline phone...

February 8, 2015 9:31 AM

I have a landline and it also has a cordless handset. When people call me, all is well. When I call them, they cannot hear me though I can hear them fine. The same is true for the corded and cordless handset. How is this possible and how can I fix it? I'm in Toronto Canada if that makes any difference regarding landlines.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy to Technology (5 answers total)

If this is happening on all jacks, you may have an outside wire problem. Put in a repair request with your phone company. If it's on their side of the demarcation, they'll fix it.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:36 AM on February 8, 2015

I should have been clearer: the line is fine as when I plug another phone into the line, it works normally.

I'm more just baffled as how the speaker/mic can function perfectly fine on incoming calls but not on outgoing. As far as the piece of technology is concerned... how/why would the phone or manufacturer make a distinction between in/out calls in regards to functionality?

Further, this particular phone worked fine two days ago. So, have I inadvertently hit some button or done something that has caused this? I've read the entire manual and googled the phone for similar issues but have come up empty.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 9:45 AM on February 8, 2015

Do you have a "mute" button you're not aware of?
posted by citygirl at 10:00 AM on February 8, 2015

There is a mute button but the phone lights up "Muted" when pressed so it can't be that. In addition, I don't hit in between the out/in calls (except to dial) so would think the behavior would be the same on both calls.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 10:24 AM on February 8, 2015

how can I fix it? ... when I plug another phone into the line, it works normally.

Plug another phone into the line. Yours is busted.
posted by flabdablet at 10:31 AM on February 8, 2015