My landline stopped working. What do I do?

A dead landline usually has one of three causes: a problem inside your home, a repair issue on the phone company's lines, or your service being shut off as part of the copper landline retirement. Here's how to tell which one.

Step 1: Check inside your home.

1. Unplug every phone and device from your phone jacks: phones, answering machines, fax machines, alarm panels, medical alert bases.

3. If you hear a dial tone now, one of your devices or cords was the problem. Plug them back in one at a time to find it.

2. Plug one simple corded phone into the jack closest to where the line enters your home.

4. If you use a cordless phone, check that its base is plugged into power. Cordless phones don't work in a power outage.

Step 2: Check for an outage.

Ask a neighbor with the same phone company if their line works.

Call your phone company from a cell phone and ask if there is an outage in your area.

Storms and construction often damage lines, and repairs can take a few days.

Got a letter from AT&T? Read what it means.

Step 3: Check whether your service was shut off.

AT&T and Verizon are retiring their old copper phone lines in many areas. Before service ends, they must send a written notice. Look for a letter or bill insert that mentions copper retirement, a network upgrade, or a replacement service like AT&T Phone - Advanced, with a date on or after which your service ends.

See your replacement options.

What to do if your line was shut off.

1. Call your phone company and ask what replacement service is available at your address.

3. Check each device works on the new service, and test them the same day you switch.

2. List everything that used the landline: medical alert, home alarm, fax, answering machine.

4. Compare your options before signing anything.

Check my medical alert.

If you have a medical alert, check it first.

Many medical alert base stations call for help over the landline. If your landline is dead, your medical alert may not reach anyone. Press the button and ask the operator to confirm a test call.

What to do if landline is not working?

First, find out whether the problem is your phone or the line. Plug a basic corded phone straight into the wall jack and listen for a dial tone. If there's none, check for an outage or a letter from your phone company. Many copper landlines are being shut off on purpose.

What causes a landline to stop working?

Common causes are a cordless base that lost power, a loose cord, damaged wiring, storm damage, or an outage. Increasingly it's because AT&T or Verizon is retiring copper landline service in your area. Check your mail for a shutoff notice.

How do I reset a landline?

Unplug the phone base from power and from the wall jack, wait 60 seconds, then plug it back in. If your service runs through a modem or adapter box, restart that first, then the phone. For cordless phones, also remove and reinsert the handset battery.

What to do if landline has no dial tone?

Unplug every phone and device from your jacks, then test one corded phone at the main jack. If you hear a dial tone, the problem is inside your home's wiring or equipment. If not, the problem is on the phone company's side. Call them, and ask whether your line is part of a shutoff.