The Network Interface Device (NID) is a phone company installed device that connects their outside phone lines to the phone lines inside your premise. The NID is often located near the electrical meter.

The NID contains a modular plug. When you disconnect the modular plug and replace it with a phone plug from your DSL modem, it disconnects all the inside phone wiring. This allows you to isolate your modem connection to the local phone service and determine if the issue you are experiencing is due to inside wiring or the lines outside your premise.

The NID has two sides - (1) One is for phone company access. (2) The second is for "customer access". Warning - You should not attempt to enter the phone company side of the NID. All of the testing you need to do is completed on the customer side of the NID.

1. Unscrew the Network Interface cover on the "Customer Access" side of the NID and open it.
   
2. You will see a "modular plug" (similar to the end of a telephone line ) connected to a test jack.
   
3. Disconnect the modular plug from the test jack. As noted above this disconnects your inside wiring from the equation.
   
4. Power up your modem by plugging it into to the nearest available power outlet.
   
5. Insert the modular phone plug (RJ11) from your modem into the test jack on the NID. You are now bypassing your house wiring and connecting directly into your phone company's network.
   
6. You are testing to see if your modem establishes sync (establishes a connection) to the GWI CO modem. If you have sync (a connection), depending on what type of DSL modem you have, you will see one of the following:
   
   1. Stormport Modem - Green "XFER" Light
      
   2. Westell Modem - Solid or Flashing "Ready" Light.
      
   3. Lucent Cellpipe Modem - Solid "WAN" light.
      

If you have an established connection there is a strong indication that the problem you are experiencing is related to your inside premise wiring. In this situation, contact us and one of our technicians can assist you in further trouble-shooting the connection. If a connection is not established, the cause could be a defective modem, an issue on the phone company line, or other factors outside your premise. Again, contact us and we can help resolve these issues.

Once the test is completed, disconnect the modem securely re-insert the original modular plug in the NID. Close the cover and screw the fastener down until the cover is tight.