Of course, it's important to double-check every part of a setup to make sure it all works as expected. But if these extra steps can help keep you avoid red tape and finger-pointing, then go the extra mile. The time and frustration you save will be your own, as I learned the hard way.
Several years ago, we were upgrading the Internet service at a remote site. Cost was an issue, so we implemented a solution that we'd successfully executed at other locations.
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An additional POTS line would be delivered on a standard copper line. The DSL signal would be transmitted on the same line and picked off by the equipment to provide high-speed Internet service for the PCs. With the proper filters installed, neither signal should interfere with the other.
We had no need for a single phone line there, as we had a PBX already installed. But the arrangement still helped the bottom line, so we let the line hang in the basement, not connected to any phones. This setup had worked well at our other locations, so I didn't take the time to verify the phone line was set up correctly. After all, we weren't going to use it.
The system worked flawlessly for almost a year until one day the office administrator at that location called me about the bill for the line. It was normally in the $30 range with the DSL charge remaining constant, but this month there were toll charges for both out-of-state and international calls.
I pulled the bills for the past six months to see what was going on. There were no irregularities until the prior two months. The first month's bill listed a few unexplained calls, then the calls blossomed the next month.
I called the number for that line, which had been left dead-ended in the basement. When it rang, I asked to speak with the office administrator by name. "No one here by that name," came the reply. I specifically asked for the manager, and this resulted in an immediate hang-up.
