Ahhh.. Digital?
Are you using a Digial Phone on an anaglog signal?
Something that is plagueing my parents with their phone system, the power goes out, and the phone lines literally go down. I've tried that too, and I just got silence on the line, take the phone off the line, your frying it.
Digital Phones aren't compatible with that sort of voltage (the V from the CO {on/off hook}
help? or have I gone on another one of my lil tangents.