Video

The only DVR service provided by CTC is Whole-Home DVR. This means that any TV in your house that is connected with CTC’s digital equipment can record to your DVR. If you wish to have additional stand-alone DVR’s, CTC can provide them at a $10/month per DVR rate.

Yes. Simply hit the “Pause” button on your CTC-supplied remote control and the DVR will begin recording instantly. When you are ready to continue watching, simply hit “Play” and the program will begin where you left off.

Typically HDTV sets have a sticker somewhere on the front or side of the unit that indicates that it is an “HDTV.” If your TV is a newer unit that is “flat” or “skinny,” it is likely HD ready. If all else fails, refer to your owner’s manual.

CTC’s new Protection Plan is a safeguard to protect you from service fees in the event that lightning strikes your digital equipment or you spill something on your CTC-supplied remote. Please contact a customer service representative for full details on the Protection Plan and what it covers.

No. Unlike most satellite providers, CTC is not forcing customers to buy equipment. Subscribers of Preferred, Ultimate, and The Works will receive two (2) digital receivers/set tops as part of the service. CTC will be leasing all equipment to customers and the equipment remains the property of Columbus Telephone Company at all times.

Yes. Upon disconnection, customers are expected to return all digital receivers/set tops to CTC within five (5) business days. Customers who do not return the equipment in a timely fashion may be billed for the equipment, which is valued at $300 per box.

No! Unlike satellite, our fiber-optic is buried underground. This means rock-solid reliability to our customers. All of our facilities have backup power, meaning even a loss of electricity will likely not bring our cable system down.

If you subscribe to high speed Internet, you may purchase a wireless router to broadcast your Internet service over WiFi.  CTC sells wireless routers for very competitive prices that include programming.

CTC will provide service to one device.  If you wish to add additional computers, you may do so by purchasing a router or other networking device that allows you to do so.  CTC sells routers.

On our new network (installed in 2013), you simply need to plug in your new computer to your Internet jack.  You no longer are required to put IP addresses in your computer.

If you have lost your Internet connection, please try the following to attempt to restore your service:

1) Verify that your APC (the box mounted somewhere INSIDE your home) has two green lights.  If it does NOT, it has lost electrical power and you need to plug it back in or find an electrical outlet that works.

2) If you have a router (WiFi – wireless Internet), please unplug the power cord from it for 30 seconds and plug it back into the outlet.

3) Reboot all of your devices that connect to the Internet – computers, tablets, etc.

If that does not restore your connection:

4) Take the Ethernet cable out of the “Internet” port on the back of your router and plug it straight into a computer.  This takes your router out of the picture.  If your connection begins to work on your computer, your router is causing the problem.

If your Internet is still not working after performing the above steps, please contact us.

Internet speeds are greatly impacted by your computer and router.  If you have an older computer or an old router, it’s very likely those devices are slowing your connection from us.  Please try the following to help increase your Internet speed:

1) Uninstall any toolbars in your browser – these just consume memory and slow the connection down.

2) List how many devices you have on the Internet.  If you stream video and have several tablets or smartphones, you may need to upgrade to a faster connection speed.

2) If you have a router (WiFi – wireless Internet), please take the Ethernet cable out of the “Internet” port on the back of the router and plug it straight into your computer.  If you speed is improved, your router is the problem.  We sell routers here.

If after doing the above does not resolve your problem, contact us.

If you have a newer widescreen TV, you may find that the sides have black boxes on your screen.  The boxes can be removed from SD channels by widening the picture via your TV remote (instructions vary by TV).  The black boxes that appear on LOCAL channels periodically are NOT removable.  Those black boxes are being placed their by the content provider (CBS, ABC, etc.).  This link better explains the aspect ratio of TV’s.

CTC mails out Capital Credit checks to cooperative members at the end of the year.  Typically they are mailed out in early December, though the exact time can vary.  Please watch our website towards the end of the calendar year for a more specific time-frame.

CTC has a technician on-call 24/7.  If you experience a problem with one of our services after hours, please call (620) 429-3132 and leave a message.  The on-call technician will return your call as soon as possible.  CTC respectfully asks that customers refrain from calling employees homes after hours to report trouble.

All CTC bills are due on the 10th of the month.  This date never changes.  After the 10th, your payment becomes delinquent and a late fee will be assessed to your account.  CTC typically allows 1-2 days of grace after the 10th.  If you have questions regarding your payment or would like to make payment arrangements, please contact us.

Columbus Telephone Company is a member-owned cooperative.  When CTC turns a profit, money is allocated to each cooperative member for that year.  Membership is completely optional for Internet and cable TV services, however it is required for telephone service.  It costs only $15.00 to become a member.  This fee is NONREFUNDABLE.

Yes!  Simply go to this page and follow the registration instructions.

Through our partners, CTC has a direct link to Netflix and some other common content providers.  If your Netflix is buffering, try the following:

1) Take note of your connection speed.  If you subscribe to our lowest high speed connection, you may need to upgrade to a faster connection speed.

2) Reboot your wireless router by unplugging the power cord for 30 seconds and plugging it back in.  If your router is older (3-4 years), it’s possible you may need to replace it.

Also note that buffering is a problem nationwide.  The more people watching these services, the more the national network gets loaded down.

If you subscribed to CTC’s Voicemail service, you may call 429-4950 from your home phone to check your voicemail.  Follow the voice commands within the system to change your options, delete messages or save messages.

In order to trace a harassing call, dial *57 from your phone.  The system will then ask you if you want to trace the last caller, dial 1 to trace.  This logs the caller information within CTC’s switch.  Please note that we CANNOT give our call data to anyone without a court order.

Your WiFi – wireless Internet, is provided from the router in your home.  Please try the following steps to attempt to restore your service:

1) Unplug the power cord from the back of your router for 30 seconds, then plug it back in.

2) Reboot your devices that connect to the wireless connection (tablets, laptops, etc.)

If that does not fix your wireless, we recommend resetting your router and running the setup CD that came with your router to set it back up.  When setting it back up, please pick a NEW wireless name and password.

CTC does not keep a record of your WiFi – wireless Internet password.  If you purchased your router from our office, there may be a label on the bottom of the router with the password you selected for it.

If you cannot locate your password, you will need to RESET your router and set it back up with a new password.  Instructions for doing so vary by brand and model of router.

If you replaced a TV with a new one, and need to hook up a cable box to it, please take the following steps:

1) Download the Quick Start Guide for your cable box.  Click here if you have a small cable box, click here if you need to connect a DVR box.

2) The Quick Start Guide will tell you how to hook the cable box to your TV and a variety of other components (DVD player, BluRay player, surround sound, etc.).

3) If you do not wish to view the Quick Start Guide, note that you need to run an HDMI cable from your cable box to your TV, run the coax (cable from the wall) to the cable box, and plug in the cable box into power.

4) Once you have the cable box connected to your new TV, put the TV on the input (SOURCE).  You will need to refer to your TV manual for instructions on how to chance the source/input to HDMI.

5) There is a sticker on the back of your remote we provided you to PROGRAM the remote to your NEW TV.

If you have a cable box and your cable TV isn’t working on one TV, please take the following steps:

1) Verify that your cable box is powered on and the bright blue light on the front of it is lit up.  To turn on the cable box you must hit the “CBL” button at the top of your remote.

2) Verify that your TV is turned on.  TV’s typically show some kind of light on the front of the display when they are turned on.

3) Verify that your TV input is on the correct input.  Our cable TV service NEVER shows static or snow. If you are seeing static or snow, your input needs to be changed back to the cable TV box.  Get your original TV remote and hit the INPUT or SOURCE button until your cable comes back on.

If the above steps do not restore your cable service, please contact us.

If your cable TV service is not working on any of your TV’s in your home, please verify the following:

1) Verify that your cable boxes are turned on (with the bright blue light on the front of the box).

2) Verify that your TV’s are turned on.

3) Verify that the APC box installed somewhere INSIDE your home has two green lights on it.  If this box has lost electrical power, your cable TV service will NOT work!  If it has lost power, plug it back in or find a working electrical outlet to plug it into.

If the above steps do not restore your cable TV service, please contact us.

Because CTC broadcasts our cable TV in all-digital, sound quality is all stereo quality, and full Dolby Digital 5.1 surround on many HD channels.

To take full advantage of the sound quality, we recommend you use an Optical Audio cable to connect your surround sound system to your cable box.  Every sound system is a bit different, but below are some general instructions to hook up a surround sound system.

1) Verify that your surround sound system (A/V Receiver) has an optical audio port.  It is a square looking port that often has a red light in it.

2) Connect the optical audio cable to the cable box and surround sound system.

3) Put the surround sound system on the appropriate input (typically “TV” or “Cable”).

If the above does not get your sound system connect, refer to this document.  Page 7 specifically refers to connecting A/V devices with optical audio.

If some of your channels are displaying “One Moment Please…”, please do the following.

1) Unplug the power cord from the back of the cable box for several seconds.

2) Plug the power cord back into the cable box and let it set for 5-10 minutes.

3) Turn the cable box on (by hitting the “CBL” button on the remote).

If this does not fix your problem, please contact us.

To program your cable remote (the one provided by CTC) to your TV, there are instructions on the back of the remote.  The instructions are the following:

1) Press and hold both the TV button (at the top of the remote) and the “OK/SEL” buttons until the “TV” button lights up.

2) Press “CH+” button one step at a time until the TV turns off.  Note that this process can TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES.

3) Test the programming by pressing the MUTE button.  If the TV turns on, press the “TV” button to store the code.

Our all-digital cable TV system does not support recording to a VCR.  If you have programs you wish to record, you may subscribe to our DVR service, which will program shows for you, and allow you to play them on any TV in the home that has a cable box.

If you subscribe to our Whole-Home DVR service, you can watch and record shows from every cable box in the house.  If that stops working, please perform the following:

1) Hit the “B” button on the remote of the small cable box.  If your recorded shows are NOT listed, proceed to the next step.

2) Go to your DVR box (the big cable box with numbers on the front) and pull the power cord from the back of the box.

3) After a few seconds, plug the power cord back in and wait 5-10 minutes so that the box can sync back up.

4) Go to your small box and hit the “B” button again.  Your recorded content should now show up.

NOTE: Sometimes after electric glitches, the boxes can’t see each other.  The above steps will allow the boxes to communicate with each other again.  If that does not help, please contact us.

If you need a 429 phone number, we have an online directory that has up to the minute information.  Of course, unlisted numbers are not displayed in that directory and we cannot give unlisted numbers out if you call.

If you need a number outside of Columbus, we recommend using Switchboard.com.  As a phone company, we do NOT have access to any number database.  We simply use the same site everyone has access to.

Customers often ask us when they should replace their wireless router in their home.  While there is not certain answer or time frame, our suggestions are as follows:

• Take note of how old your current router is.  If it’s 3-4 years old, and you have more wireless devices in your home now than you did when you purchased the router…it may not be adequate for your needs any longer.
• If you’re noticing that the Internet feels sluggish on devices connected to your WiFi, the router may be slowing your connection down.
• If you’re subscribing to our higher speeds, you should consider getting a more robust router.

Routers tend to be very susceptible to electrical surges, which we have a lot of during storm season.

We sell routers of all types, including high-end routers designed for Ultra Broadband.

Congrats on your purchase!  In order to get Internet on your new computer, you don’t have to do much!

If you use a router, just connect the computer to your WiFi (wireless) network.  Most new computers ask you to do this the first time you start them up.
If you do NOT have a router, just plug your Ethernet cable that was in your old computer to the new one.  Turn the computer on, and you should have Internet!

Channels that you are not paying for are supposed to say “Not Authorized.”  If you believe you are paying for a channel that says “Not Authorized”, please contact us to reprogram your cable boxes.

If you have a cable box connected to your TV, please do the following to watch a DVD or VCR player:

1) Locate the remote that came with your TV (NOT your cable remote).

2) Power on the DVD/VCR player.

3) Find the SOURCE or INPUT button on the remote and hit it until the source of your TV changes to the connection your DVD/VCR player is connected to.  The screen should display something from the player when you are on the correct input.

After you are done watching your DVD/VCR player, you must change your TV’s input back to the input that the cable box is connected to.

When our staff is dispatched to address an issue that is not at the fault of our equipment or service, the following charges may apply:

• Phone Service Call – $70/hr
• Internet Service Call – $70/hr
• Cable TV Service Call – $70/hr

Depending on the situation, material charges may also apply.