Information Density: sandman.com – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

[H1] Quality Focused, US Based Telecom Manufacturing & Consulting

[IMG: Established in 1990]

[H1] Trusted Since 1990!

For over 34 years, sandman.com® has been a trusted supplier for the telecom industry.

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[IMG: Browse our Products]

[H1] Our Products

We manufacture and stock thousands of problem solving devices and replacement parts.

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[IMG: Learn About Our Services]

[H1] Our Services

We provide US based manufacturing, assembly, and consulting services.

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[IMG: Proudly Made in USA]

[H1] Proudly Made in USA

We build products in our facility in the Chicago suburbs.

Why it Matters?

[IMG: Contact Us]

[H1] Sales & Support

Our sales & support team are available by phone Monday-Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM CST.

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[IMG: View our ISO 9001 Certificate]

[H1] Quality Management

We are an ISO 9001:2015 Certified US based manufacturer.

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[IMG: View Our Knowledgebase]

[H1] Our Knowledgebase

In-depth technical articles on troubleshooting telecommunications problems.

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[IMG: Case Studies]

[H1] Case Studies

See how we've helped other telecommunications companies make IT work.

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[H1] Contact Us : sandman.com

[IMG: Call sandman.com]

[H1] ByPhone

[H2] (630) 980-7710

[H3] 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM CSTMonday - Friday

[H3] Talk to a Real Live Person!

[IMG: Email sandman.com]

[H1] ByEmail

[H2] sales@sandman.com

[H3] For Sales & Support Inquiries

[H3] We'll respond within 1 business day!

[IMG: Globe]

[H1] OurAddress

[H2] Mailing Address:

[H3] sandman.com, Inc.340 Washington AveLa Grange, IL 60525

[H5] Business Hours

Our office is open 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, Chicago Time (CST). During business hours, all calls are answered by a Real Live Person!

Current Chicago Time:
Sun May 24 2026
07:09 PM

We're Closed

[H5] Suggested Contact Methods

By Telephone:

If you didn't notice, we're phone people. We don't mind if you call, and all calls during regular business hours are answered by a real live person!

If your request is URGENT (for example, you need something delivered TOMORROW), please call us so we can make sure your order gets the attention it needs.

Tech Support & RMA Requests: Phone is the preferred method for tech support and RMA requests. Troubleshooting things is just easier in real-time.

By Email:

If we're not open (or you're not in a rush) you can email us any time at: sales@sandman.com. Email inquires are responded to within 1 business day.

Purchase Orders, Quote Requests, Customized Product Inquiries and all other inquiries can be addressed to sales@sandman.com.

[H5] Our Office

Our office is located in La Grange, IL (a suburb of Chicago) We don't have a walk-in storefront but if you're local and want to pick up something, you can call us and place a Will-Call Order. Please call at least 30 minutes before you want to pick up so we can have it ready at the will call desk.

[IMG: Our Office]

[H1] Telecom and IT Knowledgebase Articles from the Telecom Experts at sandman.com

#1
[H2] Troubleshooting Basics - Tips to Troubleshoot Telecom & IT Problems

Learn basic troubleshooting techniques that can help you save time diagnosing and fixing telephone and network equipment.

#2
[H2] Telephone Line Diagnostic Table (PDF)

These are the AC, DC, Current and Circuit Loss readings you need to take to figure out why a phone line is doing strange stuff. It's what we fill out on every service call where there's a strange problem!Start by filling out this PDF chart to diagnose strange problems!

#3
[H2] Learn How to Take Telephone Line Diagnostic Readings

Learn how to use a DVOM to take the readings from our Telephone Line Diagnostic Table accurately.

#4
[H2] Loop Current & Circuit Loss Technical Bulletin

Fix "Unfixable" problems caused by irregular loop current and circuit loss

#5
[H2] Telephone Ring Voltage Tech Bulletin

Why won't your phone ring? Learn about ring voltage and how to measure AC ring voltage with a digital volt meter.

#6
[H2] Echo and DTMF Troubleshooting Bulletin

All the things you can try to eliminate echo on a VoIP system, improve DTMF digit recognition and make a modem or fax machine communicate.

#7
[H2] Fire Alarm Phone Line Trouble Alarm Tech Bulletin

How to fix intermittent fire alarm phone line trouble alarms caused by low voltage

#8
[H2] What is a Noise Cancelling Handset and How Does It Work?

What is a noise cancelling handset and how do they work?

#9
[H2] What are Push-To-Talk (PTT) Handsets and How Do They Work?

Push-to-Talk handsets are required in many secure environments. How do they work?

#10
[H2] Is it Noisy? You probably don't need an amplified handset!

In a noisy environment, an amplified handset may not be your best bet... Here's why...

#11
[H2] Professional Low Voltage Bracket Installation Template (video)

Learn to quickly and professionally install low voltage mounting brackets with our LV Template

#12
[H2] Maximum Lightning Protection (MLP) Surge Protectors

Details on our Maximum Lightning Protection (MLP) product line of surge protectors for voice and data lines

#13
[H2] Do you put lightning protection on your systems, or wait for damage, then add protectors?

Tips to help you decide if you should install lightning protection on your new phone system installations.

#14
[H2] A Bad Ground Can be Very Expensive in a Lightning Storm!

A bad ground can be very expensive in a lightning storm!

#15
[H2] Electrical Grounding Tech Bulletin

A bad ground can cause all kinds of strange problems as well as allowing surges to blow your equipment up

#16
[H2] Is AC Power Your Problem?

When you're fighting a problem, do you assume your AC power is OK?

#17
[H2] AC Power & Ground Tech Bulletin

There are some easy ways to determine whether AC Power or the AC Ground is causing your problems.

#18
[H2] Longitudinal Imbalance Tech Bulletin

Fix hum and strange unfixable problems

#19
[H2] Modem Protector Tech Bulletin from sandman.com

If you still use a modem, learn how to protect it with our modem protector.

#20
[H2] Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) Troubleshooting and Elimination

Eliminate Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) on phones, headsets, handsets and ethernet equipment.

#21
[H2] RFI Troubleshooting Flow Chart (PDF)

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) Troubleshooting Flow Chart (PDF)

#22
[H2] Radio Frequency Eliminator Placement

Diagrams showing possible placement for radio frequency eliminators

#23
[H2] Data Noise Elimination Tech Bulletin

Fix problems on phone lines coming from fake phone line boxes, like cable company, fiber optic, uverse, fios, VoIP and other fake phone lines

#24
[H2] Problems with Data Noise on IP Office Systems (and others)

Learn about data noise issues that commonly occur with IP office systems, noise that you can hear and some you can't.

#25
[H2] Cordless Phone / Wi-Fi / RFID Troubleshooting

How to troubleshoot Cordless Phone and other wireless problems, including DECT phones that can reduce interference

#26
[H2] Fixing Hum on an Analog Phone Line or Analog Station Port

Common causes of hum on your phone line, and solutions to help fix it.

#27
[H2] Hum Elimination Tech Bulletin from sandman.com

Things to check, step by step, to find the cause of hum on analog phone lines or station ports

#28
[H2] Fix Crackling Static on Analog Phone Lines and Station Ports

Tips for solving crackling static on analog phone lines and analog station ports.

#29
[H2] Call Party Control (CPC) Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Calling Party Control (CPC) Problems

#30
[H2] Crosstalk Elimination Tech Bulletin

How to Find and Fix Crosstalk on Analog Phone Lines and Station Ports

#31
[H2] Conference Call Tech Bulletin from sandman.com

Fix the problem where the two outside parties can't hear each other on a conference call, or when transferred out of the system on a second line using the system's External Call Transfer feature

#32
[H2] Magic Jack Tech Bulletin

Making the Magic Jack work with more than one phone, or old phones with real bells

#33
[H2] Message Waiting Tech Bulletin from sandman.com

Explains how the different message waiting types work

#34
[H2] Hearing Aid Compatibility Tech Bulletin

The secret meaning of Hearing Aid Compatibility

#35
[H2] Can you troubleshoot phone problems remotely?

Can you troubleshoot phone problems remotely or do you have to send out a technician?

#36
[H2] Things to Think About BEFORE Switching to VoIP... VoIP Research Tech Bulletin

Things to Think About BEFORE Switching to VoIP... a list of quirks you're likely to run into trying to make VoIP work... Read it now, or live it later!

#37
[H2] VoIP Checklist from sandman.com

A quick checklist for both homes and businesses to consider when switching to VoIP phone lines.

#38
[H2] Make a Fax Machine work on a VoIP ATA or Gateway

Tips to help you get your fax machine working with your VoIP ATA or Gateway.

#39
[H2] How can you protect your Internet connected VoIP system?

It doesn't take much to stop a VoIP system connected to the Internet... How can you protect it?

#40
[H2] When is buying something that says it's QoS useless for VoIP?

Trying to use QoS to improve your VoIP calls? It may or may not help!

#41
[H2] Separate VoIP Network for Great Sounding Calls

How do you keep your VoIP packets from NEVER travelling over the public internet... so they always sound great?

#42
[H2] Troubleshooting Caller ID Problems

Tips on how to fix Caller ID problems. Includes things to check when it works on a cheap Caller ID box, but won't work on the expensive phone system. DON'T Replace the KSU first!

#43
[H2] Analog Telephony... How We Got Here, and What's Happening Now?

Analog Telephony... How We Got Here, and What's Happening Now?

#44
[H2] External Paging, Loud Bell & Strobe Tech Bulletin from sandman.com

How to get a phone system to do something it wasn't made to do...

#45
[H2] Solid vs Stranded Wires and Modular Plugs

How to determine what type of plugs you have, and crimp them properly.

#46
[H2] RS-232 Tech Bulletin from sandman.com

How to make any serial (RS-232) connection work in 10 minutes!

#47
[H2] Emergency Alerting - It's Got to Be Tested!

Don't forget to test your emergency alert systems!

#48
[H2] Call Quality: An Easy Way to Hear How Your Phone Sounds on the Other End

Some tips to see how your call sounds from the other end.

#49
[H2] How do you see BLOCKED and PRIVATE numbers on CallerID?

How do you see those BLOCKED or PRIVATE numbers on CallerID, and how to stop robo callers.

#50
[H2] What is Sidetone, and why do you need it?

What is sidetone, and why do you need it?

#51
[H2] Telephone Line Tap/Bug Tech Bulletin

If you think your phone line is tapped or bugged, what do you do?

#52
[H2] The Value of CDR and SMDR in Fixing Strange Phone Problems

How call accounting logs can help you detect and fix strange problems with your phone system.

#53
[H2] Extending a T1 a Long Ways into a Building or Campus

Tips on how to extend the range of your T1

#54
[H2] The Telephone History Page

Unique photos and information on the history of the telephone.

#55
[H2] The Hookswitch Story from sandman.com

How sandman.com got started - the hookswitch story

#56
[H2] Repairing Rubber Buttons

Repair bad dials, keystrips and remote control buttons

#57
[H2] Repairing Merlin Membranes & Keys

Tips for repairing Merlin and Spirit membranes

#58
[H2] Phone & Computer Cleaning Kit Instructions

Cleaning Kit Instructions to make used Phones and Computers look like new!

#59
[H2] Refurbishing Phones and Computers

Refurbishing your Own Phones, Computers and Tools is Easy and Profitable!

#60
[H2] Burnishing Tool Instructions from sandman.com

Instructions for using a burnishing tool to fix sticking dials and clean electrical contacts.

#61
[H2] What Chance Does your Company Have of Deflecting Hackers

What chance does your company have of deflecting hackers if nobody else seems to be able to?

#62
[H2] How to Disable Government Cell Phone Alerts

Cell phone companies are forcing you to get emergency weather and government notifications at all times of the day or night - unless you know how to turn if off...

#63
[H2] How to Run DOS Programs on Windows 7/8/10 and Other Windows Tips

How to run DOS programs on Windows 7/8/10 and Other Handy Windows Tips

#64
[H2] Why There's No Way to Secure your Company Data, and What to Do About It

Why There's No Way to Secure your Company Data, and What to Do About It

#65
[H2] How Do You Stop Static Shocks to Phones & Computers

When the heat comes on in the fall, the air dries out and static electricity comes alive

#66
[H2] Telecom Fraud Prevention Tips

Check your phone and voicemail systems for these types of vulnerabilities!

#67
[H2] Dial-Around 1010 Codes can Solve Problems with Call Quality

Dial-Around 1010 codes can solve problems with call quality, faxes and modems

#68
[H2] Why does Made in the USA matter to your business?

Why we still make things in the USA, and why does it matter to your business?

#69
[H2] The China Factor in Telecom

"Why my phones (and other things) don't work right"

#70
[H2] Central Office Lookup

Search Central Offices in the US

[H1] About the Telecom Experts at sandman.com®

[IMG: Established in 1990]

[H1] Trusted Since 1990!

For over 34 years, sandman.com® has been a trusted supplier for the telecom industry.

View Our Services

sandman.com, Inc. (formerly Mike Sandman Enterprises) was founded by Mike Sandman (Chicago's Telecom Expert) in 1990.Over the years, we've developed hundreds of unique problem solving devices that make life easier for phone men (and women) and IT and security professionals.

The company started by selling one type of replacement hookswitch (out of Mike's garage) and within 10 years expanded to a 108 page printed catalog of essentials for telecom professionals. We were also one of the first telecom distributors with a website, click here to check out our original site from 1996.

Replacement handsets quickly became a best seller and requests for specialty handsets (such as push-to-talk, amplified and noise-cancelling) led the company establish an in-house manufacturing division.

The in-house manufacturing division evolved to include design and production of hundreds of unique troubleshooting devices used by tens of thousands of telecommunications professionals in the United States and around the world.

Custom Telco Cable Assemblies were also a popular item and in 2017 sandman.com® acquired West Data and brought custom cable assembly and wiring harness production capabilities in-house.

In 2024, we became an ISO 9001:2015 Certified manufacturer with a focus on specialty handsets and custom cable assemblies and wiring harnesses.

Today, our experienced staff provides expert advice and quality US based manufacturing capabilities to help our customers make IT work.

[H5] Our Facility

[IMG: The sandman.com Office & Warehouse]

Our Facility in La Grange, Illinois

[IMG: As Seen on Manufacturing Marvels]

[H1] As Seen on Manufacturing Marvels®

Take a two minute look into our shop and see us featured on Manufacturing Marvels®

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[H5] Our Mission & Values

Our Mission: To provide expert advice and quality products and services to telecom professionals.

Provide Expert Advice
Sometimes figuring out what you need can be the most challenging part of a project. Our experienced advisors can help you find the right direction. If we can't solve your problem, we may know who can.

Produce Quality Products
If we build it, we test it. Testing the products we manufacture is an integral part of the process, not an optional step. We'll make sure it works so you don't have to.

Provide Accurate Timelines
We understand time-sensitive projects and strive to provide accurate production and delivery timelines so you can plan accordingly. If issues do arise, we'll keep you informed.

Respect Others
We're all in this together. Our employees treat our customers (and each other) with respect. A culture of respect is critcal to success on a project, in business and in life.