wireless phone jack?

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 07, 2006 Posts: 11

Hi,

My DSL connection is up on the 2nd floor, which means the Vonage phone adapter is also up on the 2nd floor. However, downstairs I have a need to connect equipment. For example, one phone and also a DirecTV receiver that needs to be connected to the phone line.

How will that work? Is there some sort of wireless phone jack that can be used downstairs?

What equipment is recomended?

Thanks
Ricardo

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

rkleemann wrote:

My DSL connection is up on the 2nd floor, which means the Vonage phone adapter is also up on the 2nd floor. However, downstairs I have a need to connect equipment. For example, one phone and also a DirecTV receiver that needs to be connected to the phone line.

How will that work? Is there some sort of wireless phone jack that can be used downstairs?

Is your house wired with phone jacks? Most people handle your issue by disconnecting the regular phone company's land line from their house wiring. Then they use the house wiring with their Vonage phone. There's a separate forum here where we discuss this.

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 07, 2006 Posts: 11

Steve48 wrote:

rkleemann wrote:

My DSL connection is up on the 2nd floor, which means the Vonage phone adapter is also up on the 2nd floor. However, downstairs I have a need to connect equipment. For example, one phone and also a DirecTV receiver that needs to be connected to the phone line.

How will that work? Is there some sort of wireless phone jack that can be used downstairs?

Is your house wired with phone jacks? Most people handle your issue by disconnecting the regular phone company's land line from their house wiring. Then they use the house wiring with their Vonage phone. There's a separate forum here where we discuss this.

Thanks for the tip. I'm not sure how it works, but yes... my house is definitely wired with jacks. I have 2 lines, one of which is the one being replaced by Vonage. How can I make use of the existing jacks through Vonage?

Ricardo

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 10:20 pm Post subject:

Everything is covered in the Vonage Wiring and Installation Guide. Give that a look see and then post any questions you might have.

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 07, 2006 Posts: 11

scerruti wrote:

Everything is covered in the Vonage Wiring and Installation Guide. Give that a look see and then post any questions you might have.

This seems quite complicated! Cry

I didn't think it would be such a hassle.

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 11:46 pm Post subject:

There are wireless phone jacks that you could try, but, especially with the DirecTV receiver you may have problems.

They are available at Radio Shack, there are RCA models available at most places that sell satellite receivers and some people recommend the Easy Jack version from Phonex.

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

was your phone and directTV receiver previously connected through your regular land line #1? If so, then all you need to do is disconnect your line #1 from the telco's gray box on the outside of your home and connect the phone and directTV receiver into their previous jack(s). Lastly, you need to connect your Vonage router to a phone jack that worked with line #1 before and you are all set to go. We would be glad to help. It is not as difficult as it seems.

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 07, 2006 Posts: 11

mundy5 wrote:

was your phone and directTV receiver previously connected through your regular land line #1? If so, then all you need to do is disconnect your line #1 from the telco's gray box on the outside of your home and connect the phone and directTV receiver into their previous jack(s). Lastly, you need to connect your Vonage router to a phone jack that worked with line #1 before and you are all set to go. We would be glad to help. It is not as difficult as it seems.

Thanks, this helps.
Sorry for so many questions, but I'm still new to this and I'm trying to figure out what the best setup will be. I actually have not yet subscribed to Vonage, I want to make sure everything will work out ok before I go through with it.
I wanted to get the VTECH setup with the 2 cordless phones, but now I wonder if that setup has the appropriate hookup to a phone jack as you mention above? What sort of equipment do I need?

Although, the wiring in my house really is creating problems. I say that because in the room where the DSL is hooked up, and where Vonage would also be hooked up, the phone jack there is for the 2nd line (the line that has the DSL), and not the 1st line. In this room I don't see another jack which would be on the 1st line. Which means, I don't know how I could get the Vonage adapter hooked up to the 1st line jack. Do you know what I mean?

I guess my setup is very unique. Any pointers on what my options are?

Thanks again for all the help.

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

rkleemann wrote:

Sorry for so many questions, but I'm still new to this and I'm trying to figure out what the best setup will be. I actually have not yet subscribed to Vonage, I want to make sure everything will work out ok before I go through with it.
I wanted to get the VTECH setup with the 2 cordless phones, but now I wonder if that setup has the appropriate hookup to a phone jack as you mention above? What sort of equipment do I need?

Although, the wiring in my house really is creating problems. I say that because in the room where the DSL is hooked up, and where Vonage would also be hooked up, the phone jack there is for the 2nd line (the line that has the DSL), and not the 1st line. In this room I don't see another jack which would be on the 1st line. Which means, I don't know how I could get the Vonage adapter hooked up to the 1st line jack. Do you know what I mean?

I guess my setup is very unique. Any pointers on what my options are?

Thanks again for all the help.

First a word of caution. As you've been told, things are actually a lot simpler than they seem. However, you must be absolutely certain that the regular phone company line is disconnected from whichever line you hook your Vonage system to. Otherwise you might damage the Vonage adapter.

That said, you need to check on the Vtech phone. If its one with a built in Voip adapter, then it may not have a phone output to hook to your house wiring. The Vtech 8100, for example, does not, and that would be a problem. Any ordinary phone that currently plugs into your house wiring should be suitable for use with Vonage adapter.

With regard to the jack in the room with the DSL, if it has only the DSL line, then you're correct, you have another problem. However, most homes wired with two lines have both serviced through a single jack in each room. Your home may well be the same, and the jack that you're using for the DSL may well have the other line available and you just don't know it. To check, you can buy an adapter that plugs into a wall jack and separates it into two jacks, designated Line 1 and Line 2. (There are other simple Y-adapters. They will not do what you want.) Get one of the separator adapters and plug it into the DSL jack. Then try a phone in each of the output jacks it provides. If you can access one of your lines from one jack and the other from the other jack, then you've got it made.

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

rkleeman,

From what I have read, it looks like we will have to go step by step to get you set up. I am concerned that you have DSL because some companies do not let you have only the DSL service. Have you checked on this? It might not save you any money in the long run if you have to keep your phone service with the telco.

Do try out Steve48's suggestion about a 2 line splitter. Not a splitter that lets you share a single phone line but one that actually splits it into line 1 and line 2.

Lastly, it is absolutely imperative as Steve48 said that you need to make sure that you have completely disconnected the phone line from the telco before messing around with hard wiring your phone system.

If you order directly from Vonage and you get a regular router, it will work fine. But as Steve48 said, if it is a special phone that has Vonage built in, it cannot work with your home wiring. Make sure to double check all of this before you get a system.