Can I use my existing hard wiring to distribute signal?

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 11

Yes, Dave. I read that before and I also read it in the link you sent that I already had. I know how to do it now but nowhere in those instructions does it say what jacks to connect. (I know now). As I said, the guy from Vonage indicated that there was a separate "adapter" and that it plugged into the outside phone box (which is wrong, of course.)

Vonage should simply call their router a router and not call it a router in one place and an adapter in another. And they should actually show you which jack to use and include it in their installation diagrams (they don't.) If the Vonage guy hadn't absolutely insisted that the "adapter" was something that we had to plug into our phone box on the outside of the house, there would have been no confusion. But once he insisted on that, nothing made sense and their instructions and diagrams were of no help. The only thing it says in the instructions you linked to and now posted are that you should connect your "adapter" to a phone jack. Vonage just needs to do a bit of proof-reading and use their terms correctly and also train their customer support people about the product. I ran into something on this site that mentions that other people have been told that they have to hook up an "adapter" in the outside box too so I wasn't the only one told that.

Now, if I can just convince Vonage that I don't have an ISDN line (which I don't and never did have and it wouldn't make any difference anyway), maybe I can get this thing hooked up. But Vonage doesn't seem capable of getting it into their heads that I don't have ISDN even when my current phone company (AT&T) tells them that. What's really baffling to both us and AT&T is that it wouldn't make any difference if we had ISDN anyway (but we don't.) We are disconnecting AT&T service when we get Vonage going. But we could have both (but we don't). They have nothing to do with one another. Talking to Vonage has been a real experience!

Posts: 1123 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 1123

Well, the problem with that is it's NOT just a router, it's a Telephone Adapter or TA, hence the use of term "adapter" We tend to use model numbers around here to take care of some of the confusion, but just remember: RTP-300, Vonage router, TA, Vonage/Linksys device, and adapter all mean the same thing.

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 11

Thanks again, Dave. The problem is that most people who come here probably are just trying to find an answer to a question or two and don't "hang" around long enough to learn how terminology is being mixed up. But, in any case, this forum was not the problem. You were very helpful. It was Vonage that misinformed me and it was not simply a matter of terminology. They gave me incorrect information and that is what threw me off and made me think that the "adapter" was a separate device. The Vonage person described the router AND an adapter that he said we had to plug into our outside phone box, as I said. Also, as I mentioned, I see from posts I ran across in these forums that I am not the only one who has been told that same thing. Vonage needs to train their customer support people better. If they hadn't told me that, I wouldn't even have needed instructions to hook this router up. The incorrect information that Vonage gave me sent me on a wild goose chase. LOL!

Posts: 1123 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 1123

You're right, and I'd be a little more than PO'd if I were in your place; starting new service, expecting AT LEAST help with setup, and maybe a few correct answers. Don't worry, you've found the best support there is. Any of these people here are willing to actually research problems and help fellow customers through tough issues. Face it, if we can save this much money, we owe it to each other to pass knowledge around. Have a good one! Very Happy

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 11

You have a good one too and thanks for all your patience and help. Vonage really does have some nice features and I am anxious to get hooked up. On top of that, it will save us over 50% on our current phone bills.

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

ZoneIII wrote:

You have a good one too and thanks for all your patience and help. Vonage really does have some nice features and I am anxious to get hooked up. On top of that, it will save us over 50% on our current phone bills.

So after all that, do you have all the information that you need, and are you ready to go? A couple of points, in case it's unclear:

1. Your Vonage router is the "adapter" that everyone's talking about. I think you've got that. By the way, which one do you have?

2. On most Vonage adapters, there are two phone jacks. Only one will be active, unless you've bought more than one line. The one that's active corresponds to the lit phone light when everything's working. If you plug into the wrong one on most adapters you'll get a message to that effect when you pick up the phone.

3. Test your Vonage system by plugging a phone directly into the active jack on the adapter.

4. After you've verified that things are working, unplug the phone from the adapter. Make sure that your POTS service is physically disconnected from the house wiring, even if it's already inactive.

5. Run an ordinary phone cord from the active jack on the adapter to a wall jack. Plug your phones into other wall jacks. Everything should now work.