No phone line near computer

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 08, 2006 Posts: 1

My computer is located in a room that does not have a phone jack. Ideally, I would like to have Vonage working through the existing phone jacks in the other rooms so that extension phones can be used. Is there a way to avoid the expensive fee the phone company would charge to install a jack near the computer? Can a wireless jack be used?

Posts: 249 · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:03 pm Post subject: Phone Jack Installation

Quote:

Is there a way to avoid the expensive fee the phone company would charge to install a jack near the computer? Can a wireless jack be used?

If you have to ask that question then probably you should not install it yourself. Electrically installing a branch phone jack is pretty straightforward. Mechanically it can be easy or a nightmare. Questions like do you have a crawl space or is your house built on a slab come to mind. If your phone lines are located in an attic and there are firestops located in your walls or you are installing on an outside wall it can be a problem requiring sheet rock repair. I see two approaches;
1) Get an estimate from a qualified electrician.
2) Find a neighborhood handyman.

There are so many if's and but's to this job that it is really necessary to look at the job.

Posts: 109 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jun 21, 2005 Posts: 109

not the best way... don't do this if you have tivo or want to fax....use this insta jack you plug the Vonage router into its phone jack and plug it into an outlet to distribute the phone over your electric lines....then you also have to plug the receiver into and outlet and phone jack.

it may work... it may not... depends on the ren # on the rest of your phones

Posts: 60 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jan 19, 2006 Posts: 60

Not sure how well they work, but you can try the phone jacks that plug into the electrical outlet...
http://www.smarthome.com/4509i.html

*ZAP* wrote this as the other reply was being written Very Happy

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

avalon_tn wrote:

My computer is located in a room that does not have a phone jack. Ideally, I would like to have Vonage working through the existing phone jacks in the other rooms so that extension phones can be used. Is there a way to avoid the expensive fee the phone company would charge to install a jack near the computer? Can a wireless jack be used?

You're probably stuck. I've never heard of a wireless jack. On the other hand, if you re-located your modem and Vonage adapter to a room with a jack, you could use a wireless router to communicate with your computer in the other room. Depending on just how expensive a new jack is, it may be your best option.

Posts: 508 · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:18 pm Post subject:

you could use a telephone extention cord to run to the next room, drill a hole in the corner of the wall and run it through that way, or run it out and around the walls, under the baseboards or whatever.. not the best idea, but one that is easy for you and cheap.. definately better than those 'wireless jacks'..

Posts: 91 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Mar 08, 2005 Posts: 91

I am a renter-- for a while.

Each place I rented, I simply made sure that the line to the outside was disconnected, then used the existing wiring. I also got a 5 plug connector from the local gadget store, so I plug directly into that, then I plug into the existing wiring.

Yes, I also installed a phone jack and a phone outlet near the computer. Excepting for the one wire connection to the other phones in the house, you will not need to install more jacks.

BTW unless you are color blind, anyone can connect the same color wires together in the jacks. Some told me that all you need are the red and green wires to go to the posts that are colored red and green respectively.

Here is how I did it:
1) disconnect from Ma Bell outside by opening box, and pulling out the RJ 11 connectors. This is to protect the router from the electrictal charge in the telephone lines. It fries routers.

2) Buy SOLID copper cable from Radio Shack, and wire it from the new, in-your-computer room wall jack to the nearest jack in another room.

3) Connect the other end of the wire to the phone jack in that nearest room. Your set up will work as it has before Vonage.

4) To Fax from your computer, buy on EBay in-line DSL filters, and install one between the fax modem and the new Vonage line.

See, it isn't too hard, is it?

Posts: 249 · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 11:36 am Post subject: Piece of Cake... Well almost

Quote:

2) Buy SOLID copper cable from Radio Shack, and wire it from the new, in-your-computer room wall jack to the nearest jack in another room.

Like I said, not hard electrically but you kinda overlooked how your going to route the wire to the nearest jack. Under the rug and through the door? Keep in mind this is the connection that all phone traffic except the phone near the computer must pass. For a tempo situation this might work, for a long term solution in your own house I would think you would be better off doing the job right. That's either through the crawl space or through the attic. Use cat 5 approved wire and don't lay it parallel close to any Romex wiring. If the job is done sloppy and contains runs of wire with untwisted pairs, and multible connections you are degrading your service. The more it's degraded the more problems your inviting.

That's my 2¢