home wiring and dead jacks

Posts: 73 · Full Forum Member Joined: Mar 19, 2006 Posts: 73

mundy5 wrote:

if your jacks are connected sequentially, no. Since I am assuming that you are connecting your vonage router to one of the jacks, it will send a signal to the next jack in sequence and so on until it gets to the NIU which then shorts the circuit out. However, if your sequence is interrupted, all jacks that are later in the sequence will be disconnected and therefore, no signal will get to them.

Again, you will need to look at your jacks and if there are 2 sets of solid blue wire and 2 sets of white with blue stripe wires, then you have a sequential connection.

The picture can wait. Please check your jacks (i.e. more than one) to see if there are 2 sets of solid blue wires and 2 sets of white with blue stripes etc. At least let's figure out how your house is wired. If there are only 1 solid blue and 1 white with blue striped wire on all your jacks, then we have a home run pattern and you will need to look for a junction box (a central location where all your wires connect to most likely a bridge or a 110 block).

I have only one set of each pair of wires going into every jack... one set of blues that is attached to the screws appropriately, one set of oranges and one set of greens and maybe another color that I don't recall - however only the blues are attached to anything. The others are all disconnected. From your description, that means that I have a home run pattern. I always assumed the junction box was that thing outside. Where else would it be?

Posts: 1178 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1178

You will know that the NIU is your junction box if you have the same number of cat5e wires as the number of jacks in your home. So if you have 6 jacks total in your house, you should see 6 cat5 wires all meeting at your NIU. If you don't, then there is a junction box typically in your basement. Follow the wire from the NIU into your basement and see if you can see where it leads. It might also be in the attic which is another common location. It might also be in a utility closet if you have one. Those are the typical locations that I can think of.

Posts: 4751 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4751

SJ2, outside in the junction box, if you can identify blue wires that are going into the house but are not connected together, then twist them together. Likewise with blue/white wires. Be sure that they're wires going into the house, not ones that connect to the phone company (those are probably green and red).

If twisting wires together fixes the problem, then you'll want a more robust means of connecting them together. Just don't re-connect them to the terminals that connect to the phone company.

Posts: 73 · Full Forum Member Joined: Mar 19, 2006 Posts: 73

Ok, I can try that when the weather improves, but then why would Vonage tell me to undo the blues and blue whites from the terminals in the NIU to prevent the nasty phone company from surging into my house?

Posts: 73 · Full Forum Member Joined: Mar 19, 2006 Posts: 73

mundy5 wrote:

You will know that the NIU is your junction box if you have the same number of cat5e wires as the number of jacks in your home. So if you have 6 jacks total in your house, you should see 6 cat5 wires all meeting at your NIU. If you don't, then there is a junction box typically in your basement. Follow the wire from the NIU into your basement and see if you can see where it leads. It might also be in the attic which is another common location. It might also be in a utility closet if you have one. Those are the typical locations that I can think of.

outside is my junction box- I have all the pretty colors out there that match up with all the pretty colors inside.
no boxes in the basement or utility room.
I'm not climbing into my attic.

Posts: 4751 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4751

sj2 wrote:

Ok, I can try that when the weather improves, but then why would Vonage tell me to undo the blues and blue whites from the terminals in the NIU to prevent the nasty phone company from surging into my house?

That's not inconsistent with what I told you. The blues should be connected to one another and the blue/whites should be connected to one another, but they should not be connected to the terminals that connect to the POTS service.

Posts: 73 · Full Forum Member Joined: Mar 19, 2006 Posts: 73

I'm still going to wait until nicer weather.
thanks

Posts: 73 · Full Forum Member Joined: Mar 19, 2006 Posts: 73

Ok, First of all. How on earth do I upload a picture to this thing? I clicked on insert image and it's asking for the URL. Since it's on my computer I don't have a URL for it..
Please help wtih that and then I can show you the outside jack perhaps.

Posts: 4751 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4751

sj2 wrote:

Ok, First of all. How on earth do I upload a picture to this thing? I clicked on insert image and it's asking for the URL. Since it's on my computer I don't have a URL for it..
Please help wtih that and then I can show you the outside jack perhaps.

According to the forum FAQ (look under member services) you need to upload the image to a publically available server and then provide a link. I've never done this, but others may be able to provide details. I know there are a number of online photo places that will allow you to create an account and upload your photos. Kodakgallery.com I believe is one.

Posts: 73 · Full Forum Member Joined: Mar 19, 2006 Posts: 73

Steve48 wrote:

sj2 wrote:

Ok, First of all. How on earth do I upload a picture to this thing? I clicked on insert image and it's asking for the URL. Since it's on my computer I don't have a URL for it..
Please help wtih that and then I can show you the outside jack perhaps.

According to the forum FAQ (look under member services) you need to upload the image to a publically available server and then provide a link. I've never done this, but others may be able to provide details. I know there are a number of online photo places that will allow you to create an account and upload your photos. Kodakgallery.com I believe is one.

Thanks. I'll try one of those.