Wiring in 1960s Commercial Condo Building

Posts: 55 · Full Forum Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 55

Going to wire the Vonage adapter to the condo wiring. The condo has the type of wiring where you have a bundle of telephone wires with about fifty pairs. Right now the existing Cincinnati Bell phone is using the dar blue with white stripe and the white with blue stripe pair. When they disconnect the service after the number transfers, the wiring will still be connected and have no way of knowing is someone would accidently reconnect the service and fry the Vonage adapter.

So can I just use another colored pair within the condo unit? As I recall, Bell would not run that multi-wire bundle into other condo units as that would allow someone to easily tap into another phone. But I am not sure what would have been done over 40 years ago.

Anyone shed some light/advice on this?

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

Using another pair might work as you suggest, but you still have the problem of not knowing what might be connected to the other end of it. The phone company might, for example, have an idle landline hooked to it in case you asked for a second service line.

A better solution might be to open all the wall jacks and try to identify the cable that is coming from outside the apartment. If you can do that, you can disconnect the cable at that point while leaving the jacks connected together. And, of course, you would re-connect it when you leave the apartment.

Posts: 55 · Full Forum Member Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 55

Steve, there is really no way that I know of to find out where this bundle of wires comes into the condo unit or exits the condo unit. There are only three jacks. One in the kitchen, one in the living room and one in the bedroom - the living and bedroom jacks are directly across from each other in the same wall.

I just remember our house that was built around the same time. Same kind of bundle of wires. They are terminated in the garage. Only one pair though was connected to the phone panel in the garage which connected to the outside world. I suspect something similar, but since it is a commercial building, I just don't know.

I was hoping someone here had some knowledge of the wiring in the 1960's and how it was used in commercial buildings.

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

With only 3 jacks it may not be so difficult to figure out where things are going. The cable coming into the apartment probably goes to one jack. Then from there a second cable (or a continuation of that one) should leave that box going to a second box, and another cable should go from there to the third box. The third box should be easy to identify, since it will have just one cable coming in and nothing leaving. From the "lay of the land" you may be able to figure out which is the middle box and which is the first in the chain. Then it's relatively simple to disconnect the cable coming in. It may even be a different color or type from the ones connecting the boxes together.

From your description, I'd have to guess that the kitchen box is where things come in.

If the old service still operating? If you have a voltmeter and know how to use it, identifying the wires coming in should be easy.

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

I'd put my money on the kitchen jack as well. that's the way my old apt was connected. the kitchen jack first then to all the other jacks from there.