Phone Splitter? Help!

Posts: 293 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Jan 22, 2006 Posts: 293

My thought on an ideal solution would be to lose the landline. then you can disconnect their connection at the termination point usually located just outside the house (You must not connect the Vonage adapter to the POTS system). Then usually all you need to do is plug the Vonage adapter into the house wiring and you should then have Vonage service at the jacks throughout the house.

This is really starting to become a hardwiring issue and there is a forum with tips and how-to's already done. Maybe snoop there as those issues are more related to what you are trying to do.

As well if you do not want to yet disconnect the landline, You will need the splitter. The one in tophtml's post is close but is actually a 25' line with the splitter on the end. I think you would want to split from the adapter to one phone and then run an estension line upstairs from the splitter. The only trouble you will have is in how to run the line and not have it in the way.

Posts: 111 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jan 26, 2008 Posts: 111

outerfire wrote:

This is really starting to become a hardwiring issue...

Well, he could use one of those thingys that have L1, L2, L1&L2 and run upstairs on the second pair of the house wiring (using the L2 only) if they don't want to interfere with the land line. Trouble is he doesn't like complicated. Maybe get a handyman on the job to do it? (That is unless the house is SOOO old it doesn't have two-pair wiring installed in the walls.)

http://www.amazon.com/SOUTHWESTERN-BELL-S60031-Single-Line-Tap-Off/dp/B00006JQ76/ref=cm_cr-mr-title
(They also make one with just L1 and L2 but I don't have a link handy for that one.)

One still would need to disconnect the second pair from the POTS interface to keep the phone company from blowing his Voip adapter to smithereens (ergo the handyman).

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 06, 2008 Posts: 6

Well, we are going to get rid of the landline, no more verizon. The house isn't that old; 1970's-ish I do believe, problem is I have absolutely no idea about phone stuff; I just use them, and that's all. But, my brother does phone line stuff, maybe I can get him to come and fix it.

Thanks for all the help.

Posts: 174 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Dec 06, 2006 Posts: 174

I did consider the one piece splitter, however, there is probably not enough room to put one in place on the back of the Voip device/adapter to prevent blocking another port or socket of some kind. The breakout box (L1, L2, L1&2 thingy) is good if one has two lines (I do so I use them) but adds a level of complication that is unnecessary with a single line. In the alternative, one could use a short RJ11 cord to bring the splitter away from the Vonage device, then plug this cord into an inline connector then plug the splitter into the other end, and then . . . the possibilities are endless. Very Happy

Posts: 111 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jan 26, 2008 Posts: 111

tophtml wrote:

I did consider the one piece splitter, however, there is probably not enough room to put one in place on the back of the Voip device/adapter to prevent blocking another port or socket of some kind.

Very true about choking off the other port. I was thinking he would plug the splitter into the wall.
In my case I have a phone that requires that I combine two lines into one feed, so come out of the adapter into one of those line splitters to line one, then out of line 2 on the Vonage into a splitter, then from the splitter to the fax machine and the line splitter, then your coupling on the back of the line splitter to a phone cord. Rolling Eyes

For me all that takes place in the back of the desk where there are all kinds of hooks to keep all that rats' nest suspended and out of sight.

I'm sure you follow me, but I bet I lost him. Maybe someone who can put pics on here could compose such a post and maybe it would make a sticky.

[Note to original poster: You mentioned being able to call out but not receive calls on your land line. Sounds like they canceled your service but are still giving you the option of calling in to restore. No matter what number you dial in that case, you will get the phone company eager to sign you back up for more of the same. Therefore all the more reason for you or someone savvy to go and unhook the phone lines from the phone company's box. They might send you some ringing voltage and it will be your Voip device that will do the ringing... or shreeking. Embarassed

]

Posts: 174 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Dec 06, 2006 Posts: 174

Yep, I combined the Line 1 and line 2 by using the 2 line splitter in reverse, plugged it into an inline connector and ran an RJ14, out of the inline, to the nearest wall box. I split them into L1 and L2 by using another 2 line splitter, in the more traditional application, at their downstairs terminus. I'm not sure that the original poster has the wherewithal to splice into the existing Cat 5 strands running through the walls together with keeping track of the wire colors (especially when and if you have a six wire cable). I now have the fax machine and both lines upstairs as well as phones downstairs.

I figure that the KISS system may work best and the pre-configured modular wires and splitters may be his best choice, even though he will have to try and hide them.

Posts: 831 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 831

outerfire wrote:

My thought on an ideal solution would be to lose the landline. then you can disconnect their connection at the termination point usually located just outside the house (You must not connect the Vonage adapter to the POTS system). Then usually all you need to do is plug the Vonage adapter into the house wiring and you should then have Vonage service at the jacks throughout the house.

This is really starting to become a hardwiring issue and there is a forum with tips and how-to's already done. Maybe snoop there as those issues are more related to what you are trying to do.

As well if you do not want to yet disconnect the landline, You will need the splitter. The one in tophtml's post is close but is actually a 25' line with the splitter on the end. I think you would want to split from the adapter to one phone and then run an estension line upstairs from the splitter. The only trouble you will have is in how to run the line and not have it in the way.

Vonage has instructions on home wiring:

http://www.vonage.com/help.php?article=649&category=45&nav=3&refer_id=WEBTS0706010003W1&promo_id=USVONRPFMF