apartment wiring questions

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: May 11, 2005 Posts: 8

hello, I'm new to Vonage. I just ordered it yesterday. I live in an apt and would like to use all my existing phone jacks with Vonage. I tried opening the phone box outside but its alittle rusted and won't open. I think opened all the wall jacks and from what I can see I'm using the blue and blue white pair on all the jacks. The main jack in the kitchen seems to have all the jacks piggybacked off of it.

Is there anyway to change the wiring without opening the phone box outside. I don't want to buy new phones with additional handsets as I have a nice speaker phone that I use all the time.

I tried searching but couldn't find an exact answer. Thanks

Posts: 50 · Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 1:22 pm Post subject:

You might simply rewire each of the outlets using a different pair of wires than the ones that are now in use. That way, you'd probably not be susceptible to accidental voltage from telco.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: May 11, 2005 Posts: 8

I just disproved my theory about the kitchen jack being the main jack. Although it 3 pair of twisted pair on the on each pin it isnt the main coming in. I disco'd the blue and white blue that all my other jacks are using and I still had dial tone on my other line in the office.

Posts: 50 · Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 2:27 pm Post subject:

Check to see what pair is connected to the red and green wires in each phone outlet. Unless they're setup for a two line phone, these should be the only ones that are presently connected to the telco wiring.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: May 11, 2005 Posts: 8

The blue and blue white is connected to the red/green on all the jacks. There is only 1 line on my account with Verizon. the Black and yellow has the orange pair on it on the kitchen jack but not on any of the other jacks. Could I just disco the blue pairs from all the jacks and connect the orange pairs to red/green or black/yellow wires or use another set of paired wires, I have green and brown to choose from too.

Thanks

Posts: 50 · Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 2:40 pm Post subject:

I'd suggest using the pair that you say is not connected to anything. Just connect that pair to the red/green screws in each outlet. If the lines coming from each outlet terminate in your kitchen box, you'll need to connect all the like colors together so that each jack will be in parallel. (They may, however, have just run the wire from one outlet to another, in which case you needn't worry about it.) Then just plug in your Vonage adapter to one jack (or use a splitter and plug it in with a phone) and you're good to go.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: May 11, 2005 Posts: 8

Okay, hopefully I will get the Vonage router within the next few days. I will use the unused green pair and connect them to red and green on the jacks. Is there a way to test this right now without the Vonage equipment. If I connected all the green pair to all my jacks I know I wont have a dialtone but should be able to hear voice or button pushing on all connected phones. I know when I was little we would put the phones on unused jacks and could talk to each other. Would this work?

Thanks for your help.

Posts: 50 · Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 7:43 am Post subject:

It will probably work with any powered phone, such as cordless.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: May 11, 2005 Posts: 8

Well, that didnt work. I recieved my PA yesterday and hooked it all up. Used an unused pair on my phone lines and changed all the jacks. No luck. Didnt get any tone at all on any jack. I guess I'm going to have to get a multiple handset phone now.

Posts: 50 · Posted: Sun May 15, 2005 8:47 pm Post subject:

listo wrote:

Well, that didnt work. I recieved my PA yesterday and hooked it all up. Used an unused pair on my phone lines and changed all the jacks. No luck. Didnt get any tone at all on any jack. I guess I'm going to have to get a multiple handset phone now.

Sorry to hear that. That pair has to terminate somewhere. If you could locate the where, you could tie each together and you'd be set. It's possible, of course, that that "where" is not accessible to you.