Potential customer with questions

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Aug 12, 2005 Posts: 2

My wife wants to use Vonage Voip, but given the circumstances it may not be feasible.

Our Internet connection comes into one end of the house, where it goes to a modem and then to a WRTP54G router. A number of devices plug directly into the router (PC's, Xboxes, etc.) and other devices in the house and associated structures all use wireless connections. My wife's home office computer conections are all-wireless (and have to stay that way). Since we have very high-speed broadband and the wireless connections all work really well, we have had no connectivity problems to date.

But now my wife wants to add Vonage Voip. Not where the router is, which would be simple, but in her home office where she has only wireless access and can have only wireless access.

Is this possible or is she ahead of the tech curve on this one?

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Aug 04, 2005 Posts: 23

She wants just Voip itself in the office, or the Voip router?

The easiest way (if I'm reading your post right) is to setup the Voip router with all the other networking equipment, setup a cordless phone next to it, and use that as the VoIP-only phone.
Then she can take the phone wherever she wants, including the office.

Only inconvenience is maybe having to stick it in the charger during the night or something to keep the battery full.

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

Hammer,

I think myrddin has a potential wireless solution to the issue. However, may I suggest an alternative. I am assuming the following:

1. Your wife wants the Vonage phone line only into her home office.
2. Your wife's home office has a phone jack.
3. There is an available phone jack near your modem and router.

If the above three are true, then you can reconfigure your insider wiring to have your wife have a corded phone in her home office strictly for Vonage.

You can do that by doing the following.

1. Connect the Vonage router "Internet" port to your wireless router any available port.
2. Rewire the phone jack near the networking equipment to use an unused is the operative word here phone line pair (i.e. yellow/black).
3. Rewire the phone jack in your wife's home office to use the same unused phone line pair (i.e. yellow/black).
4. Make sure that the yellow/black wires are not connected to your regular phone line in the gray box outside your home. If they are, make sure to disconnect them first.
3. Connect phone port 1 to the available phone jack nearby.
4. Connect a phone to your wife's home office jack.
Voila, you now have Vonage in your wife's home office.

Just something to think about.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Aug 12, 2005 Posts: 2

I'm a little apprehensive about rewiring the phone system, but we do have two portable phones that we aren't using which are of the same type.

So what I can do is plug in one portable phone base unit to the Vonage unit and leave it on (but with no phone in it) and put the handset that goes with it into the base of the other phone, which will be powered up so it can keep that handset charged up yet not connected to anything. This way when the Vonage phone rings, it will ring in her office on the portable handset, and she can use the handset to dial out on Vonage.

Simple and effective. I like it. Thanks, guys.

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Aug 04, 2005 Posts: 23

There may only be one problem with that.

Some newer cordless handsets sync "privacy codes" that change everytime (that way a neighbor is unlikely to get any of your phone conversations) with the base station when it is put into the cradle.

If your cordless phone/base do this, then when you put it in the other base (in the office) to charge it, the handset will only be able to communicate with it, and not the one connected to Vonage.

Might be good to test this before you get Vonage.