Loud buzz on other phones after connecting Phone Terminal

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 10, 2004 Posts: 4

I hope someone can offer a solution.. I have a motorola converter inside my router, and when the phone is attached directly to it, it sounds just fine. I've read other posts here about connecting the converter to the house wiring by disconnecting the outside phone line, and plugging the converter into an unused phone jack. I did that, and I get dial tone on all phones and they all ring.. but there is an extremely loud buzz that comes through the line. It sounds electrical, and it's loud enough to make the other extentions unusable. Is there a filter or something I should be using? Has anyone else experienced this?
Thanks in advance.

Posts: 89 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Feb 04, 2004 Posts: 89

I have a few suggestions for you. First try a different cable from the ATA to your wall outlet. If that does not work, disconnect all your other phones and start connecting them one at a time to see if you can find the one causing the noise. If all fails, Radio Shack sells a variety of phone filters that you can try. I had to use this kind in a previous home because we could hear a radio station when using the phone. Try the filter at the ATA or move it around the house to see if it helps the other phones. You can always return it if it does not work.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 10, 2004 Posts: 4

Excellent suggestions. I'll give them a try tonight and post my findings..
Thanks!

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 10, 2004 Posts: 4

Hi,
Yes, I disconnected from the POTS. I tried all the steps above, even the line filter. The other phones are just unusable. I'm probably going to cancel the service...unfortunately.

Posts: 89 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Feb 04, 2004 Posts: 89

Try to get another ATA from Vonage before you give up on the service. Once you get it working, you will never go back to POTS.

Posts: 22 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 07, 2004 Posts: 22

zhedi wrote:

Hi,
Yes, I disconnected from the POTS. I tried all the steps above, even the line filter. The other phones are just unusable. I'm probably going to cancel the service...unfortunately.

Just confirming, and sorry if this is repetitive, but you actually went OUTSIDE and disconnected the wires, and, if so, you're sure you disconnected the right ones. Also, did you make sure to cut the uninsulated portion of the wires you disconnected or tape off the ends of the wires (if this was bare wires and not just a jack outside)? Finally, did you make sure that when you reconnected the jack wiring outside, that you tightened everything down and left no accidental cross-connections?

It's clearly something in the wiring if you can use a phone directly connected. It's just a matter of tracking it down.

Good Luck.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 10, 2004 Posts: 4

robb.. that's an interesting point. I had comcast, so it was a digital drop. There was a pair of wires connected to the box outside, so I went out and pulled them out of the recepticle. Those went up the line, so nothing was connected to the internal wiring of the house. Do I need to keep a little loop or something in there to close a circuit?

Posts: 22 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 07, 2004 Posts: 22

No, you shouldn't levae anything connected, but make sure that you cut off or tape over any bare wire on the wires you disconnected. It's conceivable that even letting one of those wires touch the casing could transfer voltage back to your internal wiring (like through the grounding or something like that).