Connecting analog phones to VOIP router...

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Sep 15, 2005 Posts: 16

This is possibly a stupid question but I'm getting the impression that some are using their POTS wiring to enable multiple phones in the house to use Vonage? I assume these people are also paying for a land line?

Maybe I'm not exploring all my options but I have no local analog phone service and have 2 phones plugged into one port on the Voip router using a splitter.

Am I missing something fundamental here? Thanks.

Posts: 605 · Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 12:07 pm Post subject:

All you should have to do is disconnect your outside wires from the ONT (Outside Network Terminal) and then take a phone cord and plug it in your router/ata and then into the wall outlet of your home. Then you should be able to plug into all the wall outlets of your home. I would put tape around the plug that you unplug outside so some idiot does not plug it back in. The ONT is located outside your house most likely. Open that up and you will see one or two plugs inside. Just unplug those. I would plug a phone in to make sure there is no dialtone before hooking up your router/ata too.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Sep 15, 2005 Posts: 16

Makes sense, thanks.

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 12:38 pm Post subject:

It's VERY important that you've totally disconnected (as in 0 volts on the line, not just the lack of dialtone) the landline phone co's wires from your internal house wiring, otherwise you can damage your Vonage adapter. At the very least, you'll experience more phone problems than you ever thought imaginable. Also, make sure you get Vonage working well before connecting it to your house's wiring. There's no telling how bad the previous owners/buildier/13 year old kid has butchered the wiring before you got there.

Best way to check this is with a voltmeter if you have one... lacking that, use a line-powered telephone and make sure it's truly dead, as in press a few buttons and make sure you're not hearing any tones. I know previous Vonage adapters were rather fragile when it came to voltage being pushed into their phone ports. Not sure about the RTP300, but this is one experiment I'm NOT going to try with mine!

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Sep 15, 2005 Posts: 16

Will do.

I'm having a new house built so I assume if I never have the local phone company connect me, this (disconnecting) is all a moot point?

Posts: 605 · Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:59 pm Post subject:

acf wrote:

Will do.

I'm having a new house built so I assume if I never have the local phone company connect me, this (disconnecting) is all a moot point?

Im not sure how it works these days. I beleive the phone company may hook up ONT to the house even if you dont order service. This is so you will have "Express Dialtone" to where you can hook up a phone and order service and it will be connected at the CO. Just have to make sure there is no voltage going through you inside wires. Your telephone adapter will provide the voltage for your telephones.

Posts: 605 · Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 8:07 pm Post subject:

I have never seen the HardWire Install Guide on the site until today.

Follow the following link and it will give you some info on how to wire your house.

It may confuse you more then help but I figured I would share it Very Happy

http://www.vonage-forum.com/home-wiring-installation-guide.html

Posts: 55 · Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 10:05 am Post subject: New home

acf, I also have recently built a new home. The builder will supply 1 or 2 lines going "outside" for the local telco. At the time you order local service, they will come out and put a box. If you don't order that services, you'll just have wires stick out the side of your house Smile

.

You don't HAVE to do anything with these lines - but I would recommend having a box or something for them to go in to a) make it look better and b) protect the wires from the elements. Go get a small box from local hardware store or corner a telephone guy when you see one and ask if he's got an extra for your house since you won't be getting phone service for a while.

I would think the fact you never have anything hooked up will make the disconnection moot.