Question about running phone line?

[todd2000]

So we just signed up for Vonage because our phone bill was crazy 100+/month. Anyway there is one small problem, the cable modem, and router are in my room, but I don't really want to put the phone in my room, I want to keep it in the kitchen where it is now. The kitchen is on the other end of the house. So anyone have any thoughts on how I can hook the phone up in the kitchen? Heres my idea so far, anyone know if it will work?

There is a phone jack in the kitchen, that runs to the main box in the attic. If I drill a hole in the celing in my room, run a phone wire from the vonage adapter into the attic, find where the jack in the kitchen connects to the box, and just disconnect it from the box and splice it to the wire from my bed room, which would basically be running a wire from the vonage adapter to the jack in the kitchen.

Also while I was typing another thought crossed my mind. If I find the wire coming in from the telephone pole outside to the box, and replace it with the wire from my bedroom, will that basically route every jack in the house through vonage? Or is the line from the pole different then a standard phone line?


Will either of these work, or do you have any other thoughts?

 

[todd2000]

EDIT: Just looked in the attic, and the box isn't up there, and access is not very goodIm not really sure what im gonna do

 

[macEfan]

i woud't midify all the wiring.. just add a cable...

http://www.weeno.com/art/0599/47.html

the box should either be in the garage, our outside the house...

 

[todd2000]

i woud't midify all the wiring.. just add a cable...

http://www.weeno.com/art/0599/47.html

the box should either be in the garage, our outside the house...

Still can't find the box, and how exactally would adding a line from the box help me? It wouldn't be hooked up to the Vonage adapter? I think I found where the phone line comes into the house, but is it possible for the box to be in the drop celing in the basement?

 

[hmmfe]

I'm not sure what "box" you are looking for? Typically (though thankfully this is changing in new homes), telephone wiring is daisy-chained from the 2-4 pair cable coming from the NIU (ususally on the outside of the house near the other utilities). In this wiring scheme, there is no "box".

Since you have identified the cable coming into the house, you should be able to trace it as it snakes through your house. Just tap into it. You can get "beenies" from Home Depot that will allow you to tap into the active pair on the cable and keep things reasonably neat and tidy.

If you have a friend with a toner and buttset handy - things will go much quicker.

 

[Sun Baked]

If the vonage adapter and the modem are both ethernet...

Just run a long ethernet cable from your ethernet hub the kitchen and plug the vonage adapter in there -- or run the cable over near your main telephone box outside.

Or just simplify things and run a short telephone cord from the adapter to the telephone wall outlet and see if there is enough power in the adapter to run the entire telephone loop in the house (if you are not connected to a ma bell anymore.)

 

[savar]

So we just signed up for Vonage because our phone bill was crazy 100+/month. Anyway there is one small problem, the cable modem, and router are in my room, but I don't really want to put the phone in my room, I want to keep it in the kitchen where it is now. The kitchen is on the other end of the house. So anyone have any thoughts on how I can hook the phone up in the kitchen? Heres my idea so far, anyone know if it will work?

There is a phone jack in the kitchen, that runs to the main box in the attic. If I drill a hole in the celing in my room, run a phone wire from the vonage adapter into the attic, find where the jack in the kitchen connects to the box, and just disconnect it from the box and splice it to the wire from my bed room, which would basically be running a wire from the vonage adapter to the jack in the kitchen.

Also while I was typing another thought crossed my mind. If I find the wire coming in from the telephone pole outside to the box, and replace it with the wire from my bedroom, will that basically route every jack in the house through vonage? Or is the line from the pole different then a standard phone line?

For idea 1, that should work.

Idea 2, I can't say for sure, but I think it would work (is the network box more convenient than going through the attic though?) Only catch is usually the network box can only be opened by the phone company. But if you're lucky enough to have yours unlocked...

Idea 3: my idea -- if you have a wireless network -- buy a wireless "game adapter", basically a wireless-to-wired bridge, and set that next to the vonage box. It's like $30 bucks.

 

[todd2000]

If the vonage adapter and the modem are both ethernet...

Just run a long ethernet cable from your ethernet hub the kitchen and plug the vonage adapter in there -- or run the cable over near your main telephone box outside.

Or just simplify things and run a short telephone cord from the adapter to the telephone wall outlet and see if there is enough power in the adapter to run the entire telephone loop in the house (if you are not connected to a ma bell anymore.)

If im gonna run a long ethernet cable from my bedroom to the kitchen I might as well just run a long phone line instead, then I don't have to have the vonage adapter on the kitchen counter. Also even if I could find the main telephone box (which I cant) how wold running an ethernet cable to it help? As for your second suggestion, I don't understand what you mean?

As for the wireless thats not a bad Idea, I do have a wireless network, but would the bandwidth be ok ya think? it is 802.11G

 

[Sun Baked]

As for your second suggestion, I don't understand what you mean?

The house is already wired for telephone, as long as there is no physical connection to the phone company -- why not use the phone loop/wires already in the wall.

Why run another set of wires in parallel? when they are already there.

Much better a ethernet cable, than a second phone wire.

 

[todd2000]

The house is already wired for telephone, as long as there is no physical connection to the phone company -- why not use the phone loop/wires already in the wall.

Why run another set of wires in parallel? when they are already there.

Much better a ethernet cable, than a second phone wire.

Still don't really understand, what exactally are you saying I should do? I was already trying to figure out how to use the existing jack in the kitchen, and by running a phone line I mean plugging a regular phone wire into the vonage adapter, and literally running that wire to the kitchen, and plugging a phone into it. If I run an ethernet wire from the modem to the kitchen then I have to put the vonage adapter int he kitchen, which is ok, but I don't understand why you say an ethernet cable is better? Im getting more confused after this thread then I was when I started it

 

[DZ/015]

I'm receiving internet phone service from Lingo. Here is what I have done:

1. Disconnected incoming phone line in the basement (It is where mine enters the house).

2. Replace single phone jack in my den with a duplex outlet.

3. Plugged phone line from my phone adapter into the duplex outlet.

4. Plugged phone into the other outlet.

5. Left all other phones in the house as they were.

As long as you find out where your phone line enters your house and disconnect it, you can plug the phone adapter into any phone jack and all of the outlets in your house will be routed through the phone adapter.

 

[paleck]

Still can't find the box, and how exactally would adding a line from the box help me? It wouldn't be hooked up to the Vonage adapter? I think I found where the phone line comes into the house, but is it possible for the box to be in the drop celing in the basement?

Don't know if this is helpful, but my in my mom's house it comes from the box outside to the kitchen and then the kitchen jack I juess sort of acts as a hub. It's got some odd wiring I had never seen before in there. But it works so I don't question it.

 

[Sun Baked]

Still don't really understand, what exactally are you saying I should do? I was already trying to figure out how to use the existing jack in the kitchen, and by running a phone line I mean plugging a regular phone wire into the vonage adapter, and literally running that wire to the kitchen, and plugging a phone into it. If I run an ethernet wire from the modem to the kitchen then I have to put the vonage adapter int he kitchen, which is ok, but I don't understand why you say an ethernet cable is better? Im getting more confused after this thread then I was when I started it

Plug the damn vonage adapter into the phone outlet in your room and plug the phone in on the other side of the house.

This ...

Vonage adapter -- 6' telephone cable -- wall outlet -- phone wires in wall -- kitchen wall outlet -- kitchen phone

Instead of this ...

Vonage adapter -- 100' telephone cable -- kitchen phone

As long as the phone company isn't connected your phone line, the wires just sit there unused. Shouldn't really even need to crawl around a hack/splice the lines in the walls.

Plug the damn adapter into the wall outlet and plug the phone in on the other side of the house.

 

[todd2000]

Plug the damn vonage adapter into the phone outlet in your room and plug the phone in on the other side of the house.

This ...

Vonage adapter -- 6' telephone cable -- wall outlet -- phone wires in wall -- kitchen wall outlet -- kitchen phone

Instead of this ...

Vonage adapter -- 100' telephone cable -- kitchen phone

As long as the phone company isn't connected your phone line, the wires just sit there unused. Shouldn't really even need to crawl around a hack/splice the lines in the walls.

Plug the damn adapter into the wall outlet and plug the phone in on the other side of the house.

OK first I didn't yell at you, and im sorry if im not as experienced as you and am a little confused. and second I don't have a phone jack in my room although there is one in my aunts room, so that might work, would still have to run a wire to her room but it is closer then the kitchen. I understand the concept now I just have to find where the connection enters the house. I think I see where the wire goes in, but I can't see it on the inside of the wall, I think it might be in the drop celing so I have to check and see.

 

[hmmfe]

You don't have to find where the wire comes into the house unless you still have phone service from your local phone company.

The phone wiring is dasiy-chained together so there is no need to find a "hub" or central place where all the wiring comes together.

If there is a phone jack in the next room then just tap into it there. You'll need two people for this but...

Open the jack in your aunt's room. You'll see a cable attached to a series of screws on the back (if you have typical home wiring). The wires should be red, green, yellow and black. With someone else in the basement underneath the room, tug on the cable. The person in the basement should see the movement. Replace the jack in your aunt's room.

Identify where you want to have the phone jack in your room. Cut a whole, drop some cable down into the basement. Now, in the basement tap into the cable using beanies (or you can just twist the wires together and use electical tape - messy but it works). Terminate the jack (using the red/green pair) in your room and you are done. [All of this assumes you can get the necessary stuff. You'll need a wall bracket, faceplate and modular jack. You'll also need a drywall saw, screwdriver and a punch tool (though you can get by with a thin flathead screwdriver). You can eliminate most of this if you go with the older style simplex faceplate with screw terminals.]

If you are adding Vonage just for your use and other people in the house are going to keep using traditional phone service, then I'd highly recommend running new cable from the adapter to wherever you want a phone. Pretty much as above but you would not want to use the existing cable. Technically, you could use the unused pair (yellow, black) but that could cause confusion in the future.

 

[todd2000]

You don't have to find where the wire comes into the house unless you still have phone service from your local phone company.

The phone wiring is dasiy-chained together so there is no need to find a "hub" or central place where all the wiring comes together.

If there is a phone jack in the next room then just tap into it there. You'll need two people for this but...

Open the jack in your aunt's room. You'll see a cable attached to a series of screws on the back (if you have typical home wiring). The wires should be red, green, yellow and black. With someone else in the basement underneath the room, tug on the cable. The person in the basement should see the movement. Replace the jack in your aunt's room.

Identify where you want to have the phone jack in your room. Cut a whole, drop some cable down into the basement. Now, in the basement tap into the cable using beanies (or you can just twist the wires together and use electical tape - messy but it works). Terminate the jack (using the red/green pair) in your room and you are done. [All of this assumes you can get the necessary stuff. You'll need a wall bracket, faceplate and modular jack. You'll also need a drywall saw, screwdriver and a punch tool (though you can get by with a thin flathead screwdriver). You can eliminate most of this if you go with the older style simplex faceplate with screw terminals.]

If you are adding Vonage just for your use and other people in the house are going to keep using traditional phone service, then I'd highly recommend running new cable from the adapter to wherever you want a phone. Pretty much as above but you would not want to use the existing cable. Technically, you could use the unused pair (yellow, black) but that could cause confusion in the future.

Mabye Im not explaining myself right. I don't want a jack in my bedroom, I was simply trying to figure out how to hook a phone in the kitchen up to the vonage adapter that will be in my bedroom. Your saying the simplest way would just be to run a phone line from the adapter to the kithcen right? Thats what im thinking of doing.

 

[hmmfe]

Mabye Im not explaining myself right. I don't want a jack in my bedroom, I was simply trying to figure out how to hook a phone in the kitchen up to the vonage adapter that will be in my bedroom. Your saying the simplest way would just be to run a phone line from the adapter to the kithcen right? Thats what im thinking of doing.

Not exactly. Since you have a phone jack in the kitchen and it is connected to the same jack in your aunt's room, you need to run a cable from the cable going to your aunt's room to your room. There, you will connect your adapter to the phone wiring that will run back to the kitchen.

If, on the other hand, you want to add Vonage to your house without replacing the existing phone service, then you'll want to run cable from the kitchen to your room. You could also use the unused pair (yellow, black) and use the first method above (but use the yelllow/black pair rather than the red/green pair). If it were me, I'd just run a new cable and leave the rest of the house wiring alone if you are adding Vonage.

 

[todd2000]

Yeah we are replacing our service with Vonage, so I will disconnect the outside wire where it coems in the house and run a wire to my aunts room. That should take car of everything. Thanks for your help.

 

[Frisco]

See this

 

[todd2000]

Well didn't expect to see this thread resurected Guess you were board and trolling through old post? . Well just to update everyone I finally found where my phone line comes into the house (it was under the drop ceeling in the basement), I disconnected the wire from outside, plugged the vonage adapter into the nearest wall outlet, and it has been working perfectly for a monh now. Thanks for the help.