Distributing the Telephone Signal


So far, I have discussed the installation of your VoIP connection equipment to the Internet and to one telephone. Now it is time to share your new toys with the rest of the family.

In this section, I discuss ways to use your existing telephone distribution system to get Internet phone in other parts of the home. I also show you ways to distribute Internet phone in cases where you do not have access to the telephone company demarcation point or have no existing distribution system.

First things first

Before you connect your VoIP devices to your home's telephone jacks, you'll want to do a few things. Among these are disconnecting the telephone company's lines from your demarcation point (to prevent damage to your equipment) and collecting the proper cables and connectors.

Tip

Place a small tag or sign in the demarcation point, warning telephone-company employees about your private system. It is possible that they may inadvertently reconnect the interface plug if they happen to be working in the box and see it unplugged. A simple "Private network do not reconnect" should be sufficient.


Disconnecting the Demarc

Even when the telephone company has disconnected your telephone lines, there is still the possibility that it may apply testing voltages to your wires from time to time. These voltages can cause problems with your VoIP devices. It is a good idea to disconnect the telephone company's cables at the demarcation point (Figure 4.12). Unplugging the telephone-company interface in the demarcation point ensures that there will be no stray voltages on your system.

Figure 4.12. Disconnecting the phone-company cables in the demarcation point


Getting the Right Cables and Connectors

When connecting your TA to your home phones, you will need some standard telephone line cords, which you can purchase at your local electronics or hardware store. Ask for RJ-11 telephone line cords (Figure 4.13). These are four-wire cords that have the ability to carry up to two phone lines.

Figure 4.13. An RJ-11 modular line cord


While you are there, ask whether the store has anything like the Allen Tel AT173 modular adapter (Figure 4.14). This device allows single phone devices to be connected to either of the two lines in a standard four-wire phone jack. You will use this adapter to manage two-line and split-line configurations, which I discuss later in this chapter.

Figure 4.14. The Allen Tel AT173 two-line modular adapter can connect phones to two different lines in one jack.


Tip

Google "Allen Tel AT173" to find online retailers that sell this handy device.


Connecting your TA to the distribution system

When the telephone company cables are disconnected, and you have all the proper cables and connectors, you can get started with your connections. There are a few scenarios to consider as you connect your phones:

  • VoIP as a single line

  • Two-line VoIP service

  • VoIP as a second line with an existing telephone-company line

Why Don't all my Phone Jacks Work?

When you connect to your phone system, you might notice that some jacks do not seem to work. This can happen when the demarcation point is also used as the distribution point. One or more of the cables leading into your home might not be connected.

At the demarcation point, simply connect these disconnected wires to the same screws the other wires are using. Connect each color to the screw that has the same-color wires connected to it. Be careful not to reconnect the telephone company's wires.

With all wires interconnected, you should have a dial tone at all jacks.


Connecting as a Single-Line Service

The most common service type for those who plan to fire the phone company is a single-line VoIP service. In this scenario, you simply connect your TA to an available wall jack and use your home phones normally (Figure 4.15).

Figure 4.15. A telephone adapter connected as a single-line phone service


Note

Be sure to post a warning in the demarcation point to telephone-company personnel. If they come along and reconnect Line 2, your TA could fry.


Connecting as a Two-Line Service

If you plan to use two VoIP lines, you can use the modular adapter plug discussed in "Getting the right cables and connectors" earlier in this chapter. When you connect this plug to your wall jack, you can plug Line 1 from your TA into the L1 port and Line 2 from the TA into the L2 port (Figure 4.16).

Figure 4.16. Connecting two VoIP lines to your home's phone system


This arrangement places each line on a separate pair of wires in the jack. Then you can use adapters at other wall jacks to access the line you would like to use in that particular room. You can even directly connect a two-line phone to any jack or to the L1&L2 port on the adapter for access to both lines (Figure 4.17).

Figure 4.17. Connecting a two-line phone to your phone system


Connecting as a Second Line in a Two-Line Service

If you plan to keep one voice line from the telephone company, you can still get Internet phone in every room as a second line option. Accomplishing this requires careful configuration in the demarcation point. You will leave the telephone company's connector in place for Line 1 but remove the connector for Line 2, opening that line for connection to your TA (Figure 4.18).

Figure 4.18. Leaving Line 1 connected at the demarcation point while disconnecting Line 2


Using the two-line modular adapter, connect your TA to the L2 port. Use additional adapters in other rooms to select the line you want to use. You will find the telephone-company line on L1 and your Internet phone on L2. You can also connect two-line phones directly into any jack for access to both lines (Figure 4.19).

Figure 4.19. Connecting two-line phones to your shared system


Distributing telephone service without wires

If all this demarcation-point stuff is just too much, or if you do not have access to the demarcation point for your home, you might consider using cordless phones to access your Internet phone service.

Cordless Phone Options

A simple cordless phone will allow you to roam about the place while you talk. For many homes, a single phone will be adequate. However, if you have a family, especially one with teens, you probably will opt for something like the Panasonic KX-TG2770S phone system (Figure 4.20).

Figure 4.20. The Panasonic KX-TG2770S two-line cordless phone system supports up to eight phones on two lines.


This two-line phone system can access both lines concurrently and supports as many as eight handsets. This allows you to place handsets where they are easy to reach all without opening a panel, jack, or faceplate!

Connecting Two-Line Cordless Phones to your TA

Remember the Allen Tel AT173 two-line modular adapter? Well, you guessed it: It has one more role to play. When you connect one VoIP line to L1 and another to L2, you can connect your two-line cordless base station to the L1&L2 plug for two-line access (Figure 4.21).

Figure 4.21. Using the Allen Tel AT173 to connect a two-line cordless phone


Note

For this use, do not connect the adapter to a wall jack; this could expose your equipment to telephone-company voltages. Instead, use the adapter with only the line cords plugged in; it has all the necessary circuitry to combine the two single lines into one two-line jack for your cordless phone.




Fire the Phone Company. A Handy Guide to Voice over IP
Fire the Phone Company: A Handy Guide to Voice Over IP
ISBN: 0321384865
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 94
Authors: David Field

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