Preparing For Broadband Internet -old Phone Outlets Removal

[dsfbrit]

I currently have a house with a landline and 4 telephone outlets. I dont use all these outlets - just the one in the room I use as an 'office' would be enough.

Next week I am having ADSL broadband internet installed. I decided to make life simple and remove the unnecessary outlets and potential sources of 'noise' for the new Internet link. All that messy cable going all around the house will no doubt add to potential problems in the future!!

I decided I would terminate the telephone line where it enters the house. This is right next to my room I use as an 'office'. So would be just a few feet from the new broadband setup.

I connected a manual phone ie: a cheap phone I know works - to the 4 wires via a phone jack directly into the phone from the cable - just to see that it would work OK in principle.

It didn't work. I thought I understood what I was doing - I dont.

I am usually pretty good at computer wiring, connection stuff ie comms etc... so thought that just reading about the 4 wire connection on the internet, it would be a simple task. In fact I thought the only issue really was the 'tip and ring' which is different for the number of phones installed. I am having just one phone so the tip and ring was just one cable change.

I will start switching wires around if necessary to see what happens. I have discovered in the past - at some cost - that just fiddling around can cause problems!!! So if someone could tell me what I have done wrong - it would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[garyh]

Should only be 2 wires used, if it is same as Australia it will be the white and blue. You should be able to measure 50 volts across them.

[dsfbrit]

Ok thanks - I will check that - I am connected via a dial up link using that cable - so will have to wait until I log off!!

I have checked a bit of the old cable - and the 'standard' here is red - black - yellow - green.

I realised only 2 wires are actually used for transmission from the exchange to my house - but I was not sure which 2 they were so connected all 4 to the telephone jack - the same colours - I did not cross over the wires at all. So its red- red etc...

I dont have equipment to measure the voltage drop I am afraid.

I saw a chart somewhere on the net with the different standards around the world for colour codes - so will see if I can find that as well.

edit: I have just realised these new telephone jacks have just 2 wires connected - red - green. So I guess that narrows down the problem!!! Dont know how I missed that - the older jacks I have here have all 4 wires connected!

I guess if I connect the red - green to the socket it should work - just leave the other wires disconnected.

Is it that simple??? Its dark here now so will try that in the morning!!

[Deke]

If you have only one telephone line, it should be connected to red/green.

[lopburi3]

They make phones that can be used with two lines so that is what the extra wire caries - another line. One plug on phone and wall. After losing two such phones in lightning strikes (on expensive side) decided to just use cheap phones for each line and have not lost another.

After you get the adsl hooked up you might switch out connection cords from wall to modem if you have several and see which gives you the best s/n. There can be a big difference as most are very cheaply made.

[dsfbrit]

garyh, deke and lopburi3, thanks for the advice.

Armed with the confidence of knowing I could cut the wire and then just connect the red and green wires - I got up at the crack of dawn and did this!!

Worked first time - just need to tidy it up now.

Thanks again

lop, I will give that a go when they have installed the broadband...

[newcomer01]

Just for interest go outside to where the phone line comes into the house from the connection box a see the wiring. At my house no colour coding at all. Just to wires into the house. For future problems it also good to know where the telephone connection is for fault finding if the house wiring has a problem or it is the outside line. Just need 2 wires and a telephone connection.

[longball53098]

Some added info. If the wires have no color and they get connected in a reversed polarity and you plug in a phone and get dial tone but cannot place a call try switching the polarity of the connections. Dial tone will still be there but now with the correct polarity you can send the dialing tones.