Prev: Is it just me or...
Next: 60/40 vs. 63/37 Solder
From: David Farber on 14 Jul 2010 16:02 I moved into a new house and have new voip phone service via the local cable company. The way it's configured is the cable from outside goes into the modem, model number Arris TM502G, then the output of the modem, labeled Tel 1/2 goes into a telephone line splitter, then the single ended part of that splitter, goes into a telephone wall jack which is supposed to feed the rest of the house. The third connection of the splitter goes to my Uniden portable phone system, model EXAI3428, which I will call system #1. It works fine. To avoid confusion with another Uniden system, a model EXAI5688-3, I'll call that system #2. I want to hook up system #2 at a different wall jack in another room. When I did, there was no dial tone. System #2 was working last week in another home so I am fairly certain that it was ok. I have a telephone line polarity checker probably better known as, "The Fox," made by Triplett Corporation. The l.e.d. lights up when I plug it into the back of the modem. When I remove the telephone line from system #1 and plug in the Fox into the splitter, it doesn't light up. I disassembled the wall jack and sure enough, if I hook up the red test lead to the green wire and vice-versa for the green test lead, the l.e.d. lights up. Question 1, does it make sense that system #1 can work if the polarity is reversed? I removed the Fox and plugged system #2 in the same jack. System #2 didn't work. Then I reversed the red and green wires in the wall jack and tried system #2 in the wall jack in the other room. Still no dial tone. So I disassembled the wires in that wall jack. The wires were so snug that I could only pull it out from the wall about 1 inch. I looked behind the jack and saw that the phone wires were the old style red, green, yellow, black wiring. When I reversed the wires in the wall jack back in the room where system #1 was, I noticed the wires were a white/blue pair. I then plugged the Fox into a jack in a third room. The Fox lit up. I plugged in system #2 into the third room and got a dial tone. Question #2, is there a way to get the red and green wires in the wall jack that isn't working tied into the blue/white pair at the outside box? And finally, why does the telephone line splitter reverse the polarity? I tried another splitter and it did the same thing. Thanks for your reply. -- David Farber Los Osos, CA
From: greenpjs on 14 Jul 2010 17:43 On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:02:38 -0700, "David Farber" <farberbear.unspam(a)aol.com> wrote: >I moved into a new house and have new voip phone service via the local cable >company. The way it's configured is the cable from outside goes into the >modem, model number Arris TM502G, then the output of the modem, labeled Tel >1/2 goes into a telephone line splitter, then the single ended part of that >splitter, goes into a telephone wall jack which is supposed to feed the rest >of the house. The third connection of the splitter goes to my Uniden >portable phone system, model EXAI3428, which I will call system #1. It works >fine. > >To avoid confusion with another Uniden system, a model EXAI5688-3, I'll call >that system #2. I want to hook up system #2 at a different wall jack in >another room. When I did, there was no dial tone. System #2 was working last >week in another home so I am fairly certain that it was ok. I have a >telephone line polarity checker probably better known as, "The Fox," made by >Triplett Corporation. The l.e.d. lights up when I plug it into the back of >the modem. When I remove the telephone line from system #1 and plug in the >Fox into the splitter, it doesn't light up. I disassembled the wall jack and >sure enough, if I hook up the red test lead to the green wire and vice-versa >for the green test lead, the l.e.d. lights up. Question 1, does it make >sense that system #1 can work if the polarity is reversed? I removed the Fox >and plugged system #2 in the same jack. System #2 didn't work. Then I >reversed the red and green wires in the wall jack and tried system #2 in the >wall jack in the other room. Still no dial tone. So I disassembled the wires >in that wall jack. The wires were so snug that I could only pull it out from >the wall about 1 inch. I looked behind the jack and saw that the phone wires >were the old style red, green, yellow, black wiring. When I reversed the >wires in the wall jack back in the room where system #1 was, I noticed the >wires were a white/blue pair. I then plugged the Fox into a jack in a third >room. The Fox lit up. I plugged in system #2 into the third room and got a >dial tone. Question #2, is there a way to get the red and green wires in the >wall jack that isn't working tied into the blue/white pair at the outside >box? And finally, why does the telephone line splitter reverse the polarity? >I tried another splitter and it did the same thing. > >Thanks for your reply. I don't think the splitter is really a splitter. My guess is it isolates line 1 from line 2 so red/green from the cable modem goes to one RJ11 and black/yellow goes to the other. You only have one line, so only the first one works. Just plug a real splitter into the leg that works. (These things aren't really splitters, but I'm using that word because you did). Phones are connected in parallel.
From: AC Me on 15 Jul 2010 06:08 On Jul 14, 9:02 pm, "David Farber" <farberbear.uns...(a)aol.com> wrote: > I moved into a new house and have new voip phone service via the local cable > company. The way it's configured is the cable from outside goes into the > modem, model number Arris TM502G, then the output of the modem, labeled Tel > 1/2 goes into a telephone line splitter, then the single ended part of that > splitter, goes into a telephone wall jack which is supposed to feed the rest > of the house. The third connection of the splitter goes to my Uniden > portable phone system, model EXAI3428, which I will call system #1. It works > fine. > > To avoid confusion with another Uniden system, a model EXAI5688-3, I'll call > that system #2. I want to hook up system #2 at a different wall jack in > another room. When I did, there was no dial tone. System #2 was working last > week in another home so I am fairly certain that it was ok. I have a > telephone line polarity checker probably better known as, "The Fox," made by > Triplett Corporation. The l.e.d. lights up when I plug it into the back of > the modem. When I remove the telephone line from system #1 and plug in the > Fox into the splitter, it doesn't light up. I disassembled the wall jack and > sure enough, if I hook up the red test lead to the green wire and vice-versa > for the green test lead, the l.e.d. lights up. Question 1, does it make > sense that system #1 can work if the polarity is reversed? I removed the Fox > and plugged system #2 in the same jack. System #2 didn't work. Then I > reversed the red and green wires in the wall jack and tried system #2 in the > wall jack in the other room. Still no dial tone. So I disassembled the wires > in that wall jack. The wires were so snug that I could only pull it out from > the wall about 1 inch. I looked behind the jack and saw that the phone wires > were the old style red, green, yellow, black wiring. When I reversed the > wires in the wall jack back in the room where system #1 was, I noticed the > wires were a white/blue pair. I then plugged the Fox into a jack in a third > room. The Fox lit up. I plugged in system #2 into the third room and got a > dial tone. Question #2, is there a way to get the red and green wires in the > wall jack that isn't working tied into the blue/white pair at the outside > box? And finally, why does the telephone line splitter reverse the polarity? > I tried another splitter and it did the same thing. > > Thanks for your reply. > -- > David Farber > Los Osos, CA Hi David. Polarity shouldn't matter, as far as I know. Many telephone leads have the wires reversed. I discovered this many years ago when trying to use off-the-shelf telephone leads for a 1-Wire cabling system. 1-Wire needs 'straight-through' wiring while 'phones seem to work with either straight-through or crossed. If you look at the 'phone leads that you have on-hand (e.g. those leads that connect the 'phone to the wall socket) I would be surprised if some of these were not crossed. One other point to bear in mind is loading. Each device loads the telephone network, if I might describe it as such. As far as I know a standard telephone end-use system is designed to work with a load of up to four units where a unit is a theoritical 'phone load. Any individual telephonic device may have a load of several units. For instance a particular 'phone (perhaps with fax an/or answering machine) might provide a load of 2 units. The loads of all 'phone type devices need to be added to get the total load. It is easy to forget modems in PCs and the like. Just something to bear in mind should you get your wiring sorted out. Take care. Mike
From: David Farber on 15 Jul 2010 10:35 AC Me wrote: > On Jul 14, 9:02 pm, "David Farber" <farberbear.uns...(a)aol.com> wrote: >> I moved into a new house and have new voip phone service via the >> local cable company. The way it's configured is the cable from >> outside goes into the modem, model number Arris TM502G, then the >> output of the modem, labeled Tel 1/2 goes into a telephone line >> splitter, then the single ended part of that splitter, goes into a >> telephone wall jack which is supposed to feed the rest of the house. >> The third connection of the splitter goes to my Uniden portable >> phone system, model EXAI3428, which I will call system #1. It works >> fine. >> >> To avoid confusion with another Uniden system, a model EXAI5688-3, >> I'll call that system #2. I want to hook up system #2 at a different >> wall jack in another room. When I did, there was no dial tone. >> System #2 was working last week in another home so I am fairly >> certain that it was ok. I have a telephone line polarity checker >> probably better known as, "The Fox," made by Triplett Corporation. >> The l.e.d. lights up when I plug it into the back of the modem. When >> I remove the telephone line from system #1 and plug in the Fox into >> the splitter, it doesn't light up. I disassembled the wall jack and >> sure enough, if I hook up the red test lead to the green wire and >> vice-versa for the green test lead, the l.e.d. lights up. Question >> 1, does it make sense that system #1 can work if the polarity is >> reversed? I removed the Fox and plugged system #2 in the same jack. >> System #2 didn't work. Then I reversed the red and green wires in >> the wall jack and tried system #2 in the wall jack in the other >> room. Still no dial tone. So I disassembled the wires in that wall >> jack. The wires were so snug that I could only pull it out from the >> wall about 1 inch. I looked behind the jack and saw that the phone >> wires were the old style red, green, yellow, black wiring. When I >> reversed the wires in the wall jack back in the room where system #1 >> was, I noticed the wires were a white/blue pair. I then plugged the >> Fox into a jack in a third room. The Fox lit up. I plugged in system >> #2 into the third room and got a dial tone. Question #2, is there a >> way to get the red and green wires in the wall jack that isn't >> working tied into the blue/white pair at the outside box? And >> finally, why does the telephone line splitter reverse the polarity? >> I tried another splitter and it did the same thing. >> >> Thanks for your reply. >> -- >> David Farber >> Los Osos, CA > > Hi David. > > Polarity shouldn't matter, as far as I know. Many telephone leads have > the wires reversed. I discovered this many years ago when trying to > use off-the-shelf telephone leads for a 1-Wire cabling system. 1-Wire > needs 'straight-through' wiring while 'phones seem to work with either > straight-through or crossed. If you look at the 'phone leads that you > have on-hand (e.g. those leads that connect the 'phone to the wall > socket) I would be surprised if some of these were not crossed. > One other point to bear in mind is loading. Each device loads the > telephone network, if I might describe it as such. As far as I know a > standard telephone end-use system is designed to work with a load of > up to four units where a unit is a theoritical 'phone load. Any > individual telephonic device may have a load of several units. For > instance a particular 'phone (perhaps with fax an/or answering > machine) might provide a load of 2 units. The loads of all 'phone type > devices need to be added to get the total load. It is easy to forget > modems in PCs and the like. Just something to bear in mind should you > get your wiring sorted out. > > Take care. > > Mike Hi Mike, As I pointed out, the polarity did matter because system #2 did not work until I reversed the wires in the phone jack. Regarding the load on the line, does a portable phone system which has its own power supply place the same amount of load on the line as a stand-alone telephone? Thanks for your reply. -- David Farber Los Osos, CA
From: greenpjs on 15 Jul 2010 13:57
On Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:35:51 -0700, "David Farber" <farberbear.unspam(a)aol.com> wrote: >AC Me wrote: >> On Jul 14, 9:02 pm, "David Farber" <farberbear.uns...(a)aol.com> wrote: >>> I moved into a new house and have new voip phone service via the >>> local cable company. The way it's configured is the cable from >>> outside goes into the modem, model number Arris TM502G, then the >>> output of the modem, labeled Tel 1/2 goes into a telephone line >>> splitter, then the single ended part of that splitter, goes into a >>> telephone wall jack which is supposed to feed the rest of the house. >>> The third connection of the splitter goes to my Uniden portable >>> phone system, model EXAI3428, which I will call system #1. It works >>> fine. >>> >>> To avoid confusion with another Uniden system, a model EXAI5688-3, >>> I'll call that system #2. I want to hook up system #2 at a different >>> wall jack in another room. When I did, there was no dial tone. >>> System #2 was working last week in another home so I am fairly >>> certain that it was ok. I have a telephone line polarity checker >>> probably better known as, "The Fox," made by Triplett Corporation. >>> The l.e.d. lights up when I plug it into the back of the modem. When >>> I remove the telephone line from system #1 and plug in the Fox into >>> the splitter, it doesn't light up. I disassembled the wall jack and >>> sure enough, if I hook up the red test lead to the green wire and >>> vice-versa for the green test lead, the l.e.d. lights up. Question >>> 1, does it make sense that system #1 can work if the polarity is >>> reversed? I removed the Fox and plugged system #2 in the same jack. >>> System #2 didn't work. Then I reversed the red and green wires in >>> the wall jack and tried system #2 in the wall jack in the other >>> room. Still no dial tone. So I disassembled the wires in that wall >>> jack. The wires were so snug that I could only pull it out from the >>> wall about 1 inch. I looked behind the jack and saw that the phone >>> wires were the old style red, green, yellow, black wiring. When I >>> reversed the wires in the wall jack back in the room where system #1 >>> was, I noticed the wires were a white/blue pair. I then plugged the >>> Fox into a jack in a third room. The Fox lit up. I plugged in system >>> #2 into the third room and got a dial tone. Question #2, is there a >>> way to get the red and green wires in the wall jack that isn't >>> working tied into the blue/white pair at the outside box? And >>> finally, why does the telephone line splitter reverse the polarity? >>> I tried another splitter and it did the same thing. >>> >>> Thanks for your reply. >>> -- >>> David Farber >>> Los Osos, CA >> >> Hi David. >> >> Polarity shouldn't matter, as far as I know. Many telephone leads have >> the wires reversed. I discovered this many years ago when trying to >> use off-the-shelf telephone leads for a 1-Wire cabling system. 1-Wire >> needs 'straight-through' wiring while 'phones seem to work with either >> straight-through or crossed. If you look at the 'phone leads that you >> have on-hand (e.g. those leads that connect the 'phone to the wall >> socket) I would be surprised if some of these were not crossed. >> One other point to bear in mind is loading. Each device loads the >> telephone network, if I might describe it as such. As far as I know a >> standard telephone end-use system is designed to work with a load of >> up to four units where a unit is a theoritical 'phone load. Any >> individual telephonic device may have a load of several units. For >> instance a particular 'phone (perhaps with fax an/or answering >> machine) might provide a load of 2 units. The loads of all 'phone type >> devices need to be added to get the total load. It is easy to forget >> modems in PCs and the like. Just something to bear in mind should you >> get your wiring sorted out. >> >> Take care. >> >> Mike > >Hi Mike, > >As I pointed out, the polarity did matter because system #2 did not work >until I reversed the wires in the phone jack. Regarding the load on the >line, does a portable phone system which has its own power supply place the >same amount of load on the line as a stand-alone telephone? > >Thanks for your reply. Hi David, I tried posting yesterday, but never saw my post. To answer your recent question, only the designers know the load placed on the line by a phone. However, they usually list it somewhere as the REN or ringer equivalency number. 1.0 is the same as an old fashioned phone. Newer phones are often less than 1.0. The ringer is the only thing that matters when the phone is not being used to talk. What I said yesterday that you may or may not have seen is the thing you call a splitter is probably not a splitterat all. If the jack on the modem allows for 2 lines, they probably use the middle two wires for line one (often associated with red and green wires) and the outer two wires for line two (often yellow and black). The "splitter" thing connects the middle two wires from the jack to the middle two of one output (line 1). It then connects the outer two wires to the middle two of the other output (line 2). If you want multiple phones on one line, only use the one output of the "splitter" thing. Get another dual adapter to connect multiple phone to that one output. Pat |