I recently got hooked up with my cable companies phone deal. I’ll be cutting my phone bill in a third. I can’t wait but I have one question. I’ve heard that I should disconnect the phone companies wire at my phone box because the phone company occasionally tests their lines with a voltage test. If the phone line is still hooked up to my house’s phone system network, the voltage test will damage my cable phone system. Any truth to this? Thanks. <!—-><!—-><!—->
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Learn how to fight wood-boring beetles and prevent home infestations with expert advice from Richard D. Kramer, an authority in pest control.
Featured Video
How to Install Exterior Window TrimHighlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
Yes, disconnect it.
Thanks TGNY
Exactly how is the cable company interface their phone system with your home's conventional phone wiring? I would hope they are not touching the telco-side, telco-owned portion of the NID (Network Interface Device, or demarc). If they do, its trouble if a line-tech comes and sees this. Still, I am curious as to their setup.
The cable phone is totally independent of the phone company's line. If the phone co. tests its lines and there's no phone connected to the lines in the house, there is no interaction. Kind of like the way internet access is gained over cable, the VOIP is multiplexed on the line and extracted in the home/office.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I have a good working knowledge of VoIP and broadband--I work for the phone company's data networking division. I wasn't sure if the cable operator was using the existing in-home phone wiring or not, and if so how they accessed it. I had actually suggested a while back (months back) that going from the LAN-side of the cablemodem/router/SIP device to the homeowner's-side of the NID could potentially reduce the installation requirements for voice as they homeowner get's to use the same household wiring for voice.
But, I was curious of exactly how this specific cable operator does its voice installation.
If the installer I anything like the ones I've dealt with here, it'll be done as simply and quickly as posible. They don't do anything beyond basic runs and usually tell customers to have someone else do the phone work. Most likely, they'll put the phone very close to the cable box. As I said, that's if they're the same as here in Milwaukee.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I assume you are referring to VoIP. It depends on how you set it up. If you simply have one phone connected to the VoIP adapter (or multiple handsets talking to one base connected to the VoIP adapter) then there is no need to disconnect since you aren't touching your existing home lines.
However, some people connect the VoIP adapter to their existing phone lines (there are a couple of ways to do this) so that all their phones work from the same jacks. If you do this, then you need to disconnect from the phone company at the NID (usually attached to the side of your house)
>>However, some people connect the VoIP adapter to their existing phone lines (there are a couple of ways to do this)What are the different ways?