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how to install phone wiring?

4K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  a7ecorsair 
#1 ·
Our house has no phone lines.
The old lines were all pulled from under the house (there is a big wad of old phone line laying on the ground). The lines that leave the phone company's box on the outside are cut as soon as they emerge underneath the house.

So all I have is a little box attached to the outside of the house. (pictured below).

I was looking for some advice on what and how to install new phone lines.

My guess is that I should run 1 line from the phone company's connection box (What is this called?) into the partial basement and install some sort of switch box / ethernet modem and router. And then from this box in the partial basement run two cat5e cables to each room (one for a phone jack and one for ethernet).

Am I on the right track? What else should I consider? I'm sure more questions will come.

thanks so much
 
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#2 ·
If you have never had phone service at this place, call who you want for service, whether it is cable company that offers digital phone service, or local telephone company that offers regular phone or digital phone service. As for your question, they will have to install what is called a NID (Network Interface Device), along with probably a new drop if it has been sometime since there was phone service there.

In today's society, everyone is going with digital phone service either through a VoIP provider, or through their Internet provider, like what ATT offers with their U-Verse service, Vonage, Magic Jack, Comcast, or Verizon. Figure out what you want, and if you have Cable, call your provider if they offer Digital phone.
 
#3 ·
Found an internet service provider that will offer internet service without a phone contract. But I was under the impression that they aren't going to install anything for me. The coax cable is in similar state as the phone. However, I don't watch TV so not to worried about it.
 
#4 ·
They will install one phone jack from the EMT, but to make things easier, you can do it yourself from where you want the EMT, to where you want the phone jack. You can probably use the existing phone wiring stuck under the house if you wish, but nowdays, people are using Cat-5e, since you can use it for both networking & telephone.
 
#5 ·
What are you using for your Internet service? Is it cable or DSL? If DSL you'll need a phone line to the DSL modem.

You don't split phone lines (POTS, the old copper hardwired that has been ripped out) with a router. You just connect the colors together. Only the green and red are used. You can run the new lines into a DSL modem and then into a router/switch.
 
#7 ·
So I take it a NID is different than the box I showed a picture of?

I don't want to use ATT. If I'm not going to start ATT service will they still come hook up the NID? (My guess is no).

I plan to use a private DSL carrier that will give me dsl service without paying for phone service.
 
#8 ·
If it is a private Dsl, with dry loop, they may have to have ATT still replace that old block with a NID. It is still ATT's line that will be used for you to get the dsl through.

If you want to pull the wire yourself, you can get everything at Lowe's, home depot,
 
#11 ·
Years ago when Ma Bell owned the phone equipment, hook, line, and sinker, everything was installed and maintained by the telco. With the breaking up of the regulated monopolies, we no longer had to have a phone provided by the telco. We could go buy our own phone and plug it in. To have a point where the phone company lines ended and the customer line began, the NID - Network Interface Device - was developed. The box in the picture was quite common before the NID and I'm sure it had its own name, but someone with phone system background would have to remember. The NID allows the homeowner to plug a phone into the plug in the customer access area. It the phone works there then the problem isn't the phone companies.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for all the help. I've been having a hard time figuring out if ATT will install a NID at my house with out a contract.

Either way I should be able to run a wire from the protector that terminates in a modular phone jack? and then from here connect a modem and then to a router?

Another question about which wires to run. I was planning on putting two jacks in each room in the house. One jack for the phone (which I don't plan on currently using, but just in case) and the other jack for ethernet. The reason I am putting in two jacks is simply because there is no extra work in installing 2 wires vs. 1 wire).

Other than cost is there any reason not to have these wires both be CAT6?
 
#17 ·
Thanks for all the help. I've been having a hard time figuring out if ATT will install a NID at my house with out a contract.

Either way I should be able to run a wire from the protector that terminates in a modular phone jack? and then from here connect a modem and then to a router?
Those two wires have to be connected to someones network. If AT&T is your provider then even if you don't use AT&T they will have to provide the connection so another company can lease the line from AT&T.
 
#15 ·
The Red & Green as it shows are the first line pair. Depending on the provider, they will run one jack, and same for Ethernet. As for running Cat-6, you could, but it is stiffer than Cat-5e. I run all of my telephone just on the inside wall of my basement, where it is for the outside, then from there, I have my RG for U-verse. When I had Comcast, it worked out, since I also have a outlet in that location, so I could power up the modem, and when I had Comcast, I was using pfSense for my router, instead of a off the shelf.
 
#16 ·
You can purchase just about any type of equipment online, including punchdown blocks and DeMarcs. And as you suggested, run home run cables for everything, don't daisy chain and you will have greater flexibility....and mark EVERY wire as you pull it.
 
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