How to Wire Phone Lines in the House

Wiring your own phone lines in your house can save you a heavy expense with the phone company. It used to be the phone company’s responsibility to wire your phone lines, but that is no longer the case. Learn for yourself how to wire your phone lines in your own house. Learn to locate and distinguish the various apparatus of your phone system. Learn to recognize the network interface device, wiring block and modular jack easily. Save money, learn something new and be proud of the work you do on your own home.

Things You'll Need

• Modular jack (four contacts only)
• Cat 5 wire (standard)

Instructions

Wire the Network Interface Device

1. Disconnect the network interface device (NID) that is located on the external frame of the building or in the basement. This section is for network boxes containing yellow and black wires.

2. Open the panel door to the NID and locate the extra two wires that are by default disconnected. You should see a 4-wire system. Line one should be red and green wires. If not, disregard this article and consult your electrician. Your line two is a black wire and a yellow wire.

3. Connect the yellow wire to the red screw in the NID. Connect the black wire to the green screw. The phone line will automatically recognize these wires for a line two connection. Everything is done at the NID. You do not need to run wires physically throughout the house.

4. Call your phone company and ask them to open the second line for your billing. That’s all there is to wiring a second phone line in your house.

Wire the Modular Jack for Modems and Other Devices

1. 

   Convert the line one jack to the line two jack. Connect some extra green cable wire to the black wire’s terminal.

2. Connect some extra black wire to the green wire’s terminal.

3. Connect some yellow wire to the red wire’s terminal.

4. Connect some red wire to the yellow wire’s terminal. Your phone line wiring is now complete.

5. Call the phone company and ask them to add the new line to your existing phone account.

Tips & Warnings

• Eight-strand wire can be hooked up by converting the four-strand system as follows:

• Green = T1(WHITE with blue stripes)

• Red = R1 (BLUE with white stripes)

• Black = T2 (WHITE with orange stripes)

• Yellow = R2 (ORANGE with white stripes)

• Do not perform any wiring jobs without first learning basic electrical safety.

• Never stand in water when handling wire or other conductive terminals.

• Do not perform wiring jobs or maintenance, nor open the network interface device, during lightening storms.

• This article applies only to those living in the United States.