How to Wire VoIP to Home Phone Lines
In most cases, distributing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service throughout your home does not require you to completely rewire your existing phone lines. However, before plugging in your VoIP adapter and placing calls, there are a few steps you will need to take to ensure your system works as expected and will not be damaged. You do not need to be an electrician or networking professional to make these changes.
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Instructions
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Isolate Existing Phone Lines from Phone Company
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1
Locate the Network Interface Unit (NIU). The NIU is the central location where the phone company's lines enter your house. The NIU is generally a gray-colored box located on the exterior of the house.
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2
Open the NUI by undoing a single screw. In most cases, you will only be able to access the wires going into your home. The phone company generally does not allow you to access the wires coming from the street.
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3
Unplug all of the screw and terminal plugs and wrap the ends with electrical tape. Do not disconnect the ground wire, as it protects your home from lightning strikes.
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4
Notify the phone company that you have disconnected the lines and that they should not be reconnected. This is an important step, as any voltage sent over the lines can damage existing equipment. Leave a note on the wires themselves or leave a sign on or in the NIU.
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5
Close the NIU and reconnect the screw to close it.
Distributing VoIP Service Throughout Existing Lines
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6
Plug an existing phone into a home phone jack to verify that there is no service running to the line. If you hear any noise or tone, call your phone company technician so that they can verify that all lines are disconnected properly. If you do not hear any noise on the line, proceed to the next step.
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Plug your VoIP phone adapter to any jack in your home. This will run the VoIP service to all jacks in your home.
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8
Connect any standard phones to the jacks in your home and your whole house will be wired for VoIP service.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not attempt to plug a VoIP adapter into a phone jack without first disconnecting phone lines at the NIU. Failure to disconnect these wires can damage your VoIP equipment.
