How to Wire a Telephone Circuit

Wiring a new phone circuit is not a difficult task

Phone lines coming from the telephone company end up in the network interface device (NID) located just outside your home. The NID is owned by the telephone company, but subscribers are allowed to access it for repairs and maintenance. It is your responsibility as phone service subscriber to wire the telephone circuits inside your home and to connect to the NID. Wiring a telephone circuit is easy and learning how to accomplish the task can save you some cash.

Things You'll Need

• Diagonal pliers
• Telephone cable
• RJ-14 jack (surface mount)
• Cable stapler
• Wire stripper
• Screwdriver

Instructions

1. Look for the gray plastic box or network interface device (NID) located outside your home. Open the box and unplug the short wire with modular connector from its jack to disconnect power from the phone company.

2. Slip a telephone cable through the hole at the base of the NID. Pull the cable from inside the box and strip four inches of insulation off the cable sheath, using diagonal pliers. Strip 3/4 inch from the insulation of the exposed red and green wires, using a wire stripper.

3. Wrap the red and green wires clockwise around their matching color-coded terminal screws beside the jack inside the NID. Tighten all screws using a screwdriver.

4. Run the phone cable along baseboards, walls and ceilings, to the point where you will install a new phone. Keep at least three feet of distance from electrical wires to avoid interference. Fasten the cable using cable stapler every 12 inches, but leave an extra three feet at the end of the line.

5. Mount an RJ-14 phone jack (surface mount) on the wall nearest to where you plan to place a new phone. Use the screws or tape supplied with the jack and a screwdriver. Open the jack and loosen the red and green terminal screws inside.

6. Strip four inches of insulation off the cable sheath at its end, using diagonal pliers. Strip 3/4 inch from the insulation of the exposed red and green wires, using a wire stripper. Wrap the red and green wires clockwise around their matching color-coded terminal screws on the RJ-14 phone jack. Tighten all screws using a screwdriver.

7. Go to the NID outside your home and replug the modular connector inside the NID into its jack to restore power to the phone line. Go inside your home and plug a phone into the newly installed phone jack. Lift the handset, listen for a dial tone, and place a call to test the line.

References

• Wire Your Phones: Doing Your Own Telephone Wiring
• Public Service Commission of Wisconsin: Testing, Repairing and Installing Home telephone Wiring - Adding Wire to Existing Service
• Broadband DSL Reports: RJ-11/RJ-14 Wall Plate Jack Wire scheme