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Started By
Message
Replacing a Phone Jack
Posted on 8/8/18 at 5:45 pm
Posted on 8/8/18 at 5:45 pm
My elderly aunt was having trouble with her cordless phones. She was getting a ‘line in use’ message when they were hung up. I’m no phone technician, but I figured I’d try to help her unscrew the problem. I eventually moved the base unit to a different jack and it resolved the ‘line in use’ issue. However, when I plugged a hardwire phone into the suspect jack, I got no dial tone. I figured I’d try replacing the jack before she had to get the phone company out here.
The old jack had four terminals and only two wires were connected to it - green to green and orange to red. The yellow and black terminals were unused. The new jack has eight terminals. I tried green to green and orange to red (as the old jack was wired) ... no joy. Tried green to green and orange to orange ... no joy. Tried green to green and red to red ... still no love.
Any suggestions besides “Call the phone company, you sorry excuse for a man”?
The old jack had four terminals and only two wires were connected to it - green to green and orange to red. The yellow and black terminals were unused. The new jack has eight terminals. I tried green to green and orange to red (as the old jack was wired) ... no joy. Tried green to green and orange to orange ... no joy. Tried green to green and red to red ... still no love.
Any suggestions besides “Call the phone company, you sorry excuse for a man”?
13
Posted on 8/8/18 at 5:57 pm to White Roach
Maybe there is a problem with the line itself going to that jack
Posted on 8/8/18 at 6:00 pm to Tyga Woods
It’s a raised house, but kind -of a bitch to get under. I was kind of hoping to avoid that. It’s very possible a rodent gnawed through the line.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 6:07 pm to White Roach
It is 2018. Go buy your Auntie a modern cordless phone that has a base station. Plug that into the wall jack that works and then put the satellite stations (that don't require wall jacks) where ever are most convenient for her. This isn't rocket surgery Einstein.
OR... you can crawl under a house and have god knows what happen to you trying to maybe (but likely not) fix a line problem.
OR... you can crawl under a house and have god knows what happen to you trying to maybe (but likely not) fix a line problem.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 6:08 pm to White Roach
Cell phone?
Posted on 8/8/18 at 6:12 pm to jbgleason
quote:
Go buy your Auntie a modern cordless phone that has a base station. Plug that into the wall jack that works and then put the satellite stations (that don't require wall jacks) where ever are most convenient for her.
Bingo, we have a winner. All she has to do is remember to set the phone back in the cradle to recharge if not in use. Tracking down a potential wire fault is more time and effort than just getting a new phone set-up.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 6:14 pm to jbgleason
She’s got five cordless handsets and two hardwire phones. Her cordless system is currently working, but he base unit isn’t where she would prefer it to be. The screwed up jack is by her desk, which is where the base unit has been for many years. It’ll be easier for her if it’sreturned to her office area.
I realize the the chances of me finding a damaged section of phone line and successfully splicing it under the house aren’t very good.
I realize the the chances of me finding a damaged section of phone line and successfully splicing it under the house aren’t very good.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 6:27 pm to White Roach
The blue/white pair is the conventional first line in an ethernet jack. Orange/white is the conventional second line. In a green/red pair, white connects to green (tip) and blue connects to red (ring).
Line in use is usually a short somewhere in the circuit. You could track it down jack-by-jack, assuming it’s wired in a daisy chain. Start where the service functions and go from there.
Or, as posted above, just get a decent cordless setup and avoid the hassle.
Line in use is usually a short somewhere in the circuit. You could track it down jack-by-jack, assuming it’s wired in a daisy chain. Start where the service functions and go from there.
Or, as posted above, just get a decent cordless setup and avoid the hassle.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 6:48 pm to White Roach
Go outside by the meter pan.
This should be a little plastic tell tale tag hanging from the bottom. Go ahead and rip that bitch off.
Now open the cover to the meter pan.
Firmly grasp the meter on both sides and yank it straight out. If that doesn't work pull it down and out.
Now there should be 2 ~2/0 aluminum or copper braided insulated wires on the right and the left and 1 bare wire in the middle.
Place one hand on the bare wire in the middle and place your other hand on the exposed conductors on either wire on the right or left.
It helps if your hands are wet when you do this.
That should take care of your problems.
This should be a little plastic tell tale tag hanging from the bottom. Go ahead and rip that bitch off.
Now open the cover to the meter pan.
Firmly grasp the meter on both sides and yank it straight out. If that doesn't work pull it down and out.
Now there should be 2 ~2/0 aluminum or copper braided insulated wires on the right and the left and 1 bare wire in the middle.
Place one hand on the bare wire in the middle and place your other hand on the exposed conductors on either wire on the right or left.
It helps if your hands are wet when you do this.
That should take care of your problems.
This post was edited on 8/8/18 at 6:49 pm
Posted on 8/8/18 at 6:50 pm to White Roach
Just get her a Medic Alert.
And stop calling me Jack.
And stop calling me Jack.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 6:58 pm to FCP
I bought a new Cat 5 jack with 8 terminals. Clockwise from top right - blue, orange, black, red, green, yellow, brown, and white.
The wire in the wall has 8 strands - green, red, orange, blue and four white wires, banded in green, red, orange and blue. The wire is no more than 12 years old. It was installed post-Katrina, possibly in 2006, but probably in 2007.
I assumed I should connect like colored wires to the corresponding terminals. Are you saying I should be connecting to the white and blue terminals with the green and red wires?
The wire in the wall has 8 strands - green, red, orange, blue and four white wires, banded in green, red, orange and blue. The wire is no more than 12 years old. It was installed post-Katrina, possibly in 2006, but probably in 2007.
I assumed I should connect like colored wires to the corresponding terminals. Are you saying I should be connecting to the white and blue terminals with the green and red wires?
Posted on 8/8/18 at 7:00 pm to nola000
Thanks for the suggestion, but I have a .357 that will work better. As a near genius, I figured you’d know that.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 7:39 pm to White Roach
Run a new line if you’re having that much of a problem
Posted on 8/8/18 at 7:42 pm to White Roach
Is she’s elderly, she’s probably paying AT&T for inside wiring service.
Check her bill. If it’s on there, call America’s Thugs & Thieves and let them handle it.
Check her bill. If it’s on there, call America’s Thugs & Thieves and let them handle it.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 7:44 pm to bakersman
What pair of wire is being used from out of the wall? Green and orange?
Posted on 8/8/18 at 9:11 pm to White Roach
Don't go under the house. There be monsters.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 9:14 pm to White Roach
Posted on 8/8/18 at 9:17 pm to White Roach
Call the phone company. They'll run a new line if it's important to you, but they're not going to repair decades old wire and neither should you.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 9:50 pm to White Roach
The two conductors that were terminated on the old jack, terminate them on the blue/blue-white terminals on the new jack. Doesn't matter which blue/blue-white terminal, voice is analog and polarity doesn't influence service. You also said your house is elevated. Depending on the route they installed the cabling, you may have an underlying problem: rodents/varmint under your floor.
Posted on 8/8/18 at 9:56 pm to White Roach
You have to try all the combinations.
And do it reverse just in case. I was able to get a busy signal, but it was backwards.
And do it reverse just in case. I was able to get a busy signal, but it was backwards.
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