Communications: Voice, Radio and Data - Odd voice wiring situation
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Odd voice wiring situation
OldJimmy
02-15-09, 06:25 PM
Okay, I just hardwired my VoIP adapter into my home voice wiring. It's working, but I encountered a strange problem that I'm going to have to resolve soon.
Beforehand, I had a cable coming into the wiring closet from the NID. This ran to the RJ31X for the alarm system, and from that it was punched to the 110 module providing voice service to the house.
I figured (wrongly, it appears) that all I had to do was pull the leads coming from the RJ31X to the 110 module to disconnect from the telco. After doing this, I checked to confirm I had no dialtone at any jack.
When I connected the VoIP adapter to the first pair on the 110 module, I had clear dialtone but as soon as I completed dialing I had terrible humming and communication was not possible (testing to my wife's cell phone). I also could not hang up and could faintly hear a recording about an invalid number, try again, although I had reached the number I dialed.
Anyway, after retracing all my steps and terminations, I finally gave in and pulled the plug at the NID. Magically, everything began working perfectly.
I have looked and looked and can not find any connection between the cable coming into the closet from the NID and the house cabling; it is only connected to the alarm's RJ31X. I can't find any other connection between the alarm system and the 110 modules. When I reconnect at the NID, the problem comes back.
I need to keep the telco service for the alarm monitoring (not comfortable with IP monitoring, and the telco service is only $4.50 a month), so I have to figure this out. I hope I don't have to pull a new run from the NID to the closet but can do that if necessary.
So, can I not see the forest for the trees and there is something simple I'm missing? Is there a list of actions you'd recommend I try to see if I can isolate the issue?
Thanks!
Beforehand, I had a cable coming into the wiring closet from the NID. This ran to the RJ31X for the alarm system, and from that it was punched to the 110 module providing voice service to the house.
I figured (wrongly, it appears) that all I had to do was pull the leads coming from the RJ31X to the 110 module to disconnect from the telco. After doing this, I checked to confirm I had no dialtone at any jack.
When I connected the VoIP adapter to the first pair on the 110 module, I had clear dialtone but as soon as I completed dialing I had terrible humming and communication was not possible (testing to my wife's cell phone). I also could not hang up and could faintly hear a recording about an invalid number, try again, although I had reached the number I dialed.
Anyway, after retracing all my steps and terminations, I finally gave in and pulled the plug at the NID. Magically, everything began working perfectly.
I have looked and looked and can not find any connection between the cable coming into the closet from the NID and the house cabling; it is only connected to the alarm's RJ31X. I can't find any other connection between the alarm system and the 110 modules. When I reconnect at the NID, the problem comes back.
I need to keep the telco service for the alarm monitoring (not comfortable with IP monitoring, and the telco service is only $4.50 a month), so I have to figure this out. I hope I don't have to pull a new run from the NID to the closet but can do that if necessary.
So, can I not see the forest for the trees and there is something simple I'm missing? Is there a list of actions you'd recommend I try to see if I can isolate the issue?
Thanks!
furd
02-16-09, 03:57 PM
Is your RJ31x jack in the wiring closet? Does the wire from the NID connect to only pins 4 and 5 on that jack? Are there any wires connecting to pins 1 and 8 in that jack except for the wires that were previously connect to the house wiring via the 110 module? Is there only the cable from the RJ31x jack to the NID actually connected to the NID?
Some pictures of the NID, the 110 module and the RJ31x might help.
It seems to me that SOMEWHERE there is a cross-connection between the house wiring and the NID. This could be an intermediate jack somewhere that is not used and maybe hidden behind some furniture or maybe some boxes in a storage area.
Some pictures of the NID, the 110 module and the RJ31x might help.
It seems to me that SOMEWHERE there is a cross-connection between the house wiring and the NID. This could be an intermediate jack somewhere that is not used and maybe hidden behind some furniture or maybe some boxes in a storage area.
OldJimmy
02-16-09, 09:10 PM
Furd - I'll check all that out and advise. Will also take some snaps too. This is a new-ish house so the wiring is relatively clean and straight foward (not a lot of legacy this-and-that to confuse things).
I too felt there had to be some sort of connection somewhere for this behavior to appear. It just wasn't obvious.
The wife and I were wondering if the alarm calls out over a line through the NID, what's to stop the clever burglar from just opening it up and popping the jack out? Sure, the local alarms will be sounding, but those are so ignored these days we'd just as soon disconnect them if the insurance would allow it. So maybe there is some secret thing going on there and I ought to carry this over to the alarm forum eventually.
Meanwhile, I'll dig in there some more and document what is where, and we'll keep the guns clean and the powder dry while we are un-monitored. :)
I too felt there had to be some sort of connection somewhere for this behavior to appear. It just wasn't obvious.
The wife and I were wondering if the alarm calls out over a line through the NID, what's to stop the clever burglar from just opening it up and popping the jack out? Sure, the local alarms will be sounding, but those are so ignored these days we'd just as soon disconnect them if the insurance would allow it. So maybe there is some secret thing going on there and I ought to carry this over to the alarm forum eventually.
Meanwhile, I'll dig in there some more and document what is where, and we'll keep the guns clean and the powder dry while we are un-monitored. :)
mango man
02-17-09, 08:40 AM
The wife and I were wondering if the alarm calls out over a line through the NID, what's to stop the clever burglar from just opening it up and popping the jack out?
nothing at all and they don't even need to be that clever just a quick snip of the cable feeding the NID
that's why its a good idea to install the NID in the garage (or other indoor location ) on new construction
nothing at all and they don't even need to be that clever just a quick snip of the cable feeding the NID
that's why its a good idea to install the NID in the garage (or other indoor location ) on new construction
OldJimmy
02-17-09, 08:55 AM
That just makes a whole lot of sense (protecting the NID). We lived in our previous house over 15 years and only had the telco in the NID once after initial installation (to put in a second line for dial-up internet - remember that?). So convenience is a non-issue. Thanks for getting me thinking about this; I've got some ideas about how to address it.