VoIP installations can include distributing the VoIP phone connection throughout the house. This will make VoIP for the premises use much more suitable, rather than using only one or two phones or cordless phones. The basic steps to connect the house phone wiring to the VoIP would be:
- Discontinue your current service with your present telecom.
- Disconnect the previous telecom's wires from connecting with the home's wires at the Network Interface Box or Demarc (short for demarcation).
- Connect the VoIP RJ-11 cable from the phone jack of the ATA to a wall jack in the house.
The first step in disconnecting from your previous telecom company would be to locate the telephone junction box or demarc (you may see it also spelled demark). This box should be located on the side of the house, usually close to the cable TV box and power.
This is the box where the telecom’s wires come from the street and connect with the wires from the house. Many demarc boxes have two sections, one where you have access to the premises' section (customer access) and the other where the telecom company has access. Once you open the box, you will see telephone wires, as well as a ground wire. The ground wire should remain connected to a proper grounding source.
Next you will want to identify and disconnect each of the telephone company’s lines from connecting with the house lines. This is done to prevent any voltage from entering the premises, which will interfere with the VoIP service and will possible damage the equipment. (This should only be done if you no longer have any active numbers or DSL lines with the local telecom.) In some cases you will need to disconnect the telecom’s wires from terminating blocks, (make sure to keep the house wires connected). In some cases you may see a RJ-11 connecter used to connect the house wires with the streets wires. In this case, unplug the RJ-11 connector.
Wrap each disconnected wire with electrical tape as a safety measure. After securing the disconnected lines with electrical tape, you will want to attach a warning note, that the in-home wiring is now in use for a private network and should not be reconnected. (It is also recommended, that at this point, you should check with a meter for any voltage that may be present across the terminals for the in-home wiring. *There should be no voltage.) Then close the box securely.
Once you have completed disconnecting the previous telecom's lines from connecting to your house lines at the demarc, check one of the phones connected to a wall jack inside the house to make sure it is completely dead. There should be no noise at all coming from the phone. If for any reason it isn’t silent, there could be some voltage feeding into your wiring and you should contact a telephone professional to check out the premises' wiring.
If there is no sound you can now connect the VoIP to the house wiring. To do this, take a telephone cable and connect one end into the ATA’s phone port and the other end into a telephone wall jack. Then go to a phone that is plugged into another wall jack and check for dial tone. You should have dial tone and be able to make and receive calls.