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Help with Installation

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 6:40 am
by crj129
I received Ooma telo as a gift from son. He lives out of state so I am on my own for installation. He walked me through basic installation and Ooma is working fine. I have Cox cable for TV, phone and internet. My Cox phone number is being ported on 1/8. After it is ported I want to use all the phone jacks in my house. My modem from Cox is a phone modem and internet modem combined. There is a little phone box on wall that Cox installed when I got Cox phone. A phone line goes from this wall box to the modem. How would I configure my system to use all the jacks in my house?
Lynn

Re: Help with Installation

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 7:08 am
by lbmofo
When you installed your cable phone, the cable guys probably disconnected your house wiring from the telephone company properly. But you can verify by going out to your NID outside the house. Your NID should look like this (most people).

Image

The modular plug or plugs in some cases, should be pulled out, disconnected. Either that or all the wires are off the screw terminals.

In any case, your cable modem/phone is feeding your house wires right now at the jack near the modem so all your other phone jacks in the house works? In this case, just pull the phone cord from the modem and plug it into Ooma's "phone" port and you'd be set (phone cord from Ooma to wall jack instead of phone cord from cable modem to wall jack).

If you want to use Ooma right away this way, you can first forward your cable phone to your Ooma assigned number. Before porting completes, your outgoing callerid would be your Ooma assigned number.

After your number port, you can probably return your modem/phone unit and save some $ on monthly modem rental fee ($7-$10/month) by using your own modem (Costco store has SB6121 DOCSIS 3 modems for $74.99). Just need to call in to cable company and tell them your modem's MAC number and they can swap out your modem for you; then return the rental one to them.

Re: Help with Installation

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 7:33 am
by crj129
Thanks for replying. There is no way that I can go outside and open up the phone nid. I am very mechanically challenged. lol. 6 months ago I had an AT&T landline line. Then I ported my number to Cox Cable and when Cox installed my Cox phone the guy went out to the box outside. So can't I assume that he disconnected the landline. Then he came inside and installed a phone jack near my conputer. This phone jack is connected to the phone/internet modem. All jacks in my house are still connected to Cox phone cuz I have a wireless phone conected to a jack in my kitchen and it it still rings with my Cox phone number. I have a corded phone directly hooked to telo that rings with my Ooma number. I will wait until 1/8 when my Cox number is ported. So after it is ported then all my jacks in house should ring with Ooma and ported number?
After the number is ported will I have to change any connections to make all my jacks work for Ooma? Will I still keep phone cord that connects Cox jack to modem?

I owned my own internet modem when Cox came out to house to install the phone. The guy disconnected my modem and put a phone/internet modem in its place. I threw away my modem cuz it was old and slow. I don't think that Cox is charging modem rental but I will check. Thanks for all your help.

Lynn

Re: Help with Installation

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 7:47 am
by lbmofo
Lynn, if you can't make it out to NID to verify, that's okay. I think since your Cox phone is powering your house wires, you can assume that the cable guys did it right. In any case, the Cox phone is powering your house wires at the "cox" jack near your modem. So when your number port completes, you can just disconnect the phone cord from Cox modem to the "cox" walljack. Instead, connect Ooma's "Phone" port to the "cox" jack that your modem is currently connected to.

You can test this right now if you want. The phone cord currently running from modem to jack, make that go from Ooma "phone" port to jack. See if your kitchen cordless phone works fine when Ooma number is called.

Re: Help with Installation

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 10:52 am
by crj129
Thanks so much for your help. I will wait until my number is ported from Cox. That will be Tuesday.

In about 6 months, I will be moving out of state and I will keep both my numbers. When I signed up for Ooma I chose an area code for the new state. I will be temporarily living with one of my sons til my house is ready. I will not cancel Ooma. Can I just forward both numbers to my cell? If I don't use the telo for 2 months will that be alright?

Lynn

Re: Help with Installation

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 11:33 am
by lbmofo
crj129 wrote:I will wait until my number is ported from Cox. That will be Tuesday.
Once you get confirmation your number has ported, chances are, you will still get dialtone from your Cox modem so make sure you disconnect modem from the jack and connect Ooma's "phone" port to the jack instead.
crj129 wrote:In about 6 months, I will be moving out of state and I will keep both my numbers. When I signed up for Ooma I chose an area code for the new state. I will be temporarily living with one of my sons til my house is ready. I will not cancel Ooma. Can I just forward both numbers to my cell? If I don't use the telo for 2 months will that be alright
Yes, forwarding will work. The out of state number will become the 2ndary number once your port completes; ported in number will become your primary. Keeping your Ooma offline is fine. I would connect it to internet every 6 months and get it connected online; would even make a couple of test calls with it just in case (Ooma sometimes deactivates Ooma devices/accounts if offline for more than 6 months; I doubt that it would happen if Premier subscriber but just in case).

Re: Help with Installation

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 6:08 pm
by crj129
Thanks. The most that my telo will be off line is 2 or 3 months. The son I will be living with has wifi so I might be able to set up with a wifi adapter.

Lynn

Re: Help with Installation

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 12:17 pm
by crj129
My number was ported yesterday and everything went smoothly. I plugged the phone line from the telo to the Cox phone jack and now all the jacks in my house work with Ooma. Thanks for all your help.

Lynn

Re: Help with Installation

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 12:28 pm
by lbmofo
Welcome and enjoy Lynn.