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How does Ooma connect to DSL using the same phone lines?

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:01 pm
by rocksockdoc
I just talked my buddy into considering Ooma Telo but he has DSL (I have WISP so I never had a problem).

Looking at the FAQ, it says Ooma works with DSL.

He's asking me if Ooma will work along with the DLS signal that comes in over his existing phone line from his current phone provider?

He's planning on hooking the Ooma to the router and then to any phone jack in his house ... to feed all other jacks. But he's worried about clashing with the DSL signal.

What should I tell him (I'll just point him to this thread).

thanks for your advice.

Re: How does Ooma connect to DSL using the same phone lines?

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:11 pm
by lbmofo
Your friend can modify the wiring in the NID outside the house to have DSL come in the house via pair #2. Make sure house pair #1 is not connected to the phone company, and distribute Ooma dialtone on pair #1 (all his wall jacks should be pair #1).

Take a look at this: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13354&start=10#p97148

Re: How does Ooma connect to DSL using the same phone lines?

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 7:29 am
by rocksockdoc
lbmofo wrote:distribute Ooma dialtone on pair #1
What you said makes total sense to me (I use WISP though, not DSL); but my friend insists that he wired the house and there is (he says) only one phone line coming into DSL. So, at this point, I think 'we' need to read your reference and ask 'his' DSL provider 'how' his house is wired because he insists it has only one phone coming in and that's it.

So, all my attempts to convince him that my new Ooma is the best thing since sliced bread is to no avail until/unless I convince him that he has two lines coming into his DSL.

thanks.

Re: How does Ooma connect to DSL using the same phone lines?

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 7:44 am
by murphy
He does not have two lines coming into his DSL.

Standard practice for at least 50 years has been to wire a house for two independent phone lines.

In most casaes the incoming phone line is connected to line 1.
Line 2 is not connected to anything.

What you need to do is disconnect the incoming phone line from house line 1 and connect it to house line 2.
This leaves house line 1 not connected to anything.

At the location of the DSL modem it is connected to house line 2.

The phone jack of the Ooma box is connected to house line 1.
All of the house line 1 jacks will have the Ooma dialtone.

The house line 2 jacks will have the DSL signal and the associated dialtone if it hasn't been canceled.

You need L1, L2, L1+L2 splitters to gain access to both house lines.

Re: How does Ooma connect to DSL using the same phone lines?

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:45 pm
by rocksockdoc
Ah, I see what you're saying:

This is what most people have by way of wiring:
a) Two lines (i.e., 8 wires I think) come into the house.
b) One line (i.e., 4 wires, I think), which we'll call line 1 currently goes all the jacks inside the house
c) The other line (which we'll call line 2) goes nowhere at the moment

This is the suggestion:
a) Switch the incoming phone+DSL line 1 to line 2
b) Manually wire line 2 to go to the DSL modem (this gives him Internet at the modem)
c) The modem Internet connection goes to the router which goes to the Ooma Telo (wired or wirelessly)
d) Connect the Telo phone output to any line 1 wall jack (which then delivers phone all over the house)

Is that the suggested setup?

Re: How does Ooma connect to DSL using the same phone lines?

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:54 pm
by murphy
Yes except a phone line is 2 wires.
If you look at the plug for a standard phone plug you will see 4 gold contacts.
The center pair are line 1.
The outer pair are line 2.

Network connectors have 8 contacts.

Re: How does Ooma connect to DSL using the same phone lines?

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 10:45 am
by rocksockdoc
Thanks for the clarification. I'll let my friend take it from here!

Re: How does Ooma connect to DSL using the same phone lines?

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:45 pm
by rocksockdoc
Here's what my friend said, in response to this thread:

--< BEGIN cut-and-paste >--
Onto Ooma. Thanks for posting for me. I read the replies. There is still a problem.

You seem a little fuzzy on phone wiring so I'll explain. I have done much work there and wired my house so I KNOW.

- Each phone "line" is two wires. The DSL signal is on the same 2 wires as the phone line.
- Internal phone wire is usually 4 to 8 wires (good for 2 to 4 lines).
- Most modern home phone jacks have a total of 4 connections for 4 wires which is 2 phone lines.
- Line two is not always connected to the wall jack.
- If there are more than 4 wires in the internal wiring, the extra wires are seldom used and can be used as spares or other lines.

- I have have 4 wires (2 pairs) internally.
- Line one is home phone and DSL.
- Line two is my business line.

Unless I use Ooma for both, (I remember you said two numbers come with the premium service) I can NOT use my second set of wires for DSL since I am already using it for my business line. Otherwise, it would have been easy since I know both lines are wired at each wall jack.

Verizon supplies filters for use at each jack which filters out the DSL signal so the phones are not affected by the extra signal.

I will eventually get around to calling Ooma since there may be a way to either just stop phone service on line one leaving the DSL and installing one more filter between the line one wall jack and Ooma box to keep the DSL signal away from the Ooma hardware. The filters would stay between the other wall jacks and phones so EVERYTHING except the modem has the DSL signal filtered out. As long as Verizon doesn't mind there is an external phone service piped into their system from my wires, this may work.

Since a DSL filter already exists, Ooma MUST know of some way of filtering unwanted signals.

Was that clear?
-- < END cut-and-paste >--

Re: How does Ooma connect to DSL using the same phone lines?

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 2:30 pm
by lbmofo
You don't want to connect Ooma's "phone" port to any wires that are connected to the phone company let alone the wires that have DSL on it.

I think the best option for your friend is to use a multi-handset DECT 6.0 phone system connected directly to Ooma's "phone" port. Or upgrade to Cable internet and get rid of DSL.

Re: How does Ooma connect to DSL using the same phone lines?

Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 11:23 am
by rocksockdoc
lbmofo wrote:You don't want to connect Ooma's "phone" port to any wires that are connected to the phone company let alone the wires that have DSL on it..
I just got off the Ooma with my friend who read this and noted I forgot to mention the all-important fact he has TWO phone lines coming into the house (4 wires in use!) via the Verizon DSL. So, he has no extra wires to connect the Ooma to!

Now I see the problem. He's basically saturated.

The only way I can see he can use Ooma is to either get a stand-alone base station (with handset remotes), or to switch his Internet from Verizon DSL to Comcast cable so as to free up at least two wires.