Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

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Carl
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Joined:Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:52 pm
Location:Minneapolis, MN
Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

Post by Carl » Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:53 pm

I wanted to post my setup since it may help others who are having problems getting their scout working. My hub worked fine right out of the box but I couldn't get my scout going, it would just light up the 4 bottom buttons.

I have Comcast cable internet service and one Qwest landline in my house. I will be keeping my landline until my number is ported. I have wired my house with all Cat5e for phones in a home run configuration. All my wiring goes into my "tech closet" so it's out of the way but easily accessed. I mainly use a base station with cordless handsets. My Ooma hub is directly after my cable modem. Subscribed to Ooma premiere with 2 lines.

Option 1
Incoming Qwest land line connected to WALL port on hub, PHONE port on hub connected to my 12-way phone splitter. With this setup you get an Ooma dialtone for any phone attached around the house. It's nice and simple if you don't want use the voicemail features on the hub. However, if you plug a scout into any of the phone jacks in your house you get all red lights on the bottom of the scout. I wanted to be able to use both lines if needed.

Option 2
Ooma splitter connected to WALL port on hub, incoming Qwest runs into Ooma splitter, other port of splitter connected to my house splitter, PHONE port on hub connected to a single cordless phone. Ooma scout connected in office to cordless base station. With this setup you obviously get the Ooma dialtone for the phone that's connected to the hub. For all the other phone jacks you get a normal dialtone UNLESS they are connected to a scout. Using a splitter was the KEY. I tried this config with a non Ooma splitter and it worked just fine too.

In my pic below you can see the splitter in the wall port of the hub 2. 2A connects to my incoming Qwest demarc. 2B connects to my house phone splitter. 1 is a black cable so it's hard to see but that connects to a RJ45 coupler which then goes to a single cordless phone.

Hopefully this helps some people that can't seem to get their scout light to turn blue. I want Ooma to succeed because it can save SOOO much money for people, it pays for itself in months. After all is complete I'll only be paying a hundred bucks a year for 2 lines and excellent features. The call quality is perfect on my 2nd number. I do have a slight buzzing in the background when I use my landline number but I expect that to go away after the number is ported. I read here that it's probably due to the small voltage in the landline. Also, invest in a UPS (battery backup) for your networking and Ooma device and you'll be good during a power outage for a while.

Carl
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dlong
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Re: Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

Post by dlong » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:44 pm

Carl wrote: I do have a slight buzzing in the background when I use my landline number but I expect that to go away after the number is ported.
Carl
Nice setup Carl! BTW, I also have the same slight buzzing in the background using the landline number.

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Dennis P
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Re: Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

Post by Dennis P » Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:23 pm

Sweet setup and thanks for sharing the pic!

Once your landline is ported, you can try one more hack. Disconnect your connection to Qwest at the demarc (2A), then use the ooma splitter (or any standard duplex splitter) to run both the WALL and PHONE jacks on the back of the ooma Hub into your home phone wiring (2B). You can then draw ooma dialtone from the Hub on any phone jack in your home just like you describe in Option 1 but you have the added convenience of being able to use the Scout as well if you choose to connect it.

sanjay92
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Re: Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

Post by sanjay92 » Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:07 pm

Hi,
I was using Vonage and with Vonage, I have similar setup. My Vonage Phone output was going to one of wall Jack and I was getting dialtone on whole house.

When I used OOMA Hub ( Wall +Phone) output to Duplex and that goes to wall. I am getting dialtone to other Jack but I have noticed that my Blue Light on Ooma Hub is gone.
Does OOMA Hub blue light should be on ?

>>Oops,There is a dial wheel on the right hand side of the HUB which was on dim side.
It looks like it is working fine.
I see my Scout also has Blue light.
Last edited by sanjay92 on Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ThugMusk
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Re: Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

Post by ThugMusk » Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:13 pm

Carl wrote: Ooma splitter connected to WALL port on hub, incoming Qwest runs into Ooma splitter, other port of splitter connected to my house splitter, PHONE port on hub connected to a single cordless phone. Ooma scout connected in office to cordless base station.
Interesting. The scout won't work that way for me. I get 4 red lights and a Comcast dial tone (still waiting for port) on my scout.

I got the scout to work (turn blue with an Ooma dial tone) using the Ooma splitter connected to the phone jack of the cable modem. One side goes to the house jack, the other side goes to the Ooma hub wall port. In this configuration my Scout in another room lights blue with Ooma dial tone and works fine. Go figure.

Carl
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Location:Minneapolis, MN

Re: Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

Post by Carl » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:56 am

Dennis P wrote:Sweet setup and thanks for sharing the pic!

Once your landline is ported, you can try one more hack. Disconnect your connection to Qwest at the demarc (2A), then use the ooma splitter (or any standard duplex splitter) to run both the WALL and PHONE jacks on the back of the ooma Hub into your home phone wiring (2B). You can then draw ooma dialtone from the Hub on any phone jack in your home just like you describe in Option 1 but you have the added convenience of being able to use the Scout as well if you choose to connect it.
Thanks Dennis, I'll try this after my port. I just filled out the paper work so it will be a while.

Some people were asking what all that stuff in the box is for. All network cables are blue cat6, all phone wires are white cat5e, and all cable and HD antenna wires are black RG6Q. All the stuff and modules in the box are made by Channel Vision. Phone surge protector, 12-way phone splitter, in-line cable surge protector, 2-way cable splitter, amplified 8-way cable splitter for cable, and non-amplified 8-way splitter for my HD antenna in the attic.

koehn
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Re: Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

Post by koehn » Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:14 am

Dennis P wrote:Once your landline is ported, you can try one more hack. Disconnect your connection to Qwest at the demarc (2A), then use the ooma splitter (or any standard duplex splitter) to run both the WALL and PHONE jacks on the back of the ooma Hub into your home phone wiring (2B). You can then draw ooma dialtone from the Hub on any phone jack in your home just like you describe in Option 1 but you have the added convenience of being able to use the Scout as well if you choose to connect it.
Thank you so much! I assumed that this wouldn't work based on the documentation, but that gives me a much easier way to wire up my relative's house with Ooma! She has quite a few phones scattered about her house, but has no need to put a scout on each one. I was convinced that I needed to use the second pair on her home phone wiring to do this, but it sounds like I won't (once her port is completed and her landline is disconnected).

Thanks again!

mthomtech
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Re: Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

Post by mthomtech » Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:38 pm

Thanks Carl for the post. I have a similar setup and this helped me determine how I wanted to hook it up.

Dennis P - I took your suggestion and used the splitter to hook the house up to both the hub phone, and the "wall" port to allow the scouts to be connected. It worked great. One question - will the scout functionality still allow you to dedicate a phone to a number other than the hub? I was curious since w/o the scout the phone is that location would carry the hub's number.

Thanks,
Michael
Ooma Customer since March 2009
Ooma Hardware: Hub/Scout(2) and Telo
Premier Member

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av8rdude
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Re: Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

Post by av8rdude » Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:46 am

What is this? Is it a VGA or DVI to Cat5? What kind of wireless keyboard/mouse do you use?
Thanks,
Scott
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Carl
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Re: Finally Got Scout Working, a Couple Install Options

Post by Carl » Mon Mar 09, 2009 1:42 pm

av8rdude wrote:What is this? Is it a VGA or DVI to Cat5? What kind of wireless keyboard/mouse do you use?
Thanks,
Scott
That's just a VGA KVM switch. I've got two storage servers in a rack under the Ooma hub along with my cable modem and firewall. I don't really need to use the display for the servers much so I just have an old monitor, keyboard and mouse there, nothing wireless in the closet.

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