No idea how to hook my Ooma up... :(

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whitesox33
Posts:26
Joined:Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:02 pm
No idea how to hook my Ooma up... :(

Post by whitesox33 » Tue Jul 13, 2010 3:49 pm

My setup for phones is as follows:

1 phone upstairs with answering machine
1 phone downstairs with no answering machine (same line as upstairs)
1 fax machine downstairs.

So its basically 2 phones with the same number and a fax line on a different number.

I have the old ooma core with the scout package. I am really confused on how to hook this up...any help would be great!....Thanks... :D

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southsound
Posts:3519
Joined:Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:31 am
Location:Harstine Island, WA

Re: No idea how to hook my Ooma up... :(

Post by southsound » Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:24 pm

whitesox33 wrote:My setup for phones is as follows:
Happy to help. Suggestions in red below.
1 phone upstairs with answering machine
You don't need the answering maching anymore since ooma comes with free voicemail and you won''t be able to retrieve mesages off-site from your old machine. ooma does not pass INCOMING DTMF that is required to access the remote features of your legacy answering machine. You will use the PHONE jack on your scout to power both the upstairs and downstairs voice line. You can place the scout either place.

1 phone downstairs with no answering machine (same line as upstairs)
1 fax machine downstairs.
You will need to use the PHONE port on the hub to connect to the fax machine. The scout does a very poor job of working with fax transmissions.

So its basically 2 phones with the same number and a fax line on a different number.

I have the old ooma core with the scout package.
What you have purchased is ideal for your needs. You will be connecting a cable from the WALL ports of the hub and scout to let them communicate. Before we can give additional advice, we need to know a few things:
- Did you choose to "integrate" your ooma with an existing landline (please say no if you can do so honestly).
- What kind of Internet service do you have - DSL or Cable?
- Are you willing to do a little "rewiring" of your phone lines if needed?

I am really confused on how to hook this up...any help would be great!....Thanks... :D

After we get your reply to the above questions we can give some detailed advice.

Welcome to ooma and to the forums! :cool:
ooma customer since February 2009
VoIP hardware: 2 Telo w/3 handsets & Linx / ooma core
Total Lines: 8 / Numbers: 11 / Handsets: 20
Lifetime Premier Member
Friends don't remember what Landline Integration was or why we did it.

whitesox33
Posts:26
Joined:Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:02 pm

Re: No idea how to hook my Ooma up... :(

Post by whitesox33 » Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:42 pm

Thanks for the reply southsound. As for your questions, I'm pretty sure I chose to use the option of "I would like to use the Ooma system with my current phone provider." I also have cable internet and rewiring is fine if it all works out in the end.

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southsound
Posts:3519
Joined:Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:31 am
Location:Harstine Island, WA

Re: No idea how to hook my Ooma up... :(

Post by southsound » Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:16 pm

whitesox33 wrote:Thanks for the reply southsound. As for your questions, I'm pretty sure I chose to use the option of "I would like to use the Ooma system with my current phone provider." I also have cable internet and rewiring is fine if it all works out in the end.
You might want to reconsider the "I would like to use the Ooma system with my current phone provider" option as it has been a great source of problems on the forum. First off, it requires you to keep your existing phone service - not much savings there. Second, it limits the normal features of ooma. Third, it makes connecting up your scout to your existing wiring much more difficult. Lastly, it makes it impossible for you to really judge how ooma will work for you after you port your number because you are never really using just the ooma device until you disconnect your existing service. You can call support and get an ooma number - then you will be able to see how well ooma will suit your needs. If you are porting your old numbers, you can even call your provider and set up call forwarding (for a small extra cost) to your ooma number so people can continue to call your old number. By the way, remember that having two separate numbers will require Premier. The good news is that it is a real bargain and also includes a free number port with your paid annual subscription.
ooma customer since February 2009
VoIP hardware: 2 Telo w/3 handsets & Linx / ooma core
Total Lines: 8 / Numbers: 11 / Handsets: 20
Lifetime Premier Member
Friends don't remember what Landline Integration was or why we did it.

whitesox33
Posts:26
Joined:Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:02 pm

Re: No idea how to hook my Ooma up... :(

Post by whitesox33 » Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:22 am

southsound wrote:
whitesox33 wrote:Thanks for the reply southsound. As for your questions, I'm pretty sure I chose to use the option of "I would like to use the Ooma system with my current phone provider." I also have cable internet and rewiring is fine if it all works out in the end.
You might want to reconsider the "I would like to use the Ooma system with my current phone provider" option as it has been a great source of problems on the forum. First off, it requires you to keep your existing phone service - not much savings there. Second, it limits the normal features of ooma. Third, it makes connecting up your scout to your existing wiring much more difficult. Lastly, it makes it impossible for you to really judge how ooma will work for you after you port your number because you are never really using just the ooma device until you disconnect your existing service. You can call support and get an ooma number - then you will be able to see how well ooma will suit your needs. If you are porting your old numbers, you can even call your provider and set up call forwarding (for a small extra cost) to your ooma number so people can continue to call your old number. By the way, remember that having two separate numbers will require Premier. The good news is that it is a real bargain and also includes a free number port with your paid annual subscription.
I thought in order to port my numbers over I had to chose to use my ooma with my current phone provider. I figured it was used in conjunction with my phone service until the numbers were ported and then I would discontinue the phone service when fully ported. If that's not the case, how do I go about changing it to use with a temporary number? So just so I have this all understood....

I need to select Premiere (Assuming I can have hub ring for fax calls, upstairs ring for my everyday phone number) as well as the temporary option.
Downstairs setup: Hub to fax
Upstairs: Scout will be used upstairs with PHONE jack

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bw1
Posts:1781
Joined:Wed Mar 18, 2009 9:06 am
Location:MI

Re: No idea how to hook my Ooma up... :(

Post by bw1 » Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:28 am

Once your Ooma device (Hub or Telo) has been activated, the only way to change from an integrated landline to an Ooma supplied phone number is to call customer service.

tommies
Posts:862
Joined:Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:10 pm
Location:Atlanta

Re: No idea how to hook my Ooma up... :(

Post by tommies » Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:42 pm

I don't recall any problem with the old hub/scout (White) and land line integration. I believe all of the land line integration problem is with the new Telo (Black).

You need a duplex splitter (used to called ooma splitter earlier, come with ooma hub package) and two or more Line 1+ Line 2 splitter (or two jacks wall plate)

Assuming the land line is on line 1 of the house wiring.
1. plug the duplex splitter to ooma hub WALL port.
2. plug a L1+L2 splitter to a wall jack
3. connect L1 to one jack on the duplex (hub WALL port)
4. connect the remain jack on the duplex (hub WALL port) to the WALL port of the scout. It should be nearby.
5. connect the L2 to the scout PHONE port. Now your house wiring will have the scout dial tone on Line 2. You need a Line 1 + Line 2 splitter at each wall jack where you want to connect a phone.

You can install the scout away from the hub, however, the call quality on the scout will be decrease with the distance from the hub (the overall length of the wires)

PS.
Whenever a Line 1 + Line 2 splitter is required, a two-jack wall plate can be used, and it certainly looks better.

If you willing, switch the land line to use Line 2 (at the NIB) and only one L1+L2 splitter is need, and the scout dial tone will be on L1. You're sure will love it without all the L1+L2 splitter plugged in everywhere.
tommies

whitesox33
Posts:26
Joined:Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:02 pm

Re: No idea how to hook my Ooma up... :(

Post by whitesox33 » Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:30 pm

I posted a picture here of what my setup is here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8542&p=59934#p59934

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