Install a Second Phone Line

Home Office Computing,  Oct, 1999  by Toni Kistner

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Follow these easy steps to avoid a visit from the phone company

SICK OF SHARING A SINGLE LINE FOR VOICE AND DATA? ALTHOUGH WE CAN'T foot the cost of that second line, we'll show you how to save money by handling the in-house installation yourself. To get started, just order the new line from your phone company and buy an RJ-11 jack from any hardware or drugstore. For step-by-step guidance, we turned to phone installation pro Chuck Hartman.

Inside the Box

Need more information? For a small fee, Chuck Hartman, based in Virginia Beach, Va., provides a more detailed version of the above steps, as well as a special troubleshooting section, at his Web site (www.thetelephoneguy.com). Note that the steps and color schemes cited here apply primarily to newer homes. If your house is more than 20 years old, consult Chuck's site for the correct color scheme.

Step 1: Head Out to the Box

First, open the network interface box outside your house. Locate the white wire (with orange specks); bare the ends with a nail clipper and connect to the green terminal using a screwdriver. Connect the orange wire (white specks) to the red terminal.

Step 2: Back at the Jack

Back inside your house, remove the jack from the wall; locate the white wire with orange specks, as well as the orange with white specks, likely connected to black-and-yellow terminals. (Ignore the blue and white wires; they're your existing line.)

Step 3: Hello, New Jack

On the jack you just bought, place the orange wire (white specks) on the green jack terminal. Don't cut the wire--simply scrape off the insulation if necessary. Locate the white wire (orange specks) and place it on the red jack terminal.

Step 4: Side by Side

Place both the new and old jacks on the wall. To position them, first loosen the outer cable jacket, then peel the adhesive backing from the new jack; stick both back on the wall, then plug in the phones. Each should have a dial tone.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Line56
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning