voip/ATA phone placement

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pmunnynz

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#115957 13-Apr-2013 13:26

I have just moved into our newly built house and am trying to decipher how I am best to utilise our voip connection and what phones to use and plug where.

I have a cabinet in the garage with patch panel, voice module, modem, ONT etc. The house is star wired, and I have 2 particular points that lead back to the voice module, which is connected to a phone port in the WRP400 (we are with xnet).

In the interim I have unplugged the voice module and plugged in our old analog dect uniden phone direct into the WRP400. But this is far from a permanent solution, as it's a pain in the butt having to fight my way through the garage to charge the phone after a couple of days, forgetting it's been left there, then fighting my way through again in a rush to answer it when someone phones. Besides, the base station doesn't fit in the cabinet anyway, so it's just hanging there for now with the door open.

If I buy a separate ATA to place in the house, am I meant to plug this into a data jack or one of the phone rj45 jacks? If I buy a proper ip phone instead, that would plug into a phone rj45 jack yes?

I've been looking at IP phones, but I want it to be cordless. The cordless ones I've seen online seem to come with an ATA/modem sized base unit, and separate smaller phone charging station. Does this effectively mean I could have an rj45 jack in an out-of-the-way place connected to the phone module, store the base unit there, and have the phone charger somewhere more convenient?

The reason I ask, is the rj45 jacks currently connected to the voice module aren't exactly in hidden out-of-the-way places. I guess I didn't do my research properly earlier, and thought an ATA adapter would be roughly the size of old adsl filters that analog phones got plugged into.

Upon discovering they are not, I'm wondering if I have put them in a) the wrong place, and b) if I even need any phone specific ports at all, considering the WRP400 has a built in ATA so could plug any phone base stations directly into that and have additional handsets connected wirelessly in more convenient places?

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WorldxChange

#798769 13-Apr-2013 13:32

Does your house wiring have phone and data ports or are they all just data ?.

You shouldn't need to take your phone to the wrp, the ports should enable you to pick it up any where in your house.

Can you post a picture of the layout ?

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pmunnynz

70 posts

Master Geek

#798772 13-Apr-2013 13:56

maverick: Does your house wiring have phone and data ports or are they all just data ?.

You shouldn't need to take your phone to the wrp, the ports should enable you to pick it up any where in your house.

Can you post a picture of the layout ?

I have 2 phone ports and the rest data, but they are all RJ45 jacks with cat6 leading back to the patch panel. At present I don't have any phones that'll plug into an RJ45 jack. I've only plugged the phone I've got direct into the wrp as an interim solution so I can use a phone now, until I get something else to use.

I could take a photo of what's in the cabinet if that helps at all, but don't have a layout picture handy. One phone port is next the the bed in master bedroom, the other in lounge/living along a wall pretty much in the middle of the room with not much else around it. There are data points in each bedroom, hallway cupboard, and the lounge for tv location.

LennonNZ

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#798773 13-Apr-2013 13:57

You Probably have something similar to this as its a new House (I Live in Hobsonville Point). (Previous BOF Area but I was one of the first (if not the 1st) to be connected via UFB here a few months ago)

On top Left hand side there is where the phones points in the house to go and the patch panel is where the ethernet Jacks go to.

Middle top is the SPA-122 (Voice Adapter)
Right top is the Antennas (Sky Dish and UHF Antennas)
Middle = UFB ONT
Left Botton is Mikrotik Router for UFB

The bottom 1/2 of the Cabinet is not Shown (It is a huge Cabinet but it includes Power , Alarm and space for a large switch and other networking stuff when needed.

I have one of the ports on the ATA Connected to the Voice Module and this outputs to the Phone outlets in the House. (There are only 2).

the WRP with Xnet is similar except its one unit with Termination of the UFB and the Voice Ports in one.

What you can do (what you are talking about) is get a RJ11 to RJ11 cable and go from the WRP to one of the ethernet ports in the Cabinet and then use the same type of Cable to the Back of the Base Unit to the ethernet ports and don't use the "phone only" ports.

If you want any help let me know.. I've sorted out quite a lot of these as Builders seem to put the huge Alarms in the Middle the Boxes and it can be horrible to fit anything else in.

One more thing.. There was some RJ45 -> Phone Module Adapaters which came with my house.. You can use them to plug the Ethernet Ports -> Voice Module but I found them pretty easy to knock out and then you can use the Phone ports and any ethernet ports you hook up for Phones

pmunnynz

70 posts

Master Geek

#798787 13-Apr-2013 15:17

Here is a pic of part of my cabinet.
All the blue cat6 cables are punched onto the patch panels. The 2 yellow cables at the left go to the voice module, which has an RJ11 punched onto it. The other end of the RJ11 is hanging loose at present, but did go into the WRP. The ONT is further down, and I still need to get a switch too.

So keeping this setup, what do I use in the house at the 2 RJ45 jacks that correspond to the voice module?

chevrolux

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#798812 13-Apr-2013 15:53

To make it super simple I would just grab some siemens DECT gear. You can just get the standard analogue gear and plug it in to your ata. Then just put phones where you want them. I won't sell people any other type of phones because I dont believe in wasting an outlet on just a phone. DECT is the way to go. Check out Nicegear for good prices for Siemens gear.

maverick

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WorldxChange

#798813 13-Apr-2013 15:56

All you should néed to do is plug the rj12 back into the voice port 1, the voice module has 2 connections are patched to 2 outlets around your house. All you should need to do is plug you phone into the outlets around the house, if they are not in the right outlets just move the cables ( 2 yellow cables ) to the outlets where you actually want your phones.

You should not need to do anything else, this is the whole idea around structured cabling.

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pmunnynz

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#799020 14-Apr-2013 08:22

maverick: All you should néed to do is plug the rj12 back into the voice port 1, the voice module has 2 connections are patched to 2 outlets around your house. All you should need to do is plug you phone into the outlets around the house, if they are not in the right outlets just move the cables ( 2 yellow cables ) to the outlets where you actually want your phones.

You should not need to do anything else, this is the whole idea around structured cabling.

Yes but what is it that gets plugged into the outlet in the house? From what I've found, cordless IP phones have a box/modem shaped unit that plugs into the outlet and then phone stations sit separate to that. Meaning I'd be better off having that box hidden away in, say, the hallway cupboard, rather than out in the open where the originally intended place is. Which is along a piece of wall between a couple of windows with not really any space to put anything data wise there.

Same with a separate ATA, they have similar box/modem shaped units don't they? So could put that in a cupboard too. Or use the ATA part of the WRP directly to a DECT base station, which is also out of the way, and again leaving the intended phone location with no phone and still not great placement to use as data.

Unless there is some other small adapter cable that enables plugging a DECT station into an rj45 port?

LennonNZ: One more thing.. There was some RJ45 -> Phone Module Adapaters which came with my house.. You can use them to plug the Ethernet Ports -> Voice Module but I found them pretty easy to knock out and then you can use the Phone ports and any ethernet ports you hook up for Phones

Is that what is being referred to here, or is this something else again?
My original intention was mount a small DECT station to the wall with an ATA adapter and power cables hidden behind the curtain, but the ATA adapter is much larger than I realised, considering it is a separate box altogether with its own power supply.

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maverick

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#799022 14-Apr-2013 08:34

Just your phone gets plugged in its a standard analogue POTs line feed from the wrp400 and dect phones will do so you can put your phones anywhere you have an outlet, why would you use cordless IP phones ?

Sorry a bit confused from here,

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RunningMan

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#799056 14-Apr-2013 09:14

As has been mentioned, the idea with the cabling system you have, is that any outlet can be used for any purpose. By re patching those yellow cables on the left, you can make whatever outlet you want be used for phones.

To plug a standard phone in to this outlet, you just need a basic adaptor to change from the RJ45 outlet to the BT plug on the phone.

Dick Smith have them http://www.dicksmith.co.nz/product/F9113/bt-jf45-adaptor-150mm but are pretty expensive - should be able to get them much cheaper unless you want it right now!

Basically, the WRP400 is providing the analogue phone line via the RJ11 plug coming out of it. This goes to the voice module which is nothing more technical than a multi-way plug bank to allow more than one phone to be plugged in (as there is only the one outlet on the WRP400). You then use the yellow patch leads to connect outlets anywhere in your house to the voice module - so say you wanted a phone in the bedroom, and the kitchen, then you'd run a yellow patch lead from the voice module to the outlets in the centre which correspond to the kitchen and bedroom. If you want to use an outlet for data, instead of patching it to the voice module, you patch it in to one of the data ports (ethernet) on the WRP400.

sbiddle

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#799058 14-Apr-2013 09:22

You have a structured cabling system in your house. This allows any jackpoint to be used for phone or data.

As others have pointed out you simply need to patch the phone jack to the jackpoint anywhere in the house where you wish your cordless phone base station to be located.

DarthKermit

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#799064 14-Apr-2013 09:41

RunningMan: As has been mentioned, the idea with the cabling system you have, is that any outlet can be used for any purpose. By re patching those yellow cables on the left, you can make whatever outlet you want be used for phones.

To plug a standard phone in to this outlet, you just need a basic adaptor to change from the RJ45 outlet to the BT plug on the phone.

Dick Smith have them http://www.dicksmith.co.nz/product/F9113/bt-jf45-adaptor-150mm but are pretty expensive - should be able to get them much cheaper unless you want it right now!

Basically, the WRP400 is providing the analogue phone line via the RJ11 plug coming out of it. This goes to the voice module which is nothing more technical than a multi-way plug bank to allow more than one phone to be plugged in (as there is only the one outlet on the WRP400). You then use the yellow patch leads to connect outlets anywhere in your house to the voice module - so say you wanted a phone in the bedroom, and the kitchen, then you'd run a yellow patch lead from the voice module to the outlets in the centre which correspond to the kitchen and bedroom. If you want to use an outlet for data, instead of patching it to the voice module, you patch it in to one of the data ports (ethernet) on the WRP400.

Ouch! $16.98 for some thing I'd be surprised if it cost DS even a dollar. I reckon you'd be better off buying some RJ45 plugs from Jaycar or the like and borrowing the special crimping tool of someone.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

pmunnynz

70 posts

Master Geek

#799066 14-Apr-2013 09:50

RunningMan: To plug a standard phone in to this outlet, you just need a basic adaptor to change from the RJ45 outlet to the BT plug on the phone.

Dick Smith have them http://www.dicksmith.co.nz/product/F9113/bt-jf45-adaptor-150mm but are pretty expensive - should be able to get them much cheaper unless you want it right now!

Aha, thanks, this is what I was originally wanting (price notwithstanding) but thought that is what an ATA was. Then started searching for an ATA only to discover it is completely different while still being the only option.

maverick: Just your phone gets plugged in its a standard analogue POTs line feed from the wrp400 and dect phones will do so you can put your phones anywhere you have an outlet, why would you use cordless IP phones ?

Sorry a bit confused from here,

I'd rather have cordless phones than some big corded stuck in one place thing. Is an IP phone not suitable to be cordless? Never had one before, but jumped on the fibre and voip bandwagon...

I get the 'can change cables in the cabinet to change which port does what' thing, I was more getting at I thought I had ended up with wasted points in places that were going to end up not being used for voice or data and so should have put them somewhere else instead. But if I get that adapter I can use them as per my original plan.

maverick

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WorldxChange

#799078 14-Apr-2013 10:12

Just use a cordless dect phone , that's all you need , you will only need one port for the dect base station that's it.

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coffeebaron

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#799091 14-Apr-2013 10:45

Get an RJ45 to RJ12 cable from www.cablesdirect.co.nz for a few $$

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RunningMan

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#799131 14-Apr-2013 12:26

BT - RJ45 adapator for $5.00 http://www.cablesdirect.co.nz/catalog/entry?entry=175

RJ45-RJ11 cable to replace existing phone cable as suggested by coffeebaron for $2.08 http://www.cablesdirect.co.nz/catalog/entry?entry=384

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