Line 2 does not work on 202

[skipro]

I do not get a dial tone on line 2. I have another 202 at another location that works fine on line 2. I have tried 3 phones and several wires. Is the unit bad?

[CoalMinerRetired]

Start your troubleshooting here: http://www.obihai.com/support/troubleshooting/

[giqcass]

Try unplugging the phone line from port 1 well you are troubleshooting.  A fault in the wiring connected to port 1 can stop port 2 from working.

[skipro]

giqcass,
  Your idea appears to be correct. I have Line 1 split to go to a phone and house line. Line 2 is direct to phone. Line 1 [split] works fine on local and distant phones which are connected to house line. But Line 2 cuts out if I connect Line 1 to the house line. Why would Line 1 work connected to house line and not Line 2?

I have used this in the past and it worked.

[Shale]

In the above image, pretend that the right side labels said "T line 2" and "R line 2, although don't know which would be on top. That would be similar to the way the OBi202 phone ports are wired.

In other words, the outer pair of the phone 1 contacts are in parallel with the phone 2 line. That is to permit use of a single 4-wire cable to connect to a 2-line phone.

You appear to have a short in your house wiring on line 2. Your action could be either

• replace the phone 1 cable with a 2-wire (single pair) cable
• isolate the outer pair on the connector that you plug the  phone 1 cable into

[skipro]

Resolved issue, I think. OBi Line 1 was split to phone and house line, OBi Line 2 was connected directly to phone [line 2]. If Line 1 was connected to house line, Line 2 was not available. If Line 1 was not connected to house line, Line 2 was available. I connected the line going to the house line to a splitter that had a dedicated " Line 1" port and then Line 2 worked. Since Line 2 had no connection to Line 1 or the house line, the only commonality/connection was the OBi unit. Apparently the OBi unit did not like the original setup.
This "fix" would make more sense if Line 2 was also connected to the house line thru the new splitter using a dedicated "Line 2" port. Then I could see the new splitter having this effect. But not when the 2 lines were not connected, other than their origin [OBi unit].
Main telephone "line 2" wires are not connected at the junction box outside house. This confuses me more as that should lessen any conflict, I would think.

What was the problem so I can avoid issues in the future.

[giqcass]

Shales picture pretty much sums up the root of the issue.  Here it is re labeled.



Most homes are wired with four conductor phone lines.  That makes it easy to add a second line but if any of the second lines wires were crossed in the house it could cause a problem.