Multiple phones in house all connected to Obi100?

[New_VoIP_User]

Hello Everyone,

I am looking to set up my Obi100 utilizing Google Voice. I was wondering if I would be able to have 3 or 4 landlines in my house all connected to one Obi box? I am savvy when it comes to networking so I was wondering if I would be able to run some CAT6 network lines to each phone, tie all of these lines into a switch, and then have one line from the switch going into the LAN port of the Obi box? If this way will work, or if there is a better way to do it please let me know and describe how you would do it.

Thank you for any responses that I get!

New_VoIP_User

[BigJim_McD]

New_VoIP_User,

The "phone jack or port" on an OBi100 is designed to connect to a standard analog telephone {wired or portable}.  The OBi "phone port" is not ethernet and is not designed to work with an ethernet switch.  Several people have connected their OBi devices to their home telephone wiring with success, some have had issues with some phones not ringing.  If a connection is made to your home telephone wiring, you must isolate the wiring from any connection to the outside of your home or apartment to any POTS {Landline} equipment.

The following is one of numerous links to information on "home telephone wiring".

http://www.wireityourself.com/telephone.html#.VOotvTTF_w8

[New_VoIP_User]

Very informational, thank you.

I only plan on having 2 or three phones connected to my Obi, so based off that link you sent me do you think I would be able to tie the phones into 1 jack (like in the picture of how to wire a jack) and then take the one cable from the jack into the Obi?

[BigJim_McD]

New_VoIP_User,

I would guess that 2 or 3 phones would work.  I would add the phones one at a time, test then add the next one.  The number of phones that will work is dependent upon the load of the wiring and the load that each ringer adds to the circuit.

[New_VoIP_User]

Thank you so much for all of your information and I think that you were very helpful. I appreciate having people like you on these forums.

Again, thank you!,
New_VoIP_User

[202Owner]

Hello Everyone,

I am looking to set up my Obi100 utilizing Google Voice. I was wondering if I would be able to have 3 or 4 landlines in my house all connected to one Obi box? I am savvy when it comes to networking so I was wondering if I would be able to run some CAT6 network lines to each phone, tie all of these lines into a switch, and then have one line from the switch going into the LAN port of the Obi box? If this way will work, or if there is a better way to do it please let me know and describe how you would do it.

Thank you for any responses that I get!

New_VoIP_User

The OBi phone jack is rated REN 5.  A typical modern phone is rated less than REN 1.  So, you can connect about 5 or so phones to an OBi phone jack and still expect them to ring without overloading the OBi.

You can patch the OBi phone jack to your house tel wiring using a normal 2- or 4-conductor phone cord with RJ-11 connectors.  The OBi100 will energize line1/pair1, normally the red/green pair.  Then just plug in your phones around the house, assuming it's wired correctly.

If you intend to do this, you must first isolate your house tel wiring from any other sources, particularly the PSTN landline coming into the house.  Disconnect the landline wiring from the house tel wiring at the demarcation point, normally where the landline enters the house.  Ideally, leave the landline connected to its earth ground protection to shunt any incoming large currents to ground.

On an OBi202/302, phone1 jack is wired for both line1 and line2.  So, a single 4-conductor phone cord will patch both phone1 and phone2 ports to the house tel wiring or to a 2-line phone, leaving the OBi phone2 jack free for other use.