Reader Question: Will Vonage work with my existing telephone wiring?

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June 19th, 2008 - Posted by Caitlin

Q: I am already using a VoIP service through my cable provider, which works with my existing phone wiring. If I switch to Vonage, will I still be able to use the existing wiring for multiple phones in different rooms?

A: Yes. Vonage will work with your existing wiring, and you will be able to continue using multiple phones in different rooms. But in order to do so, you will have to make some modifications to the wiring. Vonage has a step-by-step guide explaining how to make these modifications yourself.

First, you will need to isolate your wiring from the lines that come into your house from the phone company by opening your Network Interface Device (or telephone box) and unplugging each of the short telephone wires from the corresponding jack. After confirming that the line has been successfully disconnected, just plug your modem into the Vonage phone adapter, and then plug your phone adapter into any telephone jack using a standard telephone cord. Then you can plug regular phones into the other phone jacks in your house.

If you do not feel comfortable modifying your own wiring, Vonage also offers professional installation starting at $99.95.

Whether you modify the wiring yourself or hire a professional, you should not connect more than five phones to a single Vonage line, otherwise the signal may fade, causing some of the phones not to work.

To learn more about Vonage and other VoIP providers, visit our VoIP service provider comparison and reviews.