| We are creatures of habit, and once we get | | | | end - one of these goes from the hub to your |
| used to doing things a certain way, it really | | | | modem and another one goes from your VOIP ATA |
| is difficult to change. For some people, this | | | | box to the hub. |
| also applies to implementing home VOIP | | | | |
| service in their home. Unlike traditional | | | | Now with your VOIP ATA box connected to the |
| phones, where your home may already be wired | | | | hub or directly into your high-speed Internet |
| with a phone jack in the wall in each and | | | | modem if you had a spare jack on it, you just |
| every room, your home is probably not wired | | | | connect your standard traditional phone into |
| in the same way for VOIP. But you can still | | | | the RJ-11 jack on the ATA box and you are |
| implement VOIP throughout your home, and | | | | good to go. |
| there are multiple ways to accomplish this. | | | | |
| | | | But what about using your VOIP phone |
| Let's look at the component parts of your | | | | throughout the house so that you are not |
| VOIP system. Once you decide which VOIP | | | | tethered to the room that has the ATA box and |
| provider to use, you will get a VOIP adapter | | | | the high-speed Internet modem? You have |
| box, also known as an ATA box. This box is | | | | multiple options here. You can use a cordless |
| about the size of a deck of cards and is the | | | | phone where you would plug the base unit into |
| "smarts" behind the VOIP. One cable from this | | | | the VOIP ATA box, and then you are good to |
| ATA box plugs into a spare jack on your | | | | go. I would recommend a cordless phone that |
| high-speed Internet router, and your standard | | | | is in the 5.8 Ghz range to provide your best |
| RJ-11 jack from your regular phone plugs into | | | | coverage. |
| the other end of the ATA box. | | | | |
| | | | If you want to have multiple phone handsets |
| Ok, some of you are saying you have a problem | | | | around the house, I would recommend getting |
| already, since your high-speed Internet | | | | one of those multi-unit cordless phone |
| connection modem only has ONE jack on it, and | | | | setups. Some of those can accommodate up to 8 |
| that is where you plug your computer in so | | | | cordless phones with the same base unit. |
| you can get online. Yes, this is a problem | | | | |
| but not a huge one. You are going to need to | | | | There are places online that will explain how |
| go to Best Buy or Radio Shack or some similar | | | | to wire your VOIP ATA box into the outside |
| place and get a HUB. The easiest way to think | | | | wiring of your home phone system so that the |
| of this is like being an extension cord for | | | | RJ-11 jacks you already have in every room |
| your high-speed Internet modem. You plug the | | | | can still be used. While this is possible, it |
| hub into an electrical outlet, and then you | | | | is not recommended. There are multiple |
| run a cable from the hub to the jack on your | | | | stories of people who have blown out their |
| high-speed Internet modem. Now you plug your | | | | ATA box and/or the entire phone wiring of |
| computer into one of the jacks on the hub | | | | their home because they were not familiar |
| (you will probably have about 3 or 4 of | | | | enough with the electrical load requirements |
| them), and also plug the cable from your VOIP | | | | of implementing a system like that. Unless |
| ATA box into another jack on the hub. Before | | | | you are an electrician or telephone company |
| you leave Best Buy or Radio Shack, make sure | | | | repair person, this approach is likely to |
| you have the cables with RJ45 plugs on each | | | | cause more problems than it solves. |