Today I received my hookup kit for my new phone service via TimeWarmer. The service is actually called Voip.com.

The instructions look simple which matches my simple technical skills, except for one little thing.

There is a nice Setup Diagram showing the Internet - Cable Modem - Voip.com Adapter - Telephone.

Only problem is I don't have a phone or a phone jack in my den where my computer is.

My question to those who have been through this is: Is it cheaper to get a phone jack installed in my den then move the standard phone to my den or

(2) would it be cheaper to just buy a portable cell phone?

When the Great Master was handing out technical skills I think I was in the ice cream line.

I would appreciate any advice. If I've not made my dilemna clear, I will clarify upon request to the best of my 61 year old knowledge.

Thanks,

MacTheWolf

Mac-

As I understand it, there is no need for a phone jack to be installed.

VOIP= Voice Over Internet Protocol.

So instead of using phonelines, you use your internet service as the carrier. So you need a desk phone (table phone) and a length of phone line that would normally be plugged into the wall.

Now, just look at the instructions again with this new information. I am sure the phone plugs into the voip box supplied by Time Warner. Now where does that box plug into? Probably the modem. Your computer is obviously plugged into the modem. is there a spot to plug the voip box into?

I know it seems complicated, but it is really simple, so simple it seems complicated if you catch my drift. Just take a big deep breath and look at this with new eyes and trust the diagram. Forget what you think you know...

i am going to bed. I'll check back when I wake up and see how you did.

As a side note, since VOIP is completely dependent on the modem, you will not have phone service during a power outage. It catches people by surprise because, for decades, phone service has been independent of the power company, but not with a VOIP phone.

One more thing. The modem probably cannot serve both the computer and the voip box at the same time. This can be corrected with a router. It is a simple device that costs about $60.

Since your finances are minimal, perhaps one of our EA friends who has an old one lying around might be willing to share? Anyone?

See you in the morning!

The first question I would ask is "Where is your closest phone jack?" You can get phone line extenders up to 50 feet long that might connect your den to the nearest phonejack. I did this for my mother-in-law and it worked great for her. Radio Shack would have phone line jacks that you could get. Not sure if Wally World has them or not. This would save the cost of putting in a phone outlet in the den as a permanent installation (although that would be a good thinbg to do if you can with no problems). And not cost an arm and a leg (or something more precious).

Bob

gandalf (imported) wrote: Tue Jul 15, 2008 4:13 am The first question I would ask is "Where is your closest phone jack?" You can get phone line extenders up to 50 feet long that might connect your den to the nearest phonejack. I did this for my mother-in-law and it worked great for her. Radio Shack would have phone line jacks that you could get. Not sure if Wally World has them or not. This would save the cost of putting in a phone outlet in the den as a permanent installation (although that would be a good thinbg to do if you can with no problems). And not cost an arm and a leg (or something more precious).

Bob

Only phone and phone jack in the house is in the dining room which is approximately 30 feet from my computer.

I haven't tried Lurker's ideas yet as I just awoke and am waiting for my brain to catch up with my sleeping body.

If this is an Internet phone service you won't be going through a phone jack that's installed in your house. You'll be connecting your phone to an adaptor that hooks up to either your computer or to your computer modem or router.

So I went poking around VOIP.com's website to see if I could discern any helpful info.

Do Not use your phone jacks! They carry an electrical current (a small one) and this could damage the VOIP adapter or even your computer.

So I have surmised by now that you use cable for the internet.

Have you been assigned a phone number? Are you using your old number?

If you are using your old number then it must be switched over from the phone company's list to VOIP.com's list, but I am assuming they will do that automatically.

So let's begin:

Look at the voip adapter and see what the jack looks like? Does it look like an oversized phonejack, or does it look more like it is metal and white plastic? Metal and white plastic indicates that it is probably a USB plug that would likely fit into the back of you cable modem. If that works, Super great!, Plug it into the modem, then plug the phone into the voip adapter.

If not then you likely need the router.

Configure as follows:

plug router into modem.

Router has plenty of jacks, so you plug your computer AND the Voip adapter into it.

plug the phone into the VOIP adapter.

Follow the rest of the instructions for set up, and you are finished!

Keep us posted!

The Lurker (imported) wrote: Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:15 pm So I went poking around VOIP.com's website to see if I could discern any helpful info.

Do Not use your phone jacks! They carry an electrical current (a small one) and this could damage the VOIP adapter or even your computer.

So I have surmised by now that you use cable for the internet.

Have you been assigned a phone number? Are you using your old number?

If you are using your old number then it must be switched over from the phone company's list to VOIP.com's list, but I am assuming they will do that automatically.

So let's begin:

Look at the voip adapter and see what the jack looks like? Does it look like an oversized phonejack, or does it look more like it is metal and white plastic? Metal and white plastic indicates that it is probably a USB plug that would likely fit into the back of you cable modem. If that works, Super great!, Plug it into the modem, then plug the phone into the voip adapter.

If not then you likely need the router.

Configure as follows:

plug router into modem.

Router has plenty of jacks, so you plug your computer AND the Voip adapter into it.

plug the phone into the VOIP adapter.

Follow the rest of the instructions for set up, and you are finished!

Keep us posted!

Here is my experience with VOIP, Vonage in this case, but the principles are the same.

The VOIP box (Internet Phone Modem) should go between your cable or DSL modem (router) and your PC or internal network switch, if you have an internal network switch. It will work the other way, but your voice quality will be crappy and you will intermittently drop service.

Hook it up as follows:

Look in the instruction book or installation sheet that came with the IPM and find the Default IP Address of the IPM. This is the inside IP address that it comes with as shipped from the factory, usually something like 192.168.1.1. You will need this to configure it later. IF YOU CAN'T FIND THIS PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU CAN'T HOOK IT UP. Call your VOIP provider if you can't find it. You also must have the inside IP address of your cable or DSL modem (router).

The usual IPM has five sockets in the back labeled Line 1, Line 2, Power, WAN and LAN (or PC). Line 1 and Line 2 are telephone jacks. You plug the cord from your phone into Line 1 and another phone or a FAX machine into Line 2, if you are paying for two lines.

The power adapter (of course) plugs into the Power socket.

The cable to your Cable modem or DSL modem (router) goes into the WAN socket.

The cable to your switch, if you have one, or the PC goes into the LAN or PC socket.

Now that you have all the cables hooked up turn on the power. The phone box will not sync up yet, it has to be configured. This is where that IP address comes in.

If you do not have a switch, check the IP address of your computer. If it is not on the same network stub (Like 192.168.1) as your phone box. you will have to change the PC's address so it is on the same stub. For example if the phone box's default address is 192.168.1.1 you would make the address of your PC something like 192.168,1.12. Then, using your browser, go to the phone box's internal configuration page by entering its address as a URL, something like http://192.168.1.1. This should bring up a configuration web page.

Now you can change the outside address (WAN) of the phone box to be on the same stub as the inside address of your cable or DSL modem (router). If the cable or DSL modem has an inside address on the same stub as the line between your PC and the phone box you will have to change the inside address of your phone box (using the configuration page), to be on a different net stub, save it, change the address of your PC to be on the net stub you gave the phone box and start the process over. The inside address of the cable or DSL modem (router) will be the Gateway address of the phone box.

Confused? It's not all that bad. You should end up with something that looks like this.

Cable or DSL Modem WAN 24.170.72.94 (Hypothetical example)

LAN 192.168.1.1

Phone Box WAN 192,168.1.10

LAN 192,168.102.1

PC LAN 192.168.102.12

(The PC does not have a direct outside connection, only LAN)

Note: Your cable or DSL modem may not have a static outside

address, it may be assigned when you log on.

If you have an internal network switch, there is one more layer of connections to sort out. The PC connects to the switch on one network stub, the switch connects to the phone box on another, and the phone box connects to the cable or DSL modem (router) on another.

It sounds like a mess, but hooked up this way it works. I have a two line Vonage phone box with a Time-Warner cable modem and an internal network switch connected to one Windows PC, two Linux servers, one SCO Unix server and two networked printers. Since I got the phone box between the cable modem and my switch, the voice quality has been excellent.

Hope I didn't confuse you too much.

I don't understand any of this thread!

Blaise (imported) wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2008 5:05 pm I don't understand any of this thread!

Don't worry about it.... I have a saws-all! It can fix any fracking thing!

kristoff wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2008 6:17 pm Don't worry about it.... I have a saws-all! It can fix any fracking thing!

I seem able to install computers and I seem able to handle them, but the language about them is a mystery to me. I can change a board or install a card. Plugging in stugg is okay. But I am still without the Dell but I think that is an unusual situation. The repair people find it a mystery as well. I think that some some of sensor is defective.