Extending phone line from Gen 3 modem to electrical panel - need jack pinout schematic

[Rodeworthy]

I am installing Ignite Gateway Gen 3 modem.  I have run a long 4-wire cable from the modem to our electrical panel where all our phone lines have been tethered.  Only the red and green wires are used.  I need to terminate this cable at the modem end with an RJ11 connector.  Does the red wire connect to the modem jack pin closest to the top of the modem with the green below - or is it opposite with green on top with red underneath?  The short phone cable supplied with the modem is no help.  One end has red over green, the other end has green over red when connected to the modem.  Which is correct? I am presuming the wires are polarity sensitive.  I don't want to cause problems by connecting the wires the wrong way.

I called Tech Service and they could/would not tell me the pinout of the phone jack.  I was advised they do not deal with phone lines even though the modem provides a connection to those lines.  They basically told me to try one way and then the other to determine which is correct.  Can I do damage to the equipment doing this?  Seems like a simple answer should be available but not the case.

[Pauly · Accepted solution]

Hello Rodeworthy,  there is 2 RJ11 phone jacks on the modems, but only one is used, the one that is active is the one with the number 1 next to it, simply plug the RJ11 end into the phone jack. and the other end, just punch down the green and red to your punch down block.  To be honest, phone polarity does not really matter, i have seen many phone cords with the polarity reversed, and nothing has ever happened.  just punch it down and it will extend the dialtone into your inside wiring jacks

[Rodeworthy]

Hello Pauly,

Thank you for your prompt reply to my post.  I am grateful to have someone with experience in these matters provide the information I need.  It seems my concern for polarity in the phone jack was unfounded.  You have given me confidence to go ahead with attaching the RJ11 connector to the extension cable.  When that is done I will post again to let you know the result.  Much appreciated.

Rodeworthy

[Pauly]

Your welcome

In future if you decide to clean up the wiring, you can consider installing a proper phone jack wall plate close to your modem gateway. it does not have to be super professional, you can even install a baseboard mounted phone jack and instead of running extension cord, you can run cat3 (or higher) telephone wire right to the panel where your other wall jacks are terminated,  by doing that, all you need is a standard phone cord from the modem Tel 1 jack into the nearby phone jack, and as long as everything is wired correctly, your existing inside jacks will have dialtone and it will be a much cleaner installation no dangling extention phone cords to deal with.

[Rodeworthy]

Hey Pauly, we are of like mind on the phone installation.  I decided to install a wall mounted phone jack and then connect it to the modem, with standard telephone cord.  It works well. Thanks again.

The pictures shows my wiring installation on the left and with wiring cover on the right.  This installation is in a central location in our house (stairwell to basement) and has good wireless access to our family room, home office and living room.  It also gets this clutter out of the living space.

The item below the Gateway is a UPS unit to maintain phone accessibility during a power interruption.

Still have a ways to go to get used to the new system but making progress.  Once again your input is appreciated.  Thanks for your help and suggestions.

Best regards,

Rodeworthy

[57]

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@Rodeworthy wrote:  The item below the Gateway is a UPS unit to maintain phone accessibility during a power interruption.

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Be aware that Rogers Home Phone may not remain up in a power failure that affects your area. The reason for this is that the Rogers node near your home requires a battery backup itself to maintain operation and Rogers has not been replacing these (expensive) batteries if they die.  It's the luck of the draw on whether your area will be affected or not.  If a power failure only affects your house, then you will be OK with your UPS, but just don't count on Rogers' system being up in a power failure. Most people have a cell phone for a backup.

For many people, if there is an area power failure, they don't have TV, Internet or Home Phone if the node is down.

[Rodeworthy]

Hello 57,

Thanks for reaching out with information on the status of phone system battery backup with Rogers.  The UPS in my installation is a holdover from an attempt to upgrade our system to a Bell fibre service for Internet, home phone and TV that was offered at a really low price.  That too was a self-install.  In their installation guide, Bell wrote:

“This is a reminder your Home phone service, including access to 9-1-1 emergency services, will not operate during a power outage. ……  If you wish to have access to a phone service (including 9-1-1) in the event of a power outage, we recommend that you purchase a compatible backup battery solution for your modem from a third party retailer or keep a working mobile phone available.”

To comply with that, I bought a UPS unit to backup the Bell equipment.  Unfortunately, the TV package that was provided with that system was unsuitable for our needs and the equipment was returned.  We continued with our legacy Rogers Internet and Home Phone service and Shaw TV.  That combination is very expensive.  I obtained a reasonable quote from Rogers for their facsimile of the Bell service (but no fibre) and have been installing it.

In an email dealing with the installation Rogers wrote:

“As with Ignite Internet and TV, Ignite Home Phone service will not be available during a disruption and you will not be able to make any calls, including 911 calls.

If power outages are a concern, you may wish to consider an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) device, which is widely available from electronic retailers and alarm or medical alert service providers. If you do not have a corded home phone, a UPS device can also be used to power a cordless phone system or charge cell phones during a power outage.

Note: Cordless phones cannot work in the event of a power outage. We recommend that you keep at least one corded phone in your home in case of a power outage.”

Given this recommendation, I installed the previously purchased UPS with the Rogers Gateway.  Later, I received the Rogers Residential Service Agreement that stated:

“The Home Phone Service provided with the Rogers IPTV Service operates with the internet modem provided and there is no battery back-up. In the event of a power or network outage/disconnection, your Home Phone Service will not be available, and you will not be able to make or receive any calls, including Emergency 9-1-1 calls.”

We do have corded phones in our home which are now connected to the Rogers Gateway.  We have dial tone and calling capability when the electric power to the house is lost.  What happens to that when the power loss is widespread enough to shut down Rogers equipment is another matter.  With the ubiquitous use of cell phones these days battery back at the Central Office is less of an issue than it was in days gone by.

Thanks for ensuring that I understood what the implications are when the power goes out.