Home Phone Cable Installation

Your home phone cable installation will be installed by the local phone company only to the outside of your home. Interior phone cable installation can get very costly, whether you use the phone company or an outside contractor. Installing the home phone cable is something you can do yourself with a few tools and moderate effort. Give yourself plenty of time to install the phone cable if you have never worked with a phone connection before.

Step 1 – Locate the NID

The Network Interface Device is the distinguishing point where the local phone carrier’s wire ends and the home owner's wiring begins. This interface is located outside of the home in a small box. The telephone company phone line is installed on one side of the box and the customer wires are on the other side of the box. Generally, this box can be opened by removing one screw.

Step 2 – Verify a Connection

Open the NID box and check the wires. You will see four wires: white/blue, blue, white/orange, orange. The older wire is color coded green, red, black and yellow. Once you have located the cables call the phone company to verify that the wires are live.

Step 3 – Draw the Cable

Lay out the cable from the NID box to where you plan on locating the telephone jack inside your home. Lay the cable without pulling it tight. You will end up cutting some of the cable off at the end of the installation, so leave plenty of cable to work with.

Step 4 – Prepare the outside Connection

Strip approximately ½ inch sheathing from the red and green or white/blue and blue cable, using the wire strippers. Do not damage the wires. Connect the cable to the corresponding NID connection. The color coding is for professional installers. It doesn’t matter which colors you use as long as you are consistent.

Step 5 – Attach the inside Connection

Strip approximately ½ inch sheathing from the same color wires you attached at the NID box. Attach these wires to the matching terminals in the phone jack.

Step 6 – Test the Phone Line

Plug in a wire line phone to the phone jack. Check the phone for a dial tone. Once the dial tone has been established remove the connections to the jack. If you do not get a dial tone re-check that your connections match and try again. If you still do not receive a dial tone you will need to contact the local phone company.

Step 7 - Complete the Cable Connection

Once a dial tone has been established, disconnect the jack cables. From the NID box, attach the cable wire along the walls to the jack using the cable staples. Place the cable under the plastic arch of a cable stable and tap the attached nails into the wall, hold the cable taut and continue attaching the cable to the jack. Trim the excess cable, strip the wire as before and attach to the jack. Screw the faceplate onto the jack.