Phone Line / Alarm Problem

I have had a recurring problem for awhile now and am getting closer to solving but cant quite.

I have Cable Phone Service (Internet, phones, tv all same service). I have an alarm system with an ADEMCO VIA-30PSE, VISTA-10SE Security System.

I have been having a nightmare with my phone wiring. I had an electrician come in and run all new house wiring because CABLE company said I had noise in the lines so there was a short. So I have a new phone line running from cable modem to alarm system and than (2) lines out of alarm system (one to bedroom and the other gets split between kitchen and basement phone).

It will work for awhile but someone may call, it disconnects after 2 rings or so and my phones all show a busy signal as if a phone is off the hook.

I cant figure out the issue.

When I disconnect the master bedroom phone from the alarm system box and re-connect phones resuming to normal.

My thoughts:

Maybe only one phone line can leave the alarm box and I need to split after it leaves the alarm?
Maybe problem with wiring?
Maybe compatibility issue with Cable and Alarm system?

Any ideas or has anyone run into this. It is a pesty problem and has already costed me a lot of money so I would like to fix on my own...

Thanks,

Ivan

 

ah the joys of VOIP

I see the electrician was out ,the cable company was involved but no mention of the alarm or phone guys that's who you need to be talking to .

you relize its not a good idea to use VOIP for alarm lines , not if you want to be sure the alarm can actully dial out in the event of a problem.

I would wire it so the line dosn't go through the alarm panel and then to the phones but instead phones and alarm are wired parralel.

 

Check where the voice phone lines are split off from the alarm. I can't remember what it's called, I keep thinking X-10 but I know that's wrong. A phone jack for an alarm system should be wired to take over the phone line if the alarm is triggered. This prevents the bruglar from being safe just by taking a phone off the hook. If you wired some of the voice lines to this override, it could have the same symptoms.

- actually, I never saw this but the wiring I did for my last house had warnings to that effect on the phone distribution block.

 

Try removing the alarm from the circuit and connecting the phones to the VoIP adapter, then see if the problems continue. If removing the alarm makes the problems go away, call the alarm company.

Otherwise, your symptoms suggest an excessive load on your inside phone wiring, whether it's too many phones and other devices connected, or a short somewhere. See if you can find the max ringer equivalence for your phone adapter, then add up the ringer equivalence numbers on each device connected to the phone line to make sure you're not going over. If you can't find the adapter's specifications, call your VoIP tech support. If you're within those limits, then use process of elimination to try locating a wire with a short. (It could even be the cord running from a phone jack to a phone. Sometimes these get stepped on, or furniture placed on top, then the insulation gets crushed and you end up with a bad cord.)

Good luck!

 

Some of you are jumping to conclusions. Ivan has NOT stated he has VOIP.

 

Technically you're right, but I don't see how else a phone line running from the the cable modem to the alarm will provide a dial tone

 

so your suggesting phone service provideded over cable lines along with internet and tv isnt VOIP ?

rj31x

I dont see it as bieng a issue but I wouldnt run the line through it

bottom line is when you choose to get dialtone from non tradtional sources you often see strange problems

 

Okay, thanks for all the quick responses but let back up and answer some questions to hopefully clarify.

First, the wiring of my house:

1. Cable Wire Enters Master Bedroom from Outside and Connects to Cable Modem
2. Phone Line leaves cable modem and goes to new box installed by electrician
3. Phoneline leaves box and travels downstairs to alarm panel
4. (2) Wires are hooked up to phone line in terminal on alarm system
5. (2) wires (from the same line) run back to master bedroom from phone out on alarm panel (this is my phone jack in bedroom)
6. Two more wires leave alarm panel from phone out. These are split outside the alarm panel and go to jacks in kitchen and basement

I SERIOUSLY doubt it is a short as cablevision told me it was a problem with wiring so it is all brand new wiring. Also, problem goes away when I disconnect bedroom phone jack and re-connect.

I did speak to alarm company. They walked me through the wiring to avoid the service charge since this is not foreign to me. They recommended wiring through the alarm panel because if a burglar comes in and sets off the alarm the box will eliminate all of the handsets and grab the phone line for myself. Therefore, I am thinking this is the correct wiring method.


Problem is not constant. For example right now phones work perfectly. Last time they gave me about a week and than off hoook signal. I disconnected terminals to the master bedroom phone jack and it had no problems once I reconnected.

 

it all comes down to voltages and what each piece of equipment expects .

running throuhg the alarm panel is perferd but not totaly necessary .(if somebody breaks in while your on the phone hang up )

bypassing the alarm (evan for a few weeks ) will help you troubleshoot.

non tradtional VOIP dialtone is causing lots of weird equipment problems . often times intermittent (oh and its never the dialtone providers fault )

meant to say bypassing the rj31x , run it to the alarm just like another extension

 

Well, I do know the problem is something to do with the alarm panel. However, the question is can I only have one line (2 wires) coming out of the panel and do I have to split it outside or can I have both outs in the panel at the same time? Maybe they are crossing or something to that effect?

I do want to keep it wired that way because the flip side is if someone breaks in all they have to do is take a phone off the hook and the alarm is stuck... So it is important to keep it wired as I have it...

 

two wires out ?
should be dialtone into panel and then back out feeding all phones

thing is it may not be alarm related VOIP is still a fluky technology .

if your really concerned about security I would have a cooper line from the phone company or get cell notification . good chance the alarm may not be able to get out in the event of a break in anyway.

 

Not all phone services delivered over cable lines are VOIP.

However, the OP seems to be indicating that his service is indeed VOIP.