Introduction: Phone Access Through Out the House Using Gateway Modem
I got tired of having my phone right next to my Cable Gateway/Modem. It made it very inconvenient especially after getting a printer/scanner/fax/copier that needed access to a phone line. I wanted to put my gateway in the attic since I had horrible wifi through out the entire house.
I found an always on power line up in the attic and wired a plug to it, then ran coax and phone line up to the attic to meet at the power. Running the phone line and tucking it out of sight I disconnected the "Phone Companies" input and used a coupler to attach the new phone line I ran to the existing house wiring. Taking my gateway from the living room and placing it in the attic I have gone from 2 of 5 bars to 4 of 5 bars at my weakest signal and now I have phone access at any point in the house that has a phone jack.
If all I wanted was phone through the house I could have just disconnected the phone companies connection at the box and plugged the phone line from the gateway to any phone jack, but I needed better wifi as well.
NOTE: Attics get VERY hot. Heat kills electronics. Make sure your attic won't be above peak operating temperature for your gateway.
Parts:
1x 50' phone line from Dollar General $4
1x Phone coupler from Lowes $3
1x Short extension cord from Family Dollar $1
a couple of wire nuts and electrical tape.
Discconnect the phone jack from the access box side marked "Customer".
Plug coupler onto jack end and plug phone cord into other end.
This routes your phone line to the existing house wiring bypassing the phone companies connection.
Plug other end of phone line into the line 1 jack on your gateway.
Connect coax cable to gateway and power on.
I found an always on power line up in the attic and wired a plug to it, then ran coax and phone line up to the attic to meet at the power. Running the phone line and tucking it out of sight I disconnected the "Phone Companies" input and used a coupler to attach the new phone line I ran to the existing house wiring. Taking my gateway from the living room and placing it in the attic I have gone from 2 of 5 bars to 4 of 5 bars at my weakest signal and now I have phone access at any point in the house that has a phone jack.
If all I wanted was phone through the house I could have just disconnected the phone companies connection at the box and plugged the phone line from the gateway to any phone jack, but I needed better wifi as well.
NOTE: Attics get VERY hot. Heat kills electronics. Make sure your attic won't be above peak operating temperature for your gateway.
Parts:
1x 50' phone line from Dollar General $4
1x Phone coupler from Lowes $3
1x Short extension cord from Family Dollar $1
a couple of wire nuts and electrical tape.
Discconnect the phone jack from the access box side marked "Customer".
Plug coupler onto jack end and plug phone cord into other end.
This routes your phone line to the existing house wiring bypassing the phone companies connection.
Plug other end of phone line into the line 1 jack on your gateway.
Connect coax cable to gateway and power on.
