Paging the IT guys out there.

I have an office in an office block that we (as friends) rent.

There is a network on which I have 4 ports. There’s no switch on the network (so I have been told) so it is just a patch panel.

I have my phone (regular plug in the wall BT type not VOIP) into one of the sockets. The ringer on the phone doesn’t work. It works fine if I plug it directly into BT socket and the splitter plug that sends the signal to the router.

I have been told to wire the phone as follows. Cable to ISDN Adaptor into port on patch panel. Then ISDN Adaptor in office that the phone plugs into. However the ringer doesn’t work on the phone – every thing else is fine.

I’ve tested the network cable and it’s fine. I’ve tested the phone cables and they are fine. What is wrong?

Should the ISDN Adaptors both be Master ones? Or both Secondary ones? Or one Master and one Secondary and if so which way round?

I only need this one phone.

Anyone help?

I’m no expert on this, but if you’re using structured cabling then I think you’d need to use a PSTN Master adapter on the phone end for a regular phone; the ‘master’ bit means it has a capacitor used by the ringer.

What you’d need to do at the wall end, I’m not sure. I’d be half tempted to cut the plug off at the patch panel end of the cable and wire it directly to the punchdowns on the back of the panel. (-: Pins 4&5 IIRC.

That said, if it’s just a panel-to-panel cable run, you shouldn’t need anything fancy; it’s not a PABX, you’re just extending wires from a domestic phone line.

Historically, home phone systems used to use a ‘ringer’ wire. They’d shove something like 40V down a third wire (the orange one) to power an actual bell. New phones with electronic ringers don’t work like that, so it’s common practice now to disconnect this wire to reduce interference. Can you try a different phone perhaps?

Again; not my field of expertise, just rolling ideas around.

Sorted.

Firstly, I hadn’t noticed that one of the ISDN adaptors was a secondary. Next the master ISDN adaptor was broken.

‘Borrowed’ some [working] adaptors from others on the network and did a few tests.

Two new master adaptors orderd off evilbay so all should be sorted in a few days.

Adaptors arrived yesterday. Fitted them and the phone now works properly.

BTW The capacitor in the Master socket is for a testing from the exchange purpose.