atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Inter-Tel Telephones & Systems Termination question??

I'm stumped with an existing wiring configuration at one of our offices. We have 2 buildings that are connected with a 25 pair going to 66 Block on each side. Management says that the phones used to work in the 2nd building and after some time of not being used we are now looking to put staff back in this location.

I've traced the wiring and found that it is terminated at each end on the 66 Blocks. I confirmed on one end that the cabling appears to be correct going into the phone system.

In the other building i'm wondering if the jacks are terminated correctly. They are currently terminated with only the middle pair using blue/blue white.

I'm just wondering is there a way I can check right at the block by terminating a jack to the block to test the phone? Right now none of the jacks are working. All phones are blank.

There’s no way that Inter-Tel digital keysets ever worked on that cabling.

Keysets use pins 3 and 6 on the jack. If only pins 4 and 5 are terminated, it’s no go.

How long is the feed cable? You’re limited to 1,200 feet, or up to 3,000 with an external power supply (assuming it’s an Axxess cabinet).

No reason why you couldn’t punch down a test jack at the 66 block.

I'd have to check on distance, the building are separated by a small driveway to a parking lot so I don't think distance is an issue. I know they just added fiber optics to connect the network and some painting was done, it's possible they reran phone cabling i'm not real sure yet on that.

Just to be clear then, the only thing that needs to be terminated is 3 and 6, 4 and 5 aren't needed?

That is correct. Only 3 and 6 are needed for the digital endpoints. It's good practice to terminate the middle pair as well just so the jack can be used for analog or digital in the future but it is not necessary.

One possibility for phones working previously at the other building would be the use of custom line cords where you split out the middle pair one one side to pins 3 and 6 on the other. There are connectors that will do this for you as well. Another possibility, although improbable, would be that they were using single line phones at the other location.

Thank you both for your contribution to this forum. Always very helpful.

If they did run new cabling, get the contractor back to fix it. At his expense.

I agree ...