atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring adding an extension to our existing system

Hi guys, I've been doing Ethernet cabling, network administrator, and general computer repair/support for about 8 years now, but I've never had to do any phone work before.

My goal here is to learn how to add new phones and extensions to our existing system. The boss has given me lots of time to work on this.

Here is what I've got:
(In the basement)
1 small punchdown block that looks like it's got wires coming in from outside.

1 large punchdown block that has wires running from the first small block and also running to a second small punchdown block.

Another small punchdown block that has 2 large connecting cables running from the block to the Intertel 5000 box. There are a large amount of wires running between the large block and this one.

(Through out the buildings)
We have a total of 16 working extensions and phones.


The office that I want to add a phone and extension to is 2 floors up from the basement and already has a working phone connected to a dual jack plate. Both jacks have their own twisted-pair wire set that runs into a common cable.

Since it looks like I should have a twisted pair running down to the basement, I guess my first task is to to identify them, then connect them to the intertel 5k. Then I'll need to activate the extension through the software our installer provided us that works through our LAN and get a phone to connect it to.

Where do I start on this? What do I need to learn? Where can I learn it? I know that vocabulary is very important in telecom, as it is in networking; can someone recommend a good reference?

Thanks for any help guys,

Keith

Welcome Keith its to bad that to many IT guys are getting put into this situation. You need tools, manuals and general telecom knowledge to start. Newtons telecom dictionary and Mike Sandman. would be a good place to get get info. Manuals can be found at your dealer or manuals link at top of page.

Good luck

Hi neighbor!

The thing that makes me wonder is what is a small and a large punchdown block? If you can see on the sides, the part number is usually etched in the plastic. I'm wondering if you're looking at 66m1-50 and 66b4-25 or b3-50?

Anyway, if you've been doing ethernet cabling, the other end of your blade MIGHT be a 66M blade.

I'm not familiar with the Intertel 5000, but 16 might mean that your system is maxed out without adding a card, or that you have 32 analog ports.
If the latter is the case, you should have a pair of 50 pin amphenols or something similar feeding those punch down blocks. This is assuming you have the CS5200 series hardware.

From your description, it may be that you have the pair of Amps (they are about 2 1/2 inches by 1/2 inch with a 25 pair cable coming out one end BTW) and on the block, you should have 16 single pair jumpers feeding your 16 existing phones and the second block may very well be empty.

If it is empty, you can run a jumper from the first pair to your next phone and that's extension 117/116 or whatever. Again, I have no Intertel 5K manual, so this is just a guess.

The best way to learn telecom is to start with your own system manual. I'm hoping you already have wiring basics and a knowledge of electricity, since you need that to do data cabling. Digital systems are fairly easy, since you only have BATT ry and GROUND (my old supervisor used to say that a lot :-)) and none of those extry wires to worry about.

The tools you use in data cabling (ie Punchdown, Toner, Probe etc. should help you identify the vacant pairs....again I assume you already own some of these.

I still, and I think most everyone here, adheres to the standards of using the first two pairs in a 4-pair cable for the first jack and the second two pairs for the second jack, making your working pairs blue and green. That means if you tone the second jack, it ought to be the green pair in some closet and be cross-connected, or able to be to the basement.

As far as learning, it's not much different from what you already do...if you have been properly trained in cabling.

Carl

Where do I start on this? What do I need to learn? Where can I learn it?

Glad your boss has given you lots of time. Quit your present job and get a job with an interconnect. That's the only way you are going to learn.

I'm dead serious!

You would be doing yourself a favor anyway. Any bozo that is stupid enough to entrust a vital system like this to someone who doesn't even know how to follow the wiring is... well, lets just say don't expect to see any raises in your lifetime. It speaks volumes.

-Hal

Thanks for the advice guys.

It looks like I've got the materials I'll need to build a test lab. We still have our old system in storage, a strata dk424 and a bunch of 66 blocks, cables, and some phones. It's not as advanced as our newer system (can't plug it into our LAN), but at least I can experiment on it without worrying about taking down our whole phone system if I do something wrong.

Is there a way to simulate the outside lines this used to be connected to? I'd like to be able to simulate placing a call from within the system and receiving a call from outside the system. Is this in anyway possible? I'm a senior in an electrical engineering program, so I'm fine with designing and building circuits and programming microcontrollers to put out and interpret any kind of signal you can imagine, all I need are the specs of the required signals.

Thanks again guys,

Keith

What you need is a viking dle-200b!

If you can take pictures of your setup with the Inter-Tel, we might be able to see how it's all connected. Adding an extension is simple once you understand what wires go where.
I assume you got the 5000 system from a dealer.