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Joined: Mar 2011
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I just installed a wireless security system and had AT&T out to install a DSL splitter on my telco box outside my house. Now, if I understand it correctly, the router is separate from my control panel.

I've read some very good reviews about Ooma (ooma.com), a type of Voip that will allow me to make calls using my router. The voice quality is suppose to be on par with a land line, I don't have to keep my computer on all day, and I can port my current telephone number. The only charges are the taxes and fees, about $3.50/mo.

Because I have the DSL splitter on the telco box, can I set up Ooma without any problems? I can't seem to find anyone who can answer my question b/c I don't think they understand that I have a DSL splitter, not a filter, on the incoming line to the house.

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The Big Question is "Can you port your phone number off of the existing line and still keep the DSL?"

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Why wouldn't I be?

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Just a few points before we can help you with an educated answer:

You said "Now, if I understand it correctly, the router is separate from my control panel."

What control panel? The alarm panel? You would know better than us what your equipment looks like.

The splitter *IS* a filter. (It contains a filter, to be correct.) It splits the incoming pair into filtered and unfiltered branches. The unfiltered branch goes to your modem. The filtered branch goes towards all your phones.

What is a "wireless security system"? Does it require a dial tone to communicate with a central station? By wireless do you mean its connection to the central station is over GSM, or do you mean the the individual devices connect wirelessly to the control panel?

How/where is the Ooma dial tone derived from your router? Does Oooma send you an ATA to install?

Wherever you get the dial tone from, you need to run it first to your security system, (assuming that it uses a dial tone...not sure what wireless means in this context...see my previous question) then back to your phones.

The remark that you may not be able to get DSL on a dry pair is a fair question. Some LEC's don't allow that, or will allow that only if you scream loud enough. It will work electrically, but they may have a policy prohibiting it.

It seems you should have no problem getting it all to work together, assuming they let you get the DSL without a phone number associated with it.


Arthur P. Bloom
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So that you don't confuse the issue, a wireless security system is not part of the question. It probably has an RJ-31x jack somewhere and that would connect to a telephone line.

While Ooma is an alternative to dial tone, I'd not recommend it for a couple of reasons. It doesn't play well with modems, it is expensive.

Broadband internet can be delivered in several ways, but the most common is via some form of DSL or Cable. In DSL, you take the incoming line and plug it into a DSL modem. The DSL "splitter" you refer to is probably just a box that has 2 two-wire connections, one for the phone and one for the modem, the phone port having a filter built in.

If the purpose is to save money, you would need to convert your DSL to "naked" or dry pair DSL. Now you don't get dial tone on the phone port, just DSL on the DSL port that you plug your modem into. The modem then goes into a router and you can plug an Analog Terminal Adapter (preferred way for me) into one of the ports on the router or add a switch if you need more than the conventional 4 ports the router typically has.

Now, back to this "dial tone." I have a Ooma box. I bought it on the (b)leading edge, which means I paid about $250 for the unit. The difference is that I bought it about 3 or 4 years ago and that's all I pay. I don't have 2 lines, no fancy features, nothing. I think I have voice mail, but I forward the incoming calls to my cell phone so I just use it as an outgoing long distance line. It give me absolutely FREE voice grade phone line and every month it works, it reduces my initial cost. I guess I'm down to about $4 a month. However, Ooma got smart and took away all the freebies. Now they sell the box and try to charge something extra for the features, as much as $120 or so for the "premier" service. Now, paying $200 for the priviledge of paying $10 a month isn't such a great deal when I can go to Phone Power and grab their box for $14.95 on a 2 year agreement or pay $200 in advance for a 2-year contract and get those same features as an Ooma Premier system, which includes voice mail, 2 lines, and porting of numbers.

That's the math of the numbers, but the only question is WILL IT WORK! A Phone Power installation kit is $80 and you get a 30 day trial. If you keep it, you can convert it to the $200 deal, or even a Vonage box is about $25 and you can get their $9.95 a month bare bones service. The point is, Ooma's not a huge great deal and no matter what, you'll still have to test to see if the alarm system will work with it.

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Buddy of mine got Ooma, still uses it...but it was worthless for his alarm line. It would not send out a signal. He ended up getting his POTS line back from AT&T just for the alarm...


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Oh, I forgot one of the most important points. Ooma doesn't give dial tone!

So, if your fancy alarm is looking for any of the frequencies in precise dial tone, it will fail.

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It says on the webpage that one hooks up a standard telephone to their ATA. How would that work, if they don't provide a dial tone?


Arthur P. Bloom
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It's not normal dialtone. It's a weird annoying sound that I can't describe.
"The Ooma dial tone starts with a musical note so that you know you're using its service and not the land line."


Jeff Moss

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back when Google voice was still grand central you could choose your own dial tone , ring cadence and even the ring-back so when someone called you they would hear a message rather than ring sound .

it was a lot of fun to play with


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