There is a (max) power supply available on the ATA (as for any electronic device).

Due to this limited power, there is a maximum number of devices (telephones, wireless base unit, fax modems, answering machines, etc) that can be connected to the ATA either directly or through the House Wiring. Devices that rely on the power supplied from the telephone line will likely reduce this number.

The "maximum number" will vary for each user based on the types of devices used, and the house wiring involved.

[POTS lines also had a limit defined in 3-5 REN, although this was not generally obvious as more recent telephones are electronic and have their own power supplies.]

Although Primus does not recommend connecting more than a few phones (see below), some users have connected up to six phones to the ATA through their house wiring, using no power boosters, with no problems at all. These users are most likely using electronic phones (each with their own power supply).

If you have problems with devices not working correctly (such as phones not ringing):

•Verify the DVG Hardware Version (if you are using the D-Link ATA).

•Test each device by plugging it in one at a time into the applicable ATA port ("1" or "2").

•You may have too many devices plugged into the circuit. A defective - or HIGH LOAD - device will load the circuit, and may cause the ringers to fail. Try different combinations of devices on the circuit. Unplug one device at a time (while leaving others plugged in) to perhaps isolate a defective or HIGH LOADING device.

• In some extreme situations, you may have a defective ATA; but this should be rare.

Other References:
•signaling
•circuit_archive

An unofficial Primus perspective:

•You cannot use the TBB device to power all the phone jacks throughout your house. The power supply can not provide that much power. I have heard of moderate success of powering 2 phones with 6 foot cables and a splitter in the back of the TBB port.

•It is possible to power numerous jacks and phones in your location and have it interface with your TBB service. To do this you need to research and invest in a booster, or sometimes called a repeater for your phone wiring. Essentially you would have the TBB device located near the demarc/patch panel for your phone system. You would need to ensure that it had access to the internet connection at that location on your premises. You would need to disconnect your old local phone companies lead to the demarcation point (where the telco's ownership of the wire ends and the homeowner's begins) and plug in it's place a repeater with sufficient power and then the line one and/or two of the TBB would be plugged into that repeater.

•Primus does not actively support this configuration, but it will work if the right equipment is used in conjunction with the Gateway, and it is configured properly. You would have to contact a local telco contractor and provide information such as the number of jacks, distances from the demarc, in order for them to reccomend anything.

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by canoe edited by Styvas
last modified: 2007-03-04 14:49:19