Phone remote ringer

[Tbird650]

Have accepted the task of solving why the ringer/bell in the work area has stopped working. Lucky I like a challenge and a puzzle.
The basic system is IP phones which ring ok. There's PC's and CCTV on the network. Bell ringer is an old analog style of device using 2 strands, I believe the jack is RJ11.
Research tells me there should be 50v on the line constant. DMM reads 46v. Switching to AC, it reads 93 VAC. Both readings stay the same when phone rings with incoming call.
Should there be a program interface to control settings of VOIP? How would the IP system enable a 2 wire bell to ring, is there a control box somewhere?
Can I use some sort of IPCONFIG from command prompt?
Any tips to diagnose problem please? Thanks.

[Tbird650]

I have another ringer I could use...

Manual on Jaycar site.

What's puzzling is why would there be 93volts AC on the line.? Perhaps there's more than one fault?

Learning quite a bit...

[piroska]

The basic system is IP phones which ring ok.. Bell ringer is an old analog style of device using 2 strands, I believe the jack is RJ11.

We had one once, when we first went to VOIP/fibre it worked with Spark but not Vodafone.
Guess it depends if they support it at the other end or not.

[dugimodo]

Ring current on old landlines is 90V (ish) AC. 93V AC sounds about perfect and should make the bell ring. It should not be constant though, 50V DC constant to power the phone, 90V AC pulsed to make it ring. That's for old school landlines.
How that ringer interfaces with an IP phone I don't know, something needs to provide the AC ring current.

For a landline all you had to do was to connect a ringer the same as an extension phone and the exchange ring current would make it ring, fairly simple devices.

[decibel]

My guess is that the ringer is connected to a separate analog phone line which has the same phone number as the Yealink VoIP phone.
When a call comes in, it goes digitally to the Yealink phone and analog rings to the ringer at the same time.

You said that the call rings / answers on the Yealink phone OK.

You need to check the configuration of the VoIP phone system.

[Tbird650]

Thanks for the thoughts. It gives me opportunity to study, combine and re-combine ideas.

Dugimodo, yes exactly. It's as though the ringer AC signal is stuck on.

Decibel, there is an analog phone which I'll take a closer look at. I thought it was redundant.
Found this video re setting up VOIP
Looks like I find the IP of the IP-phone, log in from a browser. I suppose it will want username and password...

[Tbird650]

Hoping to get back to site after Easter so the first thing I'll do is check for analog phones. Then I'll attempt to log in to an IP phone. If none of that is successful I will look at the ADSL filter pictured last pic in first post.
So, isn't this a filter to split phone calls from regular internet? Seems to me there should be one cable going to the network perhaps RJ45/Cat6, plus a phone to the other port (if so fitted). The pic shows empty port so maybe I could plug a phone in? If that works, couldn't I attach my ringer there??

[Tbird650]

Got time today to study the site.

Found one analog phone plugged into a socket. It was dead, no dial tone. Also found a number of empty wall sockets throughout the building.

Got the IP phones IP addresses. Put into browser gives login..

Username and passwords weren't available at the moment.

Retested the 2 core line to ringer and now it's 46vdc and 0vac. Tried to trace were the 2core runs to but it disappears behind a ceiling.

Pulled cover off this box/ Looks like lots of redundant stuff, also connects to redundant phone system casing.


Query. The thought that there could be 2 systems (analog & VOIP) running parallel would mean there was an active phone subscriber line merely to have a remote ringer bell.
If there was indeed, no subscriber line for which monthly fees are payable, then the 50v line voltage and 100vAC ring voltage need to come from alternative source?

One more thing. I was able to plug the RJ11 into the new phone ringer socket but as there's no VAC signal to trigger the ringing, I'm still stuck

[zqwerty]

Try to figure out why you had the incorrect readings the last time you measured the 2 core line. What has changed since you last measured?

I suggest that a break (loose connection) in the 48volt line or the zero volt common would be why the system is not working correctly.

Are you measuring at the same places you did before or a different place? The 0 volt and 48 volt should be continuous through the installation surely.

Maybe a phone or some other apparatus had a loop which completes a connection has been unplugged during faultfinding attempts or in error.

Do not dismantle "redundant" wiring until you know how the system is supposed to work.

[Tbird650]

Thanks for the thoughts. Am amazed what I'm learning with this challenge.

Nothing I'm specifically aware of has changed since measuring the 2-core. Having said that, while looking over all the wiring etc, 3 of the CCTV cameras stopped working. These are COAX. I barely moved them to check a row of power packs. On Tuesday, I'll review everything. Flaky connections are a menace.
Measurements are taken at the place of the ringer near the RJ11. The 48vdc is continuous, perfectly stable. I did try connecting a regular analog phone to the RJ11, thinking that if there's 46v there, it would gave a dial tone. Right or wrong?? Anyway it didn't.

Currently looking at Fonetik website, hoping to learn a bit more. Be great if they show some sort of configuration setup, perhaps pics of parts.

Am being quite careful not to dismantle what is probably redundant wiring. In the pic above of that birdsnest wiring box, there's at least one wire that runs to a current switch... and there's a Fonetik branded little box in the cable. Will study this a bit more Tuesday.