Hello,
I need some help. I live in a 3 bedroom apartment. There are 4 phones. 2 work and 2 do not.


1.) The kitchen phone works. The wires are as follows:

LEFT------Top: Green,
-----------Bottom: Yellow

RIGHT----Top: Black
------------Bottom: Red


There are 8 other wires that are not connected to anything that are cut and stuck in slots.
---2 striped blue (the #1 underneath)

---2 solid blue (the #2 underneath)

--- 2 striped orange (the #3 underneath).

--- 2 solid orange (the #4 underneath)


2.) The first bedroom works. Wires are:

LEFT-----Top: Red & 1 Solid Blue
---------- Bottom: Black & 1 Stripe Orange

RIGHT---Top : Green & 1 Stripe Blue
-----------Bottom : Yellow & 1 Solid Orange


3.) The second bedroom and the third bedroom do NOT work. Both have the same wiring and it is:

LEFT----Top: Red & 2 Solid Blue
---------Bottom: Black & 2 Solid Orange


RIGHT---Top: Green & 2 Stripe Blue
----------Bottom: Yellow & 2 Striped Orange



Ok so from my understanding of past posts, the red and the black are the main line. Since every jack has those wires in the same place (except the kitchen) then should I change the blue & the orange wires?

Basically I would
- disconnect the extra blue wires
- flip the striped & solid orange wires
- disconnect the extra orange wires

But should I only connect one orange wire to the terminal?
What do I do with the extra wires?


Or do you think it is a line issue, and not the wire placement because those orange & blue wires are cut & slotted in the kitchen?

The old POTS specification states that you can carry two lines within one wire to a phone jack as long as they are wired correctly at the demarcation point coming into the buidling. Do you have one active line?

If you don't have access to the box (which I don't think you might) and the kitchen phone works (red/green) is usually the primary pair that is used but the yellow and black can be used too.

THe other stripped colors are daisy chained from another box somewhere in the unit , from the kitchen, or from the demarcation box.

Don't worry about the extra wires as you only need a pair for one line. Connect the ones that do work in the extra bedrooms and leave the others tucked inside.

I'd recommend using a line tester in the kitchen to see which line is active... line1 or 2 and match the color to it. Do the same in the bedrooms when you rewire the colors.

Blue/wht (Red) and wht/blue (Green) are typically line 1 or he main line.

Orange/wht (yellow) and wht/Orange (Black) are usually the second line.

This should make things clearer:
How to Wire a Phone Jack (Voice or Telephone RJ-11 thru RJ-14)

Solid colors should match the diagram above because of polarity.

All this doesn't necessarily mean anything. You can have a main line, a fax line, a home office line, a teenager line and a DSL line so you need to do some tracing.

Like Kiss says: White/blue(white with blue tracer) to green, blue/white(solid blue or blue with white tracer)to red, This is usually line one(red and green) or blue pair.
If the slots are on a wall mount jack, then white/blue to green and blue/white to red.
Blue pair is line 1, orange pair is line 2(yellow and black).
Green pair is 3rd pair, and brown is 4th pair.
KISS nailed it, I just said in another way.

DB- yes I have one active line. KISS - the diagram definitely helped.
Thanks start & all.

Are the slots on a wall phone plate?
Look in all jacks and make sure ALL of the white/blues are connected to any greens, and any blue/whites to red.
You may have to open ALL(EVERY PHONE JACK) to find a disconnect wire(s)
Remember red and black is not a phone pair, it is red and green.

I agree!