Phone cords are wires used for connecting the base unit of a hone to the handset or headset, and to the wall jack. They can also be used for connecting several phones together and for connecting phones to computer modems. Long phone cords can be used as extension lines when placing phones far away from the wall jack.
In the United States, phone cords are “modular connectors” that can be plugged into a phone without opening the case. They have rugged designs and different sizes. The most common phone cords used in the US are the RJ-11, RJ-12, and RJ-14.
Types of Phone Cords
Kinds of Phone Cords include the following:
RJ-11 phone cords
Most home lines and modems are connected to RJ-11 phone cords.
They are six-connector jacks that use only two pins.
RJ-12 phone cords
RJ-12 phone cords have the same size and shape as RJ-11 phone cords, except that they have four wires instead of two.
The two extra wires are used for certain phone systems to indicate that a line is in use.
RJ-14 phone cords
RJ-14 phone cords also have four wires.
The two extra wires are used for connecting a second phone line to the same cable.
The center wire is used for the main phone line, while the outer two are for the second.
They make hooking up easier when a second line is added to the main line.
Choosing Phone Cords (Buying tips)
Tap: If you intend to add a second line, choose a three-tap telephone cord that is one-line or two-line capable. One end of the cord plugs into a modular phone jack, while the other end has an RJ-14 outlet. The remaining two ends have RJ-11 outlets.
Inline coupler capable: Choose a phone cord that can be connected with an inline coupler that allows two phone cords to be connected for added length.
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