Re: How has your experience been with VOIP?
But don't you have a Vonage box somewhere that acts as an adapter? I think that you would need some way to convert the phone signals to Voip and vice versa. The Voip phones do that or you can use an adapter and use a regular phone. At least that's the way I understand it to work.
OK, I understand your confusion.
On the 'phone box' on the outside of the house is the 'IN' connection from the phone company. Go inside that box and pull their 'in' connector. That disconnects anything of theirs going into your house and confusing the signals from Vonage. Our cable company (Brighthouse) supply us with an internet router based on us just using their internet & TV service. (we used to take up their phone service before switching to Vonage and the router they supplied then was different to incorporate the phone jacks). Still with me? Vonage supply their own router for their phone service for you to connect your phone(s). We also have a wifi network in the house, so we have a 3rd box which is the network router.
The way I have it all connected is:
Router #1 (Brighthouse TV/Internet Box)
IN: Incoming co-ax cable for the TV & Internet.
OUT: BLUE Vonage cable to the Vonage Router
Router #2 (Vonage Box)
Their box is color coded to make it easy (unless you're color blind). 2 sockets (1 x Blue, 1 x Yellow) and 2 Phone jacks (Light Green)
Blue Socket: Blue Cable from the Brighthouse Router.
Yellow Socket: Yellow Cable to the 3rd Router (WiFi Network)
Light Green Socket: Phone jack to the Phone IN on POWER EXTENSION for proof against power surges. All the plugs for the routers and pc are plugged in here also.
Router #3 (Wifi Network)
This handles the PC, printer. It does not have any connection to the Phone.
POWER EXTENSION
On the side of the Extension Box are 2 phone jacks, IN and OUT. As already explained the Phone jack from the Vonage Router is plugged in to the IN. On the OUT socket, I have a triple plug in socket extension. From that I run 1 phone jack into the wall jack and the other 2 run to 2 phones I have on 2 nearby desks (all this is in my home office. I have a cordless plugged into another wall jack in the kitchen. Everything runs sweet.
Fax: I did have a Brother Fax/Printer in the pre-Wifi system. You simply connect the phone to the fax and the fax to the Vonage, like adding another connection in the system. However the Fax died and I decided not to replace it. I could sort it for the PC to act as a fax, but I'd have to buy a component for the PC and can't be bothered.
You don't have to bother with using an EXTENSION OUTLET and plugging the phone through that. We do in Florida due to power surges during storms. If you didn't bother with that, you'd simply plug the phone jack from the Vonage Router into your nearest wall jack and that sends the signal round the phone wiring in your house.
What with 3 routers, I printer and a PC and a Monitor, it's like a plumber's nightmare by my desk, but the only people who see it are me and the dust bunnies!!
Hope this helps