Comcast Voice hardware snafu

Redspo0n

So I was sent to the local Comcast store to seek a lower bill, and additional services, at my wife's request. On the surface this sounds silly, but new contract + new bundle = Lower total bill most of the time, since we were out of contract.
So, I came home having secured new TV and Home phone service, maintained our internet, and reduced our bill 50 bucks. VICTORY!

Not so much. Turns out the Voice service is normally setup with a traditional RJ11 phone, plugged into the modem directly. I however own my own modem with no such jack. I explained this to the guy at the shop, who assured me that I could just use the ethernet jack on my modem or router, and it would work fine. This is also not the case.

So to my point - Are RJ11-to-RJ45 adapters a thing? Does that solve my problem? How about a Voip based phone that uses regular ethernet cabling natively - would that function as expected? My wife is pretty adamant about keeping the Voice service, "we just need to find a way to make it work without spending a crap-ton of money". And short of going back to renting Comcasts hardware, (why did we buy the fancy modem then?!) I'm kinda at a loss of what to try.

Oh, since someone will ask - buying a phone is ok, because we'd have to buy one anyway - but the 'Just go to best buy and get whatever phone you like, heck I got a used one from goodwill for my setup" explanation from the shop guy obviously isn't as easy or cheap because he didn't listen/didn't care that I'm not using the default hardware. Also, if the only answer is to cancel that service, I'm kinda ok with that too.

Sorry Wifey, I tried. =p

JaysonFour

A cursory search with the Google shows that yes, there are RJ11 to RJ45 adapter wires available- they're actually pretty cheap (about $6 for the basic adapter to $10 and up if you need a solid amount of wire behind it). I can't say if they'll work with the Comcast Voice thing.

Redspo0n

JaysonFour wrote: »

A cursory search with the Google shows that yes, there are RJ11 to RJ45 adapter wires available- they're actually pretty cheap (about $6 for the basic adapter to $10 and up if you need a solid amount of wire behind it). I can't say if they'll work with the Comcast Voice thing.

Google kept giving me 'guides' to build my own, with a focus on using phone cabling for networking purposes, which didn't seem like it would do what I needed. Thanks though.

This however, is resolved by way of canceling the service. With their 'tech support' insisting I just need to plug it in like a normal phone, I'm done trying to ghetto up a solution from my end too.

Shadowfire

He said you can use the ethernet jack on your router? What the fuck?

You need a different modem if you want to use the phone service. There are telephony modems that have both an ethernet port and a phone jack and that's what you want.

Alternate answer: you have a cell phone? Just don't hook up the phone. Years ago when I had their triple play I just never hooked a phone up.

Knight_

that comcast tech that said hook the rj11 into the rj45 and just magically poof phone will come out of the internet hole is... very comcast.

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/list-of-approved-cable-modems

this is their support article for approved modems, gotta punch in your zip code or login, and buy one of the approved ones with phone support if you want voice service to actually work.

Redspo0n

Yeah, it was obviously wrong from the get-go, but I assumed they would be providing a phone/adaptor/conversion box/etc because I had explained I had my own modem, without the phone port, and he said it was fine and sold me the service anyway.

Anyway, after going around with phone 'tech support' trying to figure out what I was missing, (who also refused to comprehend I didnt have the Comcast modem and just repeatedly insisted that I 'just need to plug in a phone to the modem, rest is automatic'), I went back to the shop, explained the guy sold me shit I couldn't use, and swapped the package.