This may not be the best place to place this question, but here it goes.

What have you all done when you are installing satellite receivers in an area where there is no phone jack anywhere around. I ended up with a customer that got 5 sat receivers, but two of the rooms have no phone jacks and no attic access to run new line. I tried a 'Phone Anywhere' system by RCA today that can inject a phone line over the house wiring that I can plug in a transmitter where there is a phone jack and a receiver where the sat receiver power outlet is and it seemed to be working for a few minutes, but then it died and never came back. It looks like the base unit failed, but anyway are there any other systems out there than you all have used? Or is this about it?
jeff

I think unless they need PPV at those boxes you don't really need the phone line.

PS Ignore this if the customer needs PPV access at those units.

Do you have a spare rg cable at these locations? If so convert the cable to phone line for the tip and ring. I have had some luck with the wireless phone jacks but it has been not real dependable.
Steve

There are a bunch of systems out there that do the 'transmitter, receiver' thing with powerline. With the RCA's in the instructions, it states that you have to plug in the base first, then plug in the extension. Then, press the little black button on the base until you get a sequence of lights....did you follow these steps? That could be your problem.

As Steve said, you could adapt coaxial cable to the tip/ring of the phone and would work great. Probably the best connection in the house!! It's WAY overkill but would work. Actually, any two conductor wire would probably work if it's just for slow coms.

Well I returned the poweline phone system and got a replacement and it worked just fine. I just had bought a bad unit to begin with. The only thing about it is that they only worked if the base and receiver were plugged into outlets on the same phase of the electrical panel. Other than that it worked great.

One thing though Mason is that these sat receivers report in monthly (as I was told by the DSS rep), and if you have multiple receivers not hooked up to phone lines, then you will pay full price for each receiver service instead of the $4.95 for each additional receiver. We had a customer that unplugged his and they automatically changed his billing to full price for each receiver, whether you use PPV or not.

In fact they have always had me perform a phone test while on the phone with them for each receiver before they would set up the account at 4.95 for each additional receiver.

Steve: Yeah, I've done that too at one install, I worry what the phone company will do if they discover an RG-6 is connected to their phone box. Snip, Snip.

thank you all

I've had Dish Net for over a year. My main unit in the den is plugged into the phone line. The one in the bedroom has no phone line, and I pay five bucks a month for the second receiver.

I don't know how not having both units plugged in can justify Dish charging full price. My contracts don't state so, and they can shut you down from the Satellite if you don't pay.

The phone line thing is marketing; the more receivers hooked to a phone line the more likely you are to order PPV.

What would they do if I only have one unit and don't plug it in to the phone line, charge me double for the unit monthly??

Actually, you need the phone line for the sports packages for DirecTV, they actually dial out and verify your zip code of installation because of blackout laws for football etc.

There's always the obvious, but easily overlooked, option of running phone lines and jacks to the other locations, hmm?

Larry

The real reason they have you require a full time telephone line plugged into each receiver, is so you don't bring this second or third or fourth reciever to your friends house and split the cost of the service with him.

Again, you DO NOT have to have a full time phone connection at each receiver. My bedroom receiver has no phone connection and I pay 5 bucks a month for it.

Well, all I can say is that they told me that they would not add the 4.95 service for each unless they were hooked up to a phone and they had me perform a phone test with each one while on the phone with them and we did have a customer get charged full price for each because he disconnected (inadvertently) the phone to his 2 receivers.

One thing you all mentioned is that you have two receivers and one of them was plugged in to a phone line, if you have at least one of the two reporting in then you will still get the multi receiver discount. But I would like someone to try unplugging both receivers from the phone line for a couple months and let me know what happens.

Joec: You are right, without this system of monthly reporting, you could work a plan with all your friends and tell DSS that you have 8 receivers hooked up to your house when actually 7 of your friends each has their own independant receiver and only paying 4.95 a month for each.

DSS had to employ a reporting system to keep this kind of stuff from happening.