I've just subscribed to Vonage and just hooked everything up. When I
> press a key to clear the dial-tone, the empty line has a bit of snowy,
> white-noise in the background. This isn't anything that sounds like
> electrical interference, and there's no 'hum' in the line actually.
> It's not 99% silent like my Verizon land-line is, but then again, that
> demarc is grounded, and my Vonage isn't.
Yes, this is there so that you know something is connected up.
Question: 1.)How can I tell which lead is Tip, and which is Ring, and
> which one, if either, can I connect to a good earth-ground?
DO NOT DO THIS. The phone line is balanced. If you connect either leg to ground, you will screw the balancing up.
What is grounded in the demarc is a surge suppression device, NOT the line.
If I'm still off in left field, can someone give me a pointer or two,
> on how to lessen the snowy white-noise on a empty line?
Don't use the Cisco VoIP boxes.
--scott
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."