Frequently Asked Questions:

How does it work?
 
The Telehamster "magic box" (also known as an "Analog Telephone Adapter") acts as a translator between old-school telephones and the modern internet. Telehamster phones don't call regular phone numbers — they can only call other Telehamster phones. Our phone numbers are only four digits long, which is easier for kids to remember.
How do I set it up?
 
Just plug your phone into the "magic box" using the included cable, and plug the "magic box" into your existing internet router using the included network cable. Then plug the "magic box" into a nearby power outlet using the included power adapter. No configuration is required: the box is already programmed for your Telehamster phone number. When you plug the Telehamster box in for the first time, please wait at least 15 minutes before unplugging it: it needs to configure itself and make sense of the world. After that, you should be able to start making calls. If you have any trouble just get in touch.
Where does it work? Can I travel with it?
As long as you have your Telehamster "magic box" with you and an analog phone to plug in to it, you can take it anywhere in the world and it will work fine. You just need an internet jack to plug it into. The "magic box" is what connects you to your particular Telehamster phone number. The box doesn't care what phone you plug into it, so you could just travel with the box and find a phone to use locally (as long as that phone works on American phone networks.)
How much does it cost?
When you sign up; you will purchase the "magic box" for $50 (USD), which comes pre-programmed for your phone number and ready to go. The monthly subscription for Telehamster is $5/month. You will need an old phone as well. We sometimes have a few available for sale — contact us to ask about current inventory!
What kinds of phones can I use?

Any analog phone that worked with American phone lines will work. Rotary phones work fine, and pushbutton phones work fine, including your hamburger phones or other novelty phones. There are only a few considerations:

  • The standard jack which is functional with Telehamster is the basic "modular" phone jack (sometimes called "RJ11" or "RJ22". "RJ45" is a network cable and will not work.) Some very modern phones have larger 8-pin RJ45 ethernet jacks, AKA "network" cable jacks — those won't work. Here is a comparison image.
  • Older phones are extremely durable, and most work fine to this day, but if you are buying used there is always a chance that the phone won't work. The most common issue is a ringer that doesn't ring. They can usually be fixed, but it is something to be aware of.
  • Note: sometimes the ringer is working fine, but the ringer volume is just turned all the way down!
  • Some very old phones don't use the standard "modular" phone jack. These larger plugs won't connect to our box, but adapters are available that make it possible.
  • Phones from other parts of the world may not work properly.
Where can I get a phone?
You can easily find phones on eBay or at thrift stores. Or maybe call up an older relative to see what they have in the attic? Many phones will come with a cord as well (some have a cord hard-wired to the body of the phone), but if not they are easily obtained at thrift stores.
I don't want my phone near my router — what can I do?

  1. Use a long ethernet cable or a long phone cable

    In the image above you can see that there are two connections: the network cable between your internet router and our box, and the phone cable between our box and your phone. The network cable (use a "CAT 5e" rating or better) can be upwards of 100m (328 feet) long, and the phone cable can be almost indefinitely long.
     

  2. Use a WiFi Extender with a network port

    If a long cable is not practical, a second option is to use a WiFi Range Extender: this is just a box that you put anywhere in your house (as long as it is able to get good reception of your WiFi network), and instead of plugging the Telehamster "magic box" into your router, you plug it into the WiFi extender. We recommend these, and you can follow our instructions here to configure them.
     

  3. Use your existing phone jack wiring.

    See the "Can I use the phone jacks in my house" question: if your house is still wired for a landline, you can connect your box to your house jacks, and then plug your phone in anywhere you have a phone jack.

How can I control what time of day the phone can be used?
We recommend using a simple power plug timer - you can plug your "magic box" into the timer, and your phone will only be operable during the times you decide. These are readily available at thrift stores.
How can I control the ringer volume?
Many, perhaps most, old phones have a dial or switch to control ringer volume. If you don't readily find one, look on the bottom of the phone. Note that some phones will not ring at all when the ringer volume is all the way off.
Can I use the phone jacks in my house?
Assuming the wiring is still correct, and assuming you aren't connected to the phone company's network anymore, you can plug the "magic box" directly into a jack in your house, and you can then plug your phone into any phone jack in the house. You can even use multiple phones this way, but we can't guarantee that our box will be able to ring more than one phone. In our tests, it can usually handle two, but three might be pushing it, and it really depends on the phones involved. Older phones take a bit more oomph to make ring properly.
Can I call 911?
You cannot use TeleHamster to call 911. However, 911 is a free public service (in the USA) that works on any cell phone, even if it doesn't have an active plan or a SIM card. So all you have to do is buy a $10 used flip phone (which has none of the tempting screen-based apps, games, and other distractions of modern phones) and leave it plugged in at home. This also has the advantage of working during power outages. Although it cannot receive calls without a SIM card and plan, it can make outbound calls to 911. It does need to support 4G cellular networks (phones made after 2017 should be OK, but it is easily confirmed with a web search).
Why are you called "Telehamster"?
Telehamster was born in Bellingham, Washington, a Pacific Northwest town which playfully calls its residents as "Bellinghamsters". Telehamster is all over the world now, but we love this nod to our quirky roots.