How to Prevent a Burglar From Cutting the Outside Phone Wire

Call the utility company and request the phone lines be relocated out of reach. If the telephone wires are routed through the roof of a tall house, the likelihood of a burglar being able to reach the phone lines will be nonexistent. A homeowner can also request the phone lines be buried on the property. Buried wires will be routed inside the home where they are automatically safe from outside tampering. Most utility companies will comply with the request, but will likely charge a fee.

Protect the connection at the home. Even if the phone lines are out of reach or buried underground, they often do connect to the home at an exterior connection point. They may come up out of the ground just before entering the house through an exterior wall, or they may hang from the utility pole and become vulnerable to a burglar. This exterior connection can be protected at the house level by the installation of a secure metal box. A box may be installed by the utility company at a homeowner's request, or the homeowner may do the installation. A steel box will fit flush with the side of the house and completely encase the phone wiring. It will have a door for servicing which can be locked with a secure padlock.

Encase any external wiring in burglar-proof metal piping. Cut a small recess in the house siding to insert the pipe flush against the house, and enclose the wires inside the pipe. A blowtorch or pipe welder may be needed to separate the pipe for installation around the wiring. Simply cut down one side of the pipe and slip it around the wiring like a cuff. The blowtorch can also be used to heat the pipe and seal the seam shut once installation is complete.

Invest in an invulnerable system. Many home security companies are well aware of the weakness in home monitoring systems that rely on the effectiveness of phone lines. As a result, many offer home monitoring alert systems that are based on wireless or cellular connections. If the home's wires are cut, a signal will automatically be sent to the monitoring center. In some cases, an alarm will also be triggered at the home level should the phone lines fail. Even if the home's wires are cut or fail to work in some way, the homeowner will still have access to the home security monitoring center and have the ability to communicate through speakers or alert buttons on the security keypads installed in the home.