Great idea I had with home networking (use existing cabling in walls)

[glenimp617]

Had an idea last week about wiring my house for CAT5. Like most houses, we have the master BT socket in the hallway (daft location), and two extensions running off it. One goes to the lounge, and the second to my sons bedroom. The one in the lounge is situated right next to our wifi router.

My sons been having issues with his xbox over the wireless, so I decided to try and use the houses CAT5 cabling to put some points in.

I basically disconnected the two extensions from the master socket and joined them together with this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005G3Q3Y8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Then replaced both faceplates with these, connecting all the wires to make a full CAT5 connection

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ESDRG2A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Then I basically connected the xbox to his faceplate, and connected the lounge faceplate to the wifi router

Works like an absolute dream, and the speed checker on the xbox is showing a much faster download rate.

Just an idea someone else might like to try.

I've checked OCUK and they don't sell these products, so I think it's ok to post the links

 

[marms]

If your master socket is in the hallway and your router in the lounge how do you connect the router to the phone line now you don't have an extension from the master socket to the lounge?

 

[Deleted member 77746]

 

[RandomMonkeH]

Telephone cable is not CAT5. Or perhaps more specifically, it is not usually CAT5 within a domestic environment.
You can absolutely run PSTN lines over Ethernet cable, and that is pretty standard practice for businesses.

However, telephone cable is usually only four or six core and not rated for the transmission rates like CAT and are not designed to deal with the crosstalk.
In theory you could run Ethernet over two pairs but it would limit you to 10/100.

I’m not going to say it wouldn’t work over a short distance - and obviously if it works for you, it works - but it isn't a great idea from the perspective of a reliable high speed network connection.

However, if by some chance your house was originally cabled with CAT5 that they just happened to use for the telephone extension and is the proper 8 core stuff, then you lucked out.
I am seeing CAT used more in newer builds, which is good news.

 

[glenimp617]

Telephone cable is not CAT5. Or perhaps more specifically, it is not usually CAT5 within a domestic environment.
You can absolutely run PSTN lines over Ethernet cable, and that is pretty standard practice for businesses.

However, telephone cable is usually only four or six core and not rated for the transmission rates like CAT and are not designed to deal with the crosstalk.
In theory you could run Ethernet over two pairs but it would limit you to 10/100.

I’m not going to say it wouldn’t work over a short distance - and obviously if it works for you, it works - but it isn't a great idea from the perspective of a reliable high speed network connection.

However, if by some chance your house was originally cabled with CAT5 that they just happened to use for the telephone extension and is the proper 8 core stuff, then you lucked out.
I am seeing CAT used more in newer builds, which is good news.

Full cat5 in my house

 

[glenimp617]

If your master socket is in the hallway and your router in the lounge how do you connect the router to the phone line now you don't have an extension from the master socket to the lounge?

I drilled a little hole in the wall and threaded an RJ11 cable through

 

[Django x2]

Why would you not move the router to the BT socket in your hallway then use your full Cat5 to run off to a switch somewhere which then feeds all the other Cat5 sockets?

 

[Hyburnate]

Telephone cable is not CAT5. Or perhaps more specifically, it is not usually CAT5 within a domestic environment.
You can absolutely run PSTN lines over Ethernet cable, and that is pretty standard practice for businesses.

However, telephone cable is usually only four or six core and not rated for the transmission rates like CAT and are not designed to deal with the crosstalk.
In theory you could run Ethernet over two pairs but it would limit you to 10/100.

I’m not going to say it wouldn’t work over a short distance - and obviously if it works for you, it works - but it isn't a great idea from the perspective of a reliable high speed network connection.

However, if by some chance your house was originally cabled with CAT5 that they just happened to use for the telephone extension and is the proper 8 core stuff, then you lucked out.
I am seeing CAT used more in newer builds, which is good news.

Builders don't use telephone cable they all use Cat5e or Cat6

 

[RandomMonkeH]

Builders don't use telephone cable they all use Cat5e or Cat6

Depends on the builder and when it was built. Anything over ten years old is unlikely to have Cat5e in my experience.

 

[Hyburnate]

Depends on the builder and when it was built. Anything over ten years old is unlikely to have Cat5e in my experience.

True it will of course, but I've seen Cat5e/6 more often than not.

 

[glenimp617]

Why would you not move the router to the BT socket in your hallway then use your full Cat5 to run off to a switch somewhere which then feeds all the other Cat5 sockets?

No power and the point is right next to the front door, meaning a rats nest of wires. This was a far neater solution.

 

[Stovehead]

..

 

[Stovehead]

..

 

[fobose]

Looks nice and neat @Stovehead. Now, on to decorating that wall. You know it makes sense

 

[Caged]

The only change I'd make when faced with two Cat5e cables that have been looped through a box would be to present them as two RJ45 outlets and then make up a very short cable to connect them to each other, because if you wanted a point there in future you could just add a switch and start using them.