Use phone cable for computer network?

Question

Hi, the phoneline our builder installed in the wall in our house uses either cat5 or rj45 cables, I think, because it has 8 threads just like my own rj45 cables. I converted our wall phone plates to computer network ports as our other ports are. But both of them that I did don't work.

Anyone has ideas? I double check all other things before posting this. The only thing I am not sure is: are these phones cable that have 8 threads really rj45 cables?

Thanks.

I am not using these cables for any phone purposes because we are now using VOIP phone.

Now I am trying to dedicate these two cables to computer networking. I looked at the colors of the 8 threads inside the cable: they are the same (including their order from left to right in the jack) as my other working cat5 cables.

I am also wondering, how could the builder use these kind of cables for phone lines? And they worked as phone lines. And why they are not working for networking?

This is regarding to bostonianinmo's comment on phoe wiring:

The two cables (used to be used for phone wiring) are ow completely used for computer networking, or at least I am trying to. We made a rj45 jack on one end (thanks to your definition) and connect it to the network router, and made another rj45 jack for the wall plate. So I believe they are now dedicated for computer networking purpose. I have no way of replaing these two cables because they are embedded in the wall and run from the basement to the second floor.

Answer 1

Check the cable connections on each outlet to make sure that you did not reverse wire them. They need to be set up exactly the same on each end. The cabling is fine and will support a network. Hope this helps

Answer 2

As of 1999 FCC requires all new construction residential homes use at least CAT3 cables (the cabling industry was pushing really hard back then to get CAT5 spec'd instead but failed). CAT3 cables also have 8 conductors and the colors are similar to that of CAT5 but with some bands of the opposite color added in case the conductors of one pair separate from each other.
I really have no good way to tell exactly which cable do you have from your data but I would say it is safe to assume you have CAT3. That means that you can still do some decent networking over that cable at 10MBit/s (which is most likely still faster than your Internet connection)
So, yes, with some extra care a CAT3 phone cable can be converted to data use. However, bear in mind that builders are mostly completely ignorant to the proper installation practices of data cables and they have probably abused the cable every which way they could - kinked, stretched, stepped on it rendering it useless for data (and no longer even CAT3)
You always have an option to use the old cable as a pull string for installing two new cables to the same outlet which is what I would do with a cable of unknown quality.

Good luck!

Answer 3

RJ45 refers to the connectors. CAT5 is the cable.

The Ethernet standard for UTP cabling does not allow for phone lines to share network runs on the same cable. You'll need to pull dedicated network cabling if you want your home wired for a network.

Some phone wiring does use the same CAT5 cable as networks but you can't connect a network with your phone wiring. You can blow your network cards if you try doing it, and you may already have done that.

Your phone lines are not wired the same way that networks are. From the main jack in your home, they are strung to each other jack in turn. Networks don't work that way, you can't daisy-chain the outlets like is common practice with phone wiring.

As I mentioned above, phone systems can use CAT5 cable. The cost is similar to the old CAT3 that was commonly used years ago and it's usually easier and often less espensive to just stock a single type of cable that can be used for multiple applications.

Send me your e-mail address and I'll try to explain it further. I need to diagram things for you and that won't work here.

Answer 4

You can use the CAT5 for phone and network. The difference is the connector used. Just make sure that both ends of cable are using RJ45.

Answer 5

Check the connection on both ends of the cable that's inside the wall. RJ45 jacks use the Orange and Green pairs for data transmission and retrieval. Phone only uses one pair.

Answer 6

its not phone cables, its ethernet cable.... 4 pairs of twisted wires, rj45.. most likely cat 5/6..