Old house - phone line to Ethernet set up

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Old house - phone line to Ethernet set up

1 | 2

hio77

'That VDSL Cat'
13036 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3896

ID Verified

Trusted

Lizard Networks

Subscriber

#2009174 7-May-2018 12:47

chevrolux: A newbie isn't going to be able to pick up a couple of tools (of which I say you only need side cutters and a punchdown tool), wire up a link and have it pass on a Fluke tester, but they are certainly going to be able to wire a 20-30m link and get gigabit speeds over it.

Plus if it's something that interests you then just go ahead and do it. There is enough documentation/forums/blogs out there that anyone could go and grab some cable and get their house wired up.
If you screw up drilling holes whole you're at it, that's your problem. Why should anyone else care?

Exactly this.

When i first started with data wiring, i took it pretty casual styled. i was taught by a Data electrician so was like yeah, I'm doing it all right. sh!t this is easy.

once i got more into what i was doing, piping vlans poe, and the likes i noticed there was occasional really weird issues with the network. random broadcast swarms and so on. switch interfaces showed a bit of errors...

Testing each link, i was getting full duplex gbit, throughput was what i'd put within the acceptable ballpark.

Pulling out my actual cable testers, it became very obvious where i had screwed up.surprisingly once correcting these issues my network has become extremely rock solid; even down to nolonger getting random esxi crashes...

Long story short, anyone can watch a video, look at a picture online and crimp or terminate a cable.

to actually do it properly and not cause further un-obvious issues down the line, no. they need practice, experience and real quality tools.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Resnick

242 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 58

Lifetime subscriber

#2009178 7-May-2018 12:57

With regards to patch panels, I installed a 12 port mini-panel a few years back and re did a couple of cable runs afterwards. I seriously wish that I had seen and installed a modular unit with keystone inserts for ease of re-wiring eg:

http://www.aquilatech.co.nz/productDetail.asp?idProduct=PP-MINI12-UK

I didn't have much slack to play with, and once those 12 port units are fully loaded they can be a bit of a pain to re-wire or move around for inspection.

UrbanMyth

122 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#2009572 7-May-2018 20:02

I would actually like to learn this if I can, for a couple of reasons

The house renovation is on a long-term plan and is not going to happen within the next year or 2. As I do each room, I would like to be able to add a new connection.

I also have the time and also some technical know-how. These include Comp-TIA A+ - was meant to do Net+ but there was not enough time to do more than just read the first chapter... however, I still have the book. I self teach myself to do things as I need to (various scripting code, command line linux etc) and also like to do hands on. Admittedly networking is not a strong point but I managed to get the home network up and running - Windows 10, Windows 8, and Linux with Samba filesharing. Have also been a part time tech for the last 15 years. So I can get myself in (and out of) trouble as needed.

I am not looking to rip out the phone lines and replace all with ethernet.

Right now, I am looking to set up something (probably patch panel) from a secondary phone line (the one the modem is currently connected to) and then run an ethernet wire from that to a face-plate in the lounge (essentially directly on the other side of the wall). That face-plate will then run an ethernet cable along the floor to a switch which will run the smart TV connection, possibly the home theatre receiver, as well as keep my HTPC connected to the network. Later when I renovate that room, the faceplate will be mounted closer to the TV.

When I renovate other rooms, I may route ethernet side by side with the existing phoneline - back to the main panel. This has still to be decided.

I have had a look at the main inwards telephone connection. I can see 4 wires in, and 4 wires out. There is also a termination test unit fitted and what looks like a yellow capacitor. The current modem connection RJ11 connection also has 4 wires in, with an ADSL filter on the outside.

I probably should have clarified this all in the OP - apologies but I was at that stage throwing the idea out there.

antoniosk

2382 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 742

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2009585 7-May-2018 20:32

So you want to reuse the phone lines already in the walls and connect up 4-wire ethernet?

________

Antoniosk

UrbanMyth

122 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#2010232 8-May-2018 19:12

Essentially, yes

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#2010249 8-May-2018 19:27

UrbanMyth:

Essentially, yes

If it's just 2pr phone cable it is likely to be the old cat3 rated homeline cable. It is not designed for Ethernet as it's not twisted pair, but can technically handle 10Mbps.

Running new cable is a basic requirement of what you want to do - you can't reuse the existing cable.

Samsung

Shop now on Samsung phones, tablets, TVs and more (affiliate link).

Spyware

3818 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1366

Lifetime subscriber

#2010306 8-May-2018 20:25

I had a 10 Mbps home network (Intel hubs) back in 2001, my DSL connection ran at 6 Mbps. Hardly future proofing but if that what the OP wants.

jonherries

1434 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 316

Trusted

Subscriber

#2010330 8-May-2018 21:09

irongarment: I like this one because it doesn't need a rack (the bracket screws to the wall and the panel clips to the bracket). Any panel will do. Get Cat6 because you're starting now. If you get one that screws to a rack then get a rack, or fabricate something to screw the holes at the end to.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/CHSDNX1114/Dynamix-PP-MINI12-C6B-Mini-12-Port-Patch-Panel-Cat

Regarding wiring. There should be a coloured sticker on the back of your sockets (in the room) and on the back of the panel. There are two colour codes, T568A and T568B. Pick one (and stick to it) and match the colours on the sticker to the colours of the wires at each end.

That is the patch panel I have which is grand. Dont forget to label the cables so you remember where each came from...

Jon

richms

29099 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10210

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2010332 8-May-2018 21:17

The old cat3 2pair stuff works suprisingly well for 100 megabit ethernet despite not being rated for it.

Richard rich.ms

1 | 2