Household wiring nightmares

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diablo2nd

84 posts

Master Geek

#214436 11-May-2017 16:13

Not sure if this is the appropriate forum :-S Feel free to point me out if I'm wrong.

I'm helping a friend sort out wiring in her house. It's a 5yo ex-show home, and it looks like a few corners have been cut.

There is a box in the garage, with the Fiber ONT, and ISP supplied modem, and 3 cables labeled HALL, TV, PHONE.

The house has network jacks in the following locations.

* bedroom 1

* bedroom 2

* hall

* tv

* kitchen

So far, we have identified that bedroom2 and kitchen are both wired to 'phone' in the garage. (2 wire RJ11)

The TV line previously worked as a data line but has since stopped. And the Hall line is working as a data line. Currently in use for an AP that is centrally located.

Does anyone have any ideas where the other lines could be hiding? Logically, there is a join of the two phone lines somewhere in the house, and it's starting to look like they might be in the walls.

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589 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1779731 11-May-2017 16:19

Photo would be helpful.

Phone lines possibly going to a pre-existing ETP / Demarc on the side of the house?

Image result for DEMARC chorus

Or piggy-backed off one another...or joined anywhere under the house...

diablo2nd

84 posts

Master Geek

#1779733 11-May-2017 16:27

I don't have a photo handy sorry. I'm not on site.

The jacks in the house used for Phone are joined _somewhere_ and all accessible on the single phone labeled cable in the garage.

There is no under the house, unfortunately.

raytaylor

4017 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1782138 14-May-2017 22:09

Usually in the attic

Ray Taylor

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raytaylor

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#1782139 14-May-2017 22:11

Or daisy chained - take the faceplates off the wall and have a look behind them.

Ray Taylor

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diablo2nd

84 posts

Master Geek

#1782379 15-May-2017 10:52

I've had two faceplates off and checked. No joining. Although wouldn't that be suspicious given they are data ports (RJ45) wired to a phone?

Not sure on the ceiling space. I'll have to check that one out.

raytaylor

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#1782745 15-May-2017 19:56

That surprises me...

Every week it seems like I encounter a kiwi electrician that is fresh off the boat back from australia who thinks daisy chains are still acceptable.

So its quite possible that the wires are joined in the attic.

I often encounter things like this...

The installer thankfully ran star wiring for most of the house, except two outlets are daisy chained. Everything else is star config back to this old telephone patch panel.

Its quite possible there is one of these or just some 3-way scotchloks in the attic.

edit: I should mention there is a perfectly good home hub in the garage of this particular house where this could have been positioned :-/

[Mod edit: MM] - resized image

Ray Taylor

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richms

28191 posts

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#1782746 15-May-2017 19:59

Is the house still under any form of warranty? Was it promised with proper data cabling? Is the builder still around or have they already wound it up and started a new company?

Richard rich.ms

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raytaylor

4017 posts

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#1782747 15-May-2017 20:03

diablo2nd:

Although wouldn't that be suspicious given they are data ports (RJ45) wired to a phone?

All new houses should be using standard RJ45 outlets for both data and voice.
BT outlets should not be used anymore.

An RJ11 telephone cable will insert into an RJ45 outlet, and the centre blue telephone pair pins will mate.

Ray Taylor

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richms

28191 posts

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#1782761 15-May-2017 20:19

raytaylor:

All new houses should be using standard RJ45 outlets for both data and voice.
BT outlets should not be used anymore.

An RJ11 telephone cable will insert into an RJ45 outlet, and the centre blue telephone pair pins will mate.

cue outlet ruining paranoia posts in 3,2,1...

Richard rich.ms

nickb800

2720 posts

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#1782769 15-May-2017 20:34

raytaylor:

I often encounter things like this...

[snip]

Dude! NSFW tag please

Edit: Omg just noticed the RJ45-RJ45 joiner in the back

hio77

12999 posts

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Lizard Networks

#1782772 15-May-2017 20:40

nickb800:

Edit: Omg just noticed the RJ45-RJ45 joiner in the back

in some situations a rj45 coupler is a totally viable option.

Considering how the cables are terminated though does beg a few questions

i guess thats why poor @raytaylor is involved!

#include <std_disclaimer>

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

antoniosk

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#1782815 15-May-2017 21:33

raytaylor:
That surprises me...

Every week it seems like I encounter a kiwi electrician that is fresh off the boat back from australia who thinks daisy chains are still acceptable.

So its quite possible that the wires are joined in the attic.

I often encounter things like this...

The installer thankfully ran star wiring for most of the house, except two outlets are daisy chained. Everything else is star config back to this old telephone patch panel.

Its quite possible there is one of these or just some 3-way scotchloks in the attic.

edit: I should mention there is a perfectly good home hub in the garage of this particular house where this could have been positioned :-/

[Mod edit: MM] - resized image

Just, wow.

________

Antoniosk

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1782857 15-May-2017 23:03

I'm taking a punt and assuming that black cable with the coupler is from Ray's external radio. Nothing wrong with using a coupler for the short runs involved in a house. And also, atleast it was star wired - just needs a bit of tidying up to that krone module.

OP - I hate to say it but quite often show homes might have had the wiring modded for demo purposes. And it's kind of one of those things that might just end up way worse when you start mucking around if you don't know what you're doing. for the sake of maybe $150-$200 to get a tech to sort it, it's not.worth the headaches you will go through.

Goosey

2834 posts

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Subscriber

#1782885 16-May-2017 05:54

Heres my 5 cents...

The 3 cables labeled HALL, TV, PHONE will be

1) HAll (as you found for the access point)

2) TV (for the socket behind the TV)

3) PHONE, Im assuming these are all tied together from jacks Bedroom1, 2 and Kitchen (as others have said its just using the 2 pairs required for phone and the RJ11's fit inside it). If your looking for how these are tied together, Im assuming they are either in the roofspace above this box or simply daisy chained.

So, from these sockets in the garage, Im assuming "Phone" then connects to the ISP router 'phone1' port (unless it needs to be directly connected to the ONT) and the TV and Hall sockets connect to Ethernet jacks 1 and 2 of the ISP router?

Where abouts are you? There are plenty of data cable "tradies" out there who can most likley fix very quickly.

diablo2nd

84 posts

Master Geek

#1782949 16-May-2017 09:18

Gah! My reply has gone missing!! Found it in another tab unposted:

Yeah i've almost thrown hands up in frustration at this stage. Initially, I offered to help sort out some speed issues with fiber internet and wound up trying to document the wiring for future purposes. The owner is not opposed to getting a tech out, but I suggested to her that if we could find the source of the issues before hand, could potentially save quite a bit of money on a tech doing the things we have already done.

---

The property is located near Manukau, east of the motorway. (I forget the suburb at present)

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