Convert Cat5e phone line to data line

[alexglenn]

Hi, is it possible to convert a phone line (using cat5e) to a data line?

When my house was built back in 2001, it was wired with Cat5e. The builders put in phone jacks instead of data jacks, and taped the cables together in my attick. From what I saw, they only taped the blue and blue/white wires together, and threw everything else aside. Another ethernet cable is taped to the bunch, which is connected to a phone box on the side of the house. I want to be able to have a data jack in my office for my desktop, and my living room for NAS storage. I'm not entirely sure where to start this project. I've read several other online forums, but they weren't as similar. Help!?

 

[brandonwh64]

Just buy these and the face places and punch them down for type B and you should be good if the rest of the wiring is good

 

[jsfitz54]

See this link: http://www.lanshack.com/make-cat5E.aspx

 

[redeye]

since it looks like you have cat5 wiring, the really hard part is over. the next difficult part is putting connectors on to the end of the cable.
i would suggest using the platinum tools crimper (easy rj-45) and the connectors (EZ-RJ45® CAT 5/5e Connectors)

http://www.platinumtools.com/products/100003.php

the connectors have a patented feature that allow the Individual wires to pass though the crimp points so it is very easy to get the right wires lined up correctly.

the tools i have mention are expensive because they are professional... (50 connectors and the crimper over hundred dollars)... but the "no name " connectors are a real pain because you gave to align eight wires in the correct sequence of colors before you crimp the cable.

with these connectors you just pull the right wires through the holes, (because they go through the holes you can hold the wires while you insert the other ones) before crimping.

 

[remixedcat]

redeye, thanks for the post about the ends.

What's funny is this crimp tool that my vocay school had was extremely hard to crimp and required use of two hands and sometimes the aid of a desk. Well I got death grip of doom and I could do it with only one hand and the guys in the class were shocked and looked scared when I went to crimp cables becuase they needed both hands and sometimes the desk.

One day I was really mad and I kept breaking the ends. One of the guys has a look like he's cowering in fear!!! The teacher grabs the tool from my hands and continues to finish the rest of the batch of cables I was making (had the ends to 100 cables done, got 60 some done but kept breaking the ends after a while as I got more and more mad) and then another guy shivers!!!

(I'll bet they were scared to see what could happen to thier man parts if I pissed them off!)

 

[brandonwh64]

redeye, thanks for the post about the ends.

What's funny is this crimp tool that my vocay school had was extremely hard to crimp and required use of two hands and sometimes the aid of a desk. Well I got death grip of doom and I could do it with only one hand and the guys in the class were shocked and looked scared when I went to crimp cables becuase they needed both hands and sometimes the desk.

One day I was really mad and I kept breaking the ends. One of the guys has a look like he's cowering in fear!!! The teacher grabs the tool from my hands and continues to finish the rest of the batch of cables I was making (had the ends to 100 cables done, got 60 some done but kept breaking the ends after a while as I got more and more mad) and then another guy shivers!!!

(I'll bet they were scared to see what could happen to thier man parts if I pissed them off!)

We have the ratchet style crimps at work that only need slight pressure to get the job done. We also have those ends redeye posted for Cat5/6 cables and the crimps cut the excess cables off when crimped.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

You can use these (tool-free):
http://deepsurplus.com/HOME/Ethernet-CAT5e-RJ45-Keystone-Connectors-Toolless

Or get a crimper and use these:
http://deepsurplus.com/Network-Structured-Wiring/Ethernet-Category-5e-CAT-5e-RJ45-Plugs-Boots

In your case, I'd do the former. It is so much easier and no purchase of networking tools required. Just remove the sleeve a ways, separate the 8 cables out, shove them on the color-coded pegs, and slam the lid shut. If you intend to do more than two, it may be worth buying the 110 punchdown tool and buying the appropriate connectors. The process is pretty much the same but instead of doing all 8 at once, you do one at a time.

Some important things to know:
shielded = there's a layer of foil just inside the PVC sleeve. It's very doubtful the cable you are working with is shielded so ignore the shielded type connectors/plugs
solid = inside the 8 little wires, there's one solid hunk of metal
stranded = inside the 8 little wires, there's dozens of little copper wires (if you can fan the copper wire out, it's stranded)

Boots are obviously optional.

If you know someone that works with networking cable, you might be able to use a plug (buying a bag of 100 is silly in your case) and borrow their crimper to do it. If you ask real nice, they might even do it for you.


FYI: Blue+White/Blue is always used for phone lines because it has the most twists per foot and thus, has the best electrical characteristics of the four pairs in CAT5/6 cable. CAT5/6 obviously should have all 8 connected.