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Questions tagged [ethernet]

Ethernet (Cat 5, 6, etc) consists of multiple pairs of twisted low voltage wires that can be used to carry computer data or telephone signals. Questions should limit themselves to running and maintaining the wires only. General questions about networking should be directed to http://superuser.com

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22 votes
3 answers
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Repurpose telephone line to ethernet

I have a (UK) telephone socket in the same corner of each of the three floors in my house. My broadband router is connected to the socket on the bottom floor. The wiring looks like the following: ...
gozzilli's user avatar
  • 323
21 votes
3 answers
73k views

How do I feed an ethernet cable through a doorway without damaging the door or wall?

My wife and I recently moved into a new apartment. We've had it for just a few days. When our internet company came to hook up our landline, I had them hook it into one of our bedrooms and set up ...
Zibbobz's user avatar
  • 315
20 votes
14 answers
66k views

Best way to stick a very long Ethernet cable semi-permanently to walls?

TL;DR: I am looking for good ways to stick flat Ethernet cable semi-permanently to ceilings/walls ideally suited to someone with no DIY expertise whatsoever After successfully untwisting the very ...
Lieu Zheng Hong's user avatar
17 votes
5 answers
10k views

Should I dig a separate trench for CAT5e wire to shed?

I am renovating a shed which is going to require doing at least a 100' trench for power from the house. I also want internet via a hard wire out to a a WAP in the shed. My question: To avoid EM ...
David Atkins's user avatar
16 votes
6 answers
6k views

Confused about Ethernet wiring in new home

I’m moving into a new house that looks to have Ethernet wired through it though it looks like it was being used for telephone? I’m wondering if it will be usable for Internet and if so what changes I ...
Mark's user avatar
  • 177
15 votes
8 answers
7k views

Can I run 300 ft of cat6 cable, with male connectors on each end, under house to other side?

I have HughesNet service coming in through the house's garage side. Is there any reason I can't connect a 300 ft patch cable (C2G 300ft Cat6 Ethernet Cable - Solid Shielded (STP) - Blue) to the router ...
Gary Staley's user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
40k views

House already wired for ethernet; how to engage?

A previous owner of my home (I don't know when) wired every room in the house with an ethernet port. I have not been using the ethernet at all, but recent needs for working at home have made me ...
gregmacfarlane's user avatar
14 votes
9 answers
11k views

What is a proper way to support/suspend cat6 cable in a drop ceiling?

I am trying to run some cat6 cable in the drop ceiling of my basement. I want to run 3x CAT6-CMP cables that from what i understand should not rest on ceiling tiles. From what i have read, the ...
skimon's user avatar
  • 237
14 votes
5 answers
3k views

How can I use existing satellite coaxial cable to carry my internet connection?

I recently moved to another internet provider who provides FTTH (Fibre To The Home). Now my powerline adapters are incapable of taking full advantage of the increased speeds. I'm currently using Wifi ...
LondonGuy's user avatar
  • 313
14 votes
7 answers
18k views

Can I run CAT6 FTP cables parallel to electrical cable in the same conduit?

Can I run CAT6 FTP cables beside to electrical cable (220v 1 amp) in same PVC Trunking ?
Hamza's user avatar
  • 157
13 votes
8 answers
48k views

How do I use existing cat5e wiring to distribute internet in my house?

Description My current setup is I have a single router/modem combo in my living room connected through DSL. Internet is distributed through the house via WiFi. The upstairs rooms have all been run ...
Nate4436271's user avatar
12 votes
6 answers
7k views

Can an ethernet cable look OK to a cheap cable tester but still have a problem?

My home office is at the end of a 15-20m ethernet cable that a friend ran 15 years ago, and it recently stopped working. I tested it with a cheap continuity tester, hoping to discover a fault near one ...
Robin Bennett's user avatar
11 votes
6 answers
8k views

Wiring Ethernet through Telephone Cable

I have been researching this for some time now and feel that I am almost ready to begin. I have run into a slight problem though that I can't seem to find any answers for. The telephone cables in my ...
zack's user avatar
  • 111
11 votes
13 answers
4k views

Ethernet bus topology for home automation?

Typically, Ethernet uses a star topology. Which means that if you were to use a protocol based on TCP/IP —like MQTT— for wired devices, you would end up with a (number of) central node(s) and one ...
Naoise Golden's user avatar
11 votes
8 answers
4k views

Ethernet + wifi to make one network

I have a brick house that was previously wired with ethernet cables. For wifi, are these any use? I want a single wifi network for the whole house. It seems I can get it with a network of mesh ...
William Cullerne Bown's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
2k views

Can I re-terminate this ISDN connector to an RJ45 connector?

I live in an older house that has some in-wall cabling the previous residents installed. The plate here says ISDN, as you can see, but the ports are RJ-45 and ethernet "works" over it, ...
Iceape's user avatar
  • 297
11 votes
3 answers
82k views

Are CAT 5 sockets compatible with CAT 7 cable?

I am planning to add Ethernet wiring to my house (semi-detached three-storey town house). I will be using this network to connect several (4-6) computers together in a typical (geek) home setting. I ...
Lightsider's user avatar
10 votes
5 answers
82k views

How close can CAT6 run to electrical?

I've run CAT6 throughout my house, mostly in the basement where the TV area and office are. I have a cable that goes upstairs to my bedroom along the chimney from the basement to feed a wireless ...
Scott L.'s user avatar
  • 103
10 votes
5 answers
102k views

How many CAT6 cables can fit in 3/4 conduit?

I was planning to get 3/4" conduit (Carlon ENT/Smurftube) to run network cables through the house. Just how many CAT6 cables can safely fit into 3/4" conduit?
Slav's user avatar
  • 483
9 votes
4 answers
5k views

Find which ends of cat5e cables belong together

I recently moved into a new house and there are cat5e sockets in each room which go through the ceiling into a media room. In some places in the rooms there are cat5e cables which do not have a ...
Volwiz's user avatar
  • 199
9 votes
3 answers
5k views

I just moved to a new place and was wondering if this meant it had Ethernet jacks?

I don’t know much about cabling and need some help identifying what this is. There this port that has a phone and a computer icon near where the fibre/coax entries are. And in one of my room there’s ...
Bog8992's user avatar
  • 91
8 votes
4 answers
8k views

Conduit to run ethernet and coax from basement to attic

My basement has a couple Ethernet and coax cables (thin black and white cables) running from the basement to the attic. The opening also has a gas line, white PVC drain line from the attic HVAC, HVAC ...
Ryan's user avatar
  • 557
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

My PoE adapter has a separate grounding wire - how do I wire it?

I am trying to add a power-over-ethernet adapter to my set-up. It has a small ground wire (yellow-green sleeve) with a small metal circle at its end going out of it which I assume I should connect ...
Dwarf Vader's user avatar
8 votes
6 answers
17k views

Techniques for putting ends on RJ45 connectors easier?

I've been doing a bunch of cat 5 running lately. I've been putting RJ45 ends on everything I run. I'm finding it is still not that easy for me to get the little wires into the connectors. Do any ...
lightbord's user avatar
  • 181
6 votes
6 answers
3k views

Ethernet connection between rooms doesn't work: LEDs 2, 3 and 4 don't blink on cable tester

My house is wired for ethernet, with the network closet on the 3rd floor (NC). The ethernet in all the rooms work, except for the connection in my office on the 1st floor. If I plug a laptop into it,...
red.october's user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
4k views

Is cat7 cable appropriate for an office network?

I am looking to update my network, and would like to run 2 lengths of Cat 7 wire from my first floor office to where my patch panel is. (Planning to put a NAS down there, and run 10Gb to/from.) The ...
JTP - Apologise to Monica's user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
9k views

CAT5e in new home doesn’t work

We just moved into our new house and found out that there are cat5e ports all over the house. I plugged in our router to the port and my pc into another but it doesn’t work. I found them all in a room ...
Devin Schutz's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
2k views

Electric power and wired ethernet to desk in basement not against wall

What's my best option for running electric and ethernet to my desk in the basement without having the desk against a wall? My ceiling is a bit low (79") so I don't want to do anything that ...
Donald Hosek's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
27k views

Cat 5/6 in same conduit as power: is NM-B required, or is THHN acceptable?

Preface: I'd like to avoid the question of whether one should run data and power together; my question is focused on Code compliance. I'm trying to ensure I interpret Code correctly when running Cat ...
the_meter413's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Use CAT5E for network instead of phone

I've got cat5e cables and jacks in walls. What should I do to use those for ethernet? Attached is a picture of my cables in my basement. (sorry, the wiring is messy - some company is not doing it ...
sofname's user avatar
  • 285
6 votes
3 answers
31k views

Is there a way to fish a cable (network) using an existing one as a guide?

Are there any devices that allow you to basically clip a wire to an existing wire in a wall and use it as a guide? I had my house wired for networking, but that was before I upgraded to gigabit ...
Evan R.'s user avatar
  • 161
5 votes
5 answers
4k views

Should I have cat6 and wireless installed in my house to be built?

We are having a house built and one thing we can add (for $200) to our home network along with 4 hardwired cat6 ethernet connections ($800) is Enhanced Wireless/Switch - Includes network switch ...
Forklift's user avatar
  • 235
5 votes
3 answers
726 views

Rj45 continuity results

I bought a rj45 tester to test the continuity on 2 different rj45 ports at my house. Every other ports are working correctly but those 2 are not. Look at the result: Normally the possible results are ...
strat's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
2 answers
3k views

Can PoE cause interference with neighboring non-PoE Ethernet cables?

I plan on upgrading my home Wireless Access Point in the near future and rather than running an extension cord to the location I was thinking about getting a WAP that supports Power Over Ethernet. My ...
user45041's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
36k views

Removing a keystone jack from the wall plate

I am about to install some ethernet cord with jacks I know I will upgrade in the future. However, I'd like not to waste the jacks that will be replaced. How will I be able to remove them from the wall ...
kelario's user avatar
  • 153
5 votes
2 answers
166 views

Can I run CAT6A and 12/3 AC90 armoured power cable inside the same watertight PVC conduit for about 5m/16Ft?

The main question I have is two-fold: Is it legal according to the Canadian electrical code and How will it affect performance? My setup: I have my "server room" underneath the stairs, but ...
LappiesJA's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

What's a clean and code-compliant way to terminate Cat6 cables at a wall, where a rack mount patch panel will be in front of it?

This is new construction for a home, and I'm installing about 65 Cat 6e home runs from various points in the house to a location on the wall where a freestanding floor rack will go at the time of ...
Nick's user avatar
  • 1,562
5 votes
2 answers
24k views

Getting Ethernet Cable Through Exterior Wall

I am looking to run Ethernet cable outside my house. I have already found this question on running Ethernet cable outdoors, but it does not cover the best way to get the cable there. Ideally, I would ...
DreamConspiracy's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
632 views

Ethernet Cable Through Floor

I'm trying to add an ethernet drop to an entertainment center. The coax cable drop was drilled through the floor (picture), since the room below is an unfinished basement with easy ceiling access. Is ...
lwr's user avatar
  • 153
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can fiber-optic data cable be run overhead to a garage?

I want to run internet from my main house to garage located few meters away. I plan to use fiber instead of cat5 to avoid reported problems of blowing out network switches. I could have made a trench ...
22332112's user avatar
  • 153
5 votes
2 answers
7k views

How to seal hole from bundle of ethernet cables running through wall/floor?

I'm setting up a home ethernet network in a spare bedroom. I envision running up to two dozen ethernet cables out of a patch panel in this room to the rest of the house. I'll likely bundle these ...
Stinkpot's user avatar
4 votes
6 answers
2k views

What are these outlets, and can they be used to connect Ethernet-like cable?

I have a room (room A) with a wifi router setup, where there is an unused outlets with two vertical plug-in slots near it. My office (far from room A) has something similar (with 1 plug-in slot). I ...
KubiK888's user avatar
  • 282
4 votes
5 answers
5k views

Is an ethernet cable threaded inside a metal conduit is more protected from electromagnetic interference? [closed]

I am at the end of a renovation, and only now  I discovered that it is not recommended to run ethernet cable in parallel and closely to power cables, even if they are in separate conduits, but I may ...
Ran Shalom's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

How do I update daisy-chained RJ11 to standard punch-down style keystone jack?

So I have a wallplate with just an RJ11 port on it. I have wired an ethernet connection and now want to swap the wall plate out for a 2 port keystone wall plate and leave the RJ11 connection ...
Cfomodz's user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
2 answers
3k views

Is my plan for wiring ethernet reasonable?

I would first of all like to start off by saying that I am a software developer by profession, so my networking knowledge is relatively basic. My question is therefore aimed at figuring out if I am ...
network's user avatar
  • 41
4 votes
4 answers
1k views

I want to run ethernet through the second floor (down into the first). How do I fish in the dark and insulated joist space?

I'm fishing through exterior walls, between floors. I've already ran ethernet from the attic down into the second floor (top right picture) but I can't figure out how to fish it through the space ...
Minh Tran's user avatar
  • 221
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Connect Network Expansion Board/Patch Panel to Router

I am somewhat unfamiliar with home networking but trying to set up my home's ethernet pre-wiring which originates from a control panel box in my garage. The control panel has a Leviton 1x6 Telephone/...
Declan's user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

How should I connect my cat5 cable to connectors having an orange-green line?

I have some cat5 cables in my attic in need to splice . they have been up there for 10 to 15years so no sure if cat5e or cat5. I'm looking at a tool-less connector on amazon, but the color coding ...
Hell.Bent's user avatar
  • 239
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

Does anyone know if this is a Ethernet jack or a phone line?

I just moved in and I was wondering with this is? It has 6 pins but I have no idea what it is.
John moore's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
4k views

Use 10 inch network patch panel with 19 inch switch

I have 10 network outlets throughout the house that terminate in the basement. I got a 16-port switch for them to plug into, going via a 12-port patch panel. I can't figure out how I'm supposed to ...
Tim Robinson's user avatar

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