Running ethernet over phone lines
Discussion
I live in a modern flat, but annoyingly not modern enough to have ethernet cables installed. I'd like to have an ethernet cable running to my main PC as a minimum.
There are 3 phone sockets:
-One in the utility room where the fibre enters the building
-One in the main bedroom
-One in the living room which appears to be some kind of half way house.
A bit of reading suggests this is possible. I have no need for the phone line itself to work.
Here is a couple of pictures:
Utility room socket (other side of wall the living room, and below the actual phone entry)
Socket in the bedroom:
Socket in the living room:
Rest of the setup in the utility room if it is in any way relevant:
At a guess the utility room socket runs to the living room (other side of the wall), then the living room bounces back over the flat to the bedroom?
So the following questions come up:
1. How do I get internet in the living room and bedroom? (I might settle for just bedroom).
2. Any indication of what cable that is / what speed I'd get?
I imagine the easy solution is to disconnect the living room socket, then join the cables behind and put RJ45 connectors on the master socket / bedroom? Is it as simple as that?
There are 3 phone sockets:
-One in the utility room where the fibre enters the building
-One in the main bedroom
-One in the living room which appears to be some kind of half way house.
A bit of reading suggests this is possible. I have no need for the phone line itself to work.
Here is a couple of pictures:
Utility room socket (other side of wall the living room, and below the actual phone entry)
Socket in the bedroom:
Socket in the living room:
Rest of the setup in the utility room if it is in any way relevant:
At a guess the utility room socket runs to the living room (other side of the wall), then the living room bounces back over the flat to the bedroom?
So the following questions come up:
1. How do I get internet in the living room and bedroom? (I might settle for just bedroom).
2. Any indication of what cable that is / what speed I'd get?
I imagine the easy solution is to disconnect the living room socket, then join the cables behind and put RJ45 connectors on the master socket / bedroom? Is it as simple as that?
Edited by Calza on Monday 16th August 11:09
Looks like Cat5 or 5e cable - will be fine for 100MB+
Your problem is the living room - if you just join the cables you need to do so with a proper cat5 junction box
and lose the socket.
Bringing each out to a RJ45 socket would allow you to put a small switch in the lounge feeding the bedroom + smart TV etc
Maybe a power line adapter may be easier if you just want a single feed in the bedroom.
Your problem is the living room - if you just join the cables you need to do so with a proper cat5 junction box
and lose the socket.
Bringing each out to a RJ45 socket would allow you to put a small switch in the lounge feeding the bedroom + smart TV etc
Maybe a power line adapter may be easier if you just want a single feed in the bedroom.
None of those are Master Sockets....
They are wired with CAT5 so yes, it is possible to put RJ45 connectors on the end. The question is how are they wired? I suspect they are in a 'star' configuration, ie all the sockets are wired back to one master socket so it might be hard to link two rooms togeher. You will need to investigate a little further.
They are wired with CAT5 so yes, it is possible to put RJ45 connectors on the end. The question is how are they wired? I suspect they are in a 'star' configuration, ie all the sockets are wired back to one master socket so it might be hard to link two rooms togeher. You will need to investigate a little further.
CharlesElliott said:
The question is how are they wired? I suspect they are in a 'star' configuration, ie all the sockets are wired back to one master socket so it might be hard to link two rooms togeher. You will need to investigate a little further.
Presuming it is a star, a switch to put in the middle is under £20.LordLoveLength said:
Looks like Cat5 or 5e cable - will be fine for 100MB+
Your problem is the living room - if you just join the cables you need to do so with a proper cat5 junction box
and lose the socket.
Bringing each out to a RJ45 socket would allow you to put a small switch in the lounge feeding the bedroom + smart TV etc
Maybe a power line adapter may be easier if you just want a single feed in the bedroom.
I'm currently on 150Mb with BT and moving to Hyperoptic soon for the same or faster, so would definitely want to be hitting the speed on offer.Your problem is the living room - if you just join the cables you need to do so with a proper cat5 junction box
and lose the socket.
Bringing each out to a RJ45 socket would allow you to put a small switch in the lounge feeding the bedroom + smart TV etc
Maybe a power line adapter may be easier if you just want a single feed in the bedroom.
I could handle a small switch in the living room (if that is the middle), as it's hidden by the TV unit.
I actually have a pair of powerline adaptors now, but I've never found the product in general that reliable. They drop every couple of weeks and it's an arse to get them back together again (I've never had a really stable set). Plus it seems like it might be an easyish solution to have a cable instead?
xeny said:
It looks like you've got 4 pairs there? If so and you're careful with termination, I think you've got a good chance of getting gigabit.
Promising thanks, I'd definitely like to be getting that kind of speed. Not that I understand wiring at all.CharlesElliott said:
None of those are Master Sockets....
They are wired with CAT5 so yes, it is possible to put RJ45 connectors on the end. The question is how are they wired? I suspect they are in a 'star' configuration, ie all the sockets are wired back to one master socket so it might be hard to link two rooms togeher. You will need to investigate a little further.
Apologies - just a term I was using, probably not right. Any ideas how I'd figure that out? My guess was they were in series:They are wired with CAT5 so yes, it is possible to put RJ45 connectors on the end. The question is how are they wired? I suspect they are in a 'star' configuration, ie all the sockets are wired back to one master socket so it might be hard to link two rooms togeher. You will need to investigate a little further.
Socket > Living room > Bedroom?
I can't see anywhere that they would all feed in to.
Tye Green said:
can you not receive wifi around the flat?
Absolutely, I just plain don't like it though. I prefer a stable powered connection. I will admit that i enjoy a bit of tinkering as well.xeny said:
Presuming it is a star, a switch to put in the middle is under £20.
I think it goes Utility room > Living room > Living Room > Bedroom (don't know if that is star or series)Edited by Calza on Monday 16th August 11:12
As you don't have room in the lounge face plate for two ethernet modules (RJ45) I would cut in a new single plasterboard back box above the existing. Terminate the two CAT5 cables in two modules. You can then use an ethernet switch if you want or, just jump them across with a patch lead.
If you use a switch you can then hard wire your TV/Sky/etc
You'll need a punch down tool and best get a cheap RJ45 tester to confirm all is ok. About £10 each.
If you use a switch you can then hard wire your TV/Sky/etc
You'll need a punch down tool and best get a cheap RJ45 tester to confirm all is ok. About £10 each.
Edited by megaphone on Monday 16th August 11:20
Edited by megaphone on Monday 16th August 11:23
Edited by megaphone on Monday 16th August 11:27
Calza said:
megaphone said:
What router do you have? That could be relocated to behind TV and act as a switch.
Standard BT router. The fibre in is in the utility room though.My give you better WiFi as well if router is in the lounge.
megaphone said:
OK then you can do what I suggested above. Then patch the ethernet cable from the BT fibre modem, the red one, into an RJ45 module in the utility, then move the router behind the TV. BT router has 4 yellow ethernet switch outs, patch one to the bedroom and the rest for TV etc.
My give you better WiFi as well if router is in the lounge.
Okay that makes sense yes, all easily done and saves a few quid.My give you better WiFi as well if router is in the lounge.
The question is really on if the cable is Cat5 or Cat5e though, as it's not worth it for 100Mb. I've checked all the cables and can't find an indicator on any of them as to what category they are.
Hyperoptic will run a completely new cable to your flat. They don't use the old BT line.
When I had Hyperoptic fitted they were a little inflexible about where they would install their unit. They wanted to run it to the nearest place in my flat with power, not where my existing equipment was (granted that would have been more difficult.
I did have to insist that they didn't run their cable around the ceiling. That would have looked awful.
I think that they expect everyone to use wireless. Their wireless is very good so that's not an issue for me.
I'm very happy with Hyperopic - only one failure in quite a few years.
When I had Hyperoptic fitted they were a little inflexible about where they would install their unit. They wanted to run it to the nearest place in my flat with power, not where my existing equipment was (granted that would have been more difficult.
I did have to insist that they didn't run their cable around the ceiling. That would have looked awful.
I think that they expect everyone to use wireless. Their wireless is very good so that's not an issue for me.
I'm very happy with Hyperopic - only one failure in quite a few years.
- - Above based on experience of only one installation ymmv
One thing to consider, has there ever been an analogue BT phone line into the flat? Is there a BT master socket anywhere? From the pics you have posted I cannot see where there is a BT line. I would expect to see two cables in the back of the Utility room socket.
BT feed in, then a feed off to the lounge. Of course if it has always been a fibre service, they may not have run in a BT cable.
BT feed in, then a feed off to the lounge. Of course if it has always been a fibre service, they may not have run in a BT cable.
I'd look to get those 2 cables in the lounge into a new backbox and put a dual faceplate on. The a small gigabit switch on the wall with some short patch cables, giving you a port also in the lounge behind the telly.
At the other end I'd just put a single RJ45 faceplate.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Double-Port-CAT6-Outlet-P...
https://www.ebuyer.com/1127110-tp-link-tl-sf1005lp...
At the other end I'd just put a single RJ45 faceplate.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Double-Port-CAT6-Outlet-P...
https://www.ebuyer.com/1127110-tp-link-tl-sf1005lp...
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