Can cat5e be used for phone? 2

[Rosee]

I am new in this area and need help. We are building our home and have cat5e cable installed through entire house.

My questions are: when we move in, is it easy to hoke up a phone to cat5e? does it need special connecting? can I use our current phones (regular phones) on cat5e wiring? can I use any phone system from wal-mart supermarket onto cat5e wiring? do the connectors appear the same on the wall and the phone?

I have never dealed with cat5e for phones before. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Infinity306]

yeah cat 5e is fine for phones.. just plug the regular phone line into a rj45 jack and you should be good to go...

 

[phuzzy42]

CAT5 is great for phones and gives you lots of extra pairs to expand (like for a second line, an alarm system, etc.). CAT5 is terminated on RJ-45 jacks - these have 8 pins. Telephones usually have plugs with 4 or 6 pins and these work fine in RJ-45 jacks, so any phone will work.

If you're wiring the jacks yourself, you'll probably need a punchdown tool (depending on the jacks you buy). I recommend you wire according to "code" - in a home it doesn't really matter as long as every jack is wired exactly the same, but it's a lot easier to service if you follow the standards.

This is the standard called TIA/568-B

pin 1 - white with orange stripe
pin 2 - orange
pin 3 - white with green stripe
pin 4 - blue
pin 5 - white with blue stripe
pin 6 - green
pin 7 - white with brown stripe
pin 8 - brown

Your phone will only be using pins 4 and 5 (the blue wires) for a single line - a second phone line would be on the greens.

Coming into the house, the phone company's wires will be red, green, black, and yellow.

red --> white with blue stripe
green --> blue
black --> white with green stripe
yellow --> green

This way, if you get a second phone line later, you're already wired for it.

 

[skip555]

CAT5 is great for phones and gives you lots of extra pairs to expand

hmm... you do realize that not all cat5 is 4 pair and that you can have 4 pair in cat 3 (which is just fine for phones .)


wire them to the 568a standard (swap the orange and green pairs form the b ) and then you can use them for two line phones or for ethernet if you choose .

 

[franklin97355]

Sorry skip555 but all cat5 is 4pair, it's part of the specification of cat5.

The answer has always been 42

 

[daronwilson]

Sorry skip555 but all cat5 is 4pair, it's part of the specification of cat5

Belden made a media twist cable, 6 pair, category 5. I've got several rolls still. Also, I have 25 pair category 5 power sum cable. 25 pairs, category 5 rated.



Daron J. Wilson, RCDD
Solving 'Real World' problems

 

[skip555]

there is also 2 pair cat5 ( i didnt belive it but somebody here posted a link )

my point is I see a lot of posts assuming that all cat5 is 4 pair and that only cat5 is 4 pair .

 

[Rosee]

Thanks for all your help.

Now, I have more questions:
* do I need to tell the builder to install RJ-45 jacks?
* or should they know by themselfs to install RJ-45 jacks for cat5e cable?
* do we have to notify phone company about our cat5e wiring?
* will this wiring affect anything when phone company provinging service to us?

Thanks again

 

[skip555]

ask the builder what he normaly does

the norm would be to isntall a rj45 with cat 5e again ask the builder what he intends to do

phone company dosnt care what cat your inside wiring is

 

[hawks]

One thing I would make sure of is that all the cable is home run back to one location. Normally no matter what cable (cat 3, 5, 6 ect.) if the builder runs it they run it in series. So it really looks like one long cable run from room to room.

 

[franklin97355]

Skip, OK, OK, I give. I know there is cable out there from 2 to 25 pair called cat5 and it will support 100 (and maybe 1000) mb but as far as I could find the TIA568 says cat5 cable is 4 pair 100 ohm cable.

The answer has always been 42

 

[ISDNman]

Stay away from a "builder".

YOu may be able to find an "electrician" who can do the job right, but make sure s/he has actually done structured cabling systems before.

If in doubt find a cabling contractor to do the work, but again make sure s/he has actually done structured cabling systems before.

I just did some work in a house where the 66 block was wired ring tip ring tip ring tip (e.g. Blue/White, White/Blue, Orange/White, White/Orange etc etc.

I had not planned on repunching everything but I did.

 

[skip555]

I had a long time customer who is also a builder when he remolded his house he had his guys pull cat 5 cable and wanted me to terminate it .

guess what they pulled cat5 cable , but daisy chain , and on the segment accross the house from master bedroom to the home office they must have stapled it becouse I could only get two pairs .

 

[1864]

Skip, I hope you rubbed it in good when you told him he should of had you do the job...lol

 

[oldtimerbob]

They are using cat5e as cat3 is no longer advised to be used in residential installations, but it really doesn't matter what the cable is but how you terminated it at the station end. You can use RJ45 8 pin jacks keyed USOC and they will work fine for your phones.

 

[telnettech]

ISDN

Since when does electricians run telephone or data cable right? I have seen too many sites where the GC(general contractor) has the electrician pull the telephone/data cables and told the GC that the cable has too many cuts and nics, it is too close to other electrical wires, flourescent lights, and etc and etc, that i would be rich if someone paid me for the jobs that I disqualified. YOU NEVER LET AN ELECTRICIAN PULL YOUR TELEPHONE CABLE. They are not careful enough pulling it so that you dont have problems when you go and install your equipment and you have no signal and you have to troubleshoot cable problems. You then have to tell the customer that the cable is defective and needs replaced and then he has the same guys doing it again. You finally say F**k it and do it yourself and it works the 1st time. Always hire someone that has done structured cable and not someone that is an electrician

To error is human.....if the machine doesnt work, then KICK IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ISDNman]

I said you may be able to find an Electrician.

I will go so far as to say you *won't* find a "builder" who can do it.

Also, to specifically address your point, I said " but make sure s/he has actually done structured cabling systems before." so we are in total agreement

 

[Rosee]

Thank you all for your help. Another question here: we just noticed that the recessed light fixtures in the ceiling are all covered by the insulation. Would this be a safety issue since recessed lights will produce heat? Your helps will be gratefully appreciated.

 

[franklin97355]

Ask your builder/contractor as the answer will depend on the type of fixture and local codes. The building inspector will tell you when the job gets to that point but you should ask before that happens.

The answer has always been 42

 

[wires]

we just noticed that the recessed light fixtures in the ceiling are all covered by the insulation. Would this be a safety issue since recessed lights will produce heat?"

Some recessed light fixtures are rated for IC (insulation contact) and some are not. If you remove the trim ring information regarding at least the manufacturer, model, wattage and acceptable lamps should be visible. Many times information about IC and other safety issues will be there also. If not Google search should find the installation sheet for the fixture which will let you know about how they should be installed.

Many IC fixtures have a small temperature switch wired in series with the lamp as a safety measure.

I would not count on the builder/contractor or building inspector to catch such a problem. I have seen plenty of non-IC fixtures installed incorrectly, even in new houses.