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Home Network Wiring Question

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Keyboy

Technical User
Aug 22, 2003
193
US
Greetings,

I moved into a new home that was prewired for Cable TV, Cat5 and phone. In the computer room, I am using the CAT5 connection for the Computer connection. I have the correct female jack to fit into the wall plate. It is a 110 Type Keystone Jack by DirectConnect. I also have the correct RJ-45 plug to use in the distribution panel. Now my question is what is the correct assignment of wire colors to the various pins on both ends. I have searched the net and find straight through, cross over and a few others. So I am confused as to how to make up the proper cable. I can tell you that our current wiring is set up in such a way that I can plug a phone plug into the cat5 jack on the wall and it works. So that is what I am trying to do.

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
If the house was prewired I assume that both ends of the network wiring were terminated with jacks. If so you don't need to worry about wire colors but instead need to put a patch cable between the modem or router in the wiring closet and the correct jack on the patch panel to the computer room. In the computer room you will need a patch cord between the wall plate and the computer. Hopefully the patch panel and the wall plate are marked in some way to facilitate connecting the correct ones.

If the house wiring was not terminated with jacks by the installer then either stick with 568A or 568B on both ends for the cable. If the installer only terminated one end then you should follow the same scheme. If one end is 568A and the other 568B then it will be a crossover. Most modern switches will auto correct for this type of miswire.

If you need m ore help please respond with the make and model of the network patch panel in the wiring closet/distribution panel.

 
I agree with WIRES, you must stick with one.
568B
pin 1 - white/orange
pin 2 - orange
pin 3 - white/green
pin 4 - blue
pin 5 - white/blue
pin 6 - green
pin 7 - white/brown
pin 8 - brown

Regards
Peter Buitenhek
ProfitDeveloper.com

"Never settle for a job well done...always look for cost cutting measures
 
actually isn't BICSI recommending 568A for structured cabling ?

cat5_color.gif
 
 http://www.zytrax.com/images/cat5_color.gif
They also recommend Cat 5e as a MINIMUM for all structured wire and you pick the blocks to terminate them on. Yet I still hear people use Cat-3 for voice and whine if someone recommends 110 blocks. :)

I guess it's so the sparkies can cut a voice cable and know the second pair is orange....
 
Greetings,

Looks like I didn't give enough information or it was confusing. The house was pre-wired. In the computer room, I have one Cat5 female which is being used for the computer. It is using a premade cable and works fine. The same wall plate has a jack for a phone. I want to hook this jack up so I can plug in a phone. There is a second cable from the distribution panel to the computer room, however, neither end is connected. I have the correct male plug from the distribution panel and the phone jack exists in the wall plate. Based on wires' comments, I should set up both ends of the phone cable as 568A or 568B with no crossover. Is this correct?

I apologize for the confusion, but this is my first try to hook up things using 568 plugs and jacks.

Thanks again for your help!
 
Actually I believe BICSI recommends 568B, atleast that is what it is for the commercial side. Would think it would be the same for the residential, but could be mistaken.

------------------------------------
Dallas, Texas
Telecommunications Tech
CCVP, CCNA, Net+

CCNP in the works
 
Since the telephone jack is, essentially a "new install", simply pick 1 wiring scheme and use it throughout. I use 568B for what little wiring work I do.

If it ain't broke, I haven't fixed it yet.
 
I would look at the phone jack to see if it is a data jack or a voice grade jack. (RJ45 or RJ11/12)

Then check and see how one of your existing phone jacks area wired and just follow suit.

You may have a seperate area in your distribution box for the phone cables to terminate,again see how an existing one is done and just follow suit.

Good Luck

Has been in the cabling business for about twenty years and is now the Sr PM for a cabling company located in the Los Angeles area.
Also a General Class Amatuer Radio Operator.
 
The T-568A specification reverses the orange and green connections, so that the blue and orange pairs are on the center 4 pins, which makes it more compatible with the telco voice connections.
T-568A is supposed to be the standard for new installations, and T-568B is the alternative. However, most off-the-shelf data equipment and cables seem to be wired to T568B.
 
This is only for a phone, all you need is the blue pair on the jack connected on both ends, regardless of what type of jack or wiring pin out elsewhere. you can use what ever color wire pair you want between the jacks as long as they correspond both ends. You do not need to connect up the rest of the wires if you dont want to.
 
Thanks for all the info! I completed the installation without a single problem. It is better to plan ahead and ask first than figure out how to fix it when the wire has been cut...

My thanks to you all!!!!!
 
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