Question Help with what hardware I need

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ps2cho

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Oct 19, 2008
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Hi all-

I have a house that is pre-wired CAT5e (for phone) that I want to begin utilizing. I’m a little lost on what I need to buy. Right now all the wires end in a panel box on the wall and all the cat5e are used for phone jacks.

If I understand the basics I “think” I need a patch panel is this right? If so can someone point me to what I need?

I count (8) total cat5e cables (although I can only find 6 phone outlets around the house so no idea where the other 2 go to…

Thanks!
 
ps2cho said:
Hi all-

I have a house that is pre-wired CAT5e (for phone) that I want to begin utilizing. I’m a little lost on what I need to buy. Right now all the wires end in a panel box on the wall and all the cat5e are used for phone jacks.

If I understand the basics I “think” I need a patch panel is this right? If so can someone point me to what I need?

I count (8) total cat5e cables (although I can only find 6 phone outlets around the house so no idea where the other 2 go to…

Thanks!
Click to expand...
You have cable that can be used for ethernet, but the ends are wrong. You will have to buy new keystone jacks for the rooms and properly terminate the cable to the keystone jack. At the common end, you have to do the same. The patch panel is what holds the keystone jacks. You then need an ethernet switch to connect to the patch panel. That switch needs a single ethernet cable from your router. IF your router is not co-located with the patch panel, then you either use one of the cat5e cables to bring the router link in, or you have to relocate your router.
Since you will be dealing with in-wall cabling, I recommend you purchase a simple ethernet tester like this -- https://www.amazon.com/Klein-VDV526-052-Scout-Junior-Tester/dp/B004CI9NRM
 
Thanks - I have a super old ethernet tester that I think isnt as fancy as that, but tells me red/green if the pairs are correct on both ends.

I've looked ALL over the house and cannot find where (4) of the CAT5e cables go to....is there an easy way to figure out where they go, or is it really going into the attic and digging around?

Do I need shielded or unshielded patch panel?
 
ps2cho said:
Thanks - I have a super old ethernet tester that I think isnt as fancy as that, but tells me red/green if the pairs are correct on both ends.

I've looked ALL over the house and cannot find where (4) of the CAT5e cables go to....is there an easy way to figure out where they go, or is it really going into the attic and digging around?

Do I need shielded or unshielded patch panel?
Click to expand...
One or two could go to the outside for connectivity to the phone provider.
There is no simple answer to tracing cables.
Unshielded keystones or patch panel.
 
Something like this both puts a tone on the wire as well as tests the ethernet cable pairs.

You get what you pay for. These type of device put out only a very low power signal. It is fine when you can see the ends of the wires and just want to figure out which is which. You have to be with a inch or two of the wire with the probe to hear it.

They do make stronger ones used to find electrical cables in the walls but they tend to get expensive and the one I played with didn't work all that well. You could detect it through the drywall but you still needed to be somewhat close, you needed to have some general idea what wall it was in.

I suspect you are going to have to climb around in the attic. The cheap toner I guess would let tell which wire in the attic was which if you can touch the side of the cable.
 
That will work but the switch you linked is only 100mbps. Gigabit switches are not a lot more expensive.

You need to check all your wall jacks and ensure they follow the same color pattern you are going to use on your patch panel side.
 
Thanks I missed that - I didnt even think anybody made 10/100 anymore...I found a Gigabit switch now with TP-Link that should work well. I also need to order new keystones for all the house wall plates as I assume they are not for ethernet.
 
The Cat5e is a ethernet cable used to transmit data for a variety of thing phones, cameras internet exe. The "e" on the end is letting you know that cable is capable of transfer speeds of 10/100/1000 megabits per second. Ultimately I think you need to figure out your intended use for these cables will be. Are you going to be hooking up phones with them. Connecting computers to the internet. Do you have a really big house and need more WiFi coverage. Are the cables hanging from the ceiling for camera mounting.

If your at the panel and the wires have RJ45 connectors on them (plastic ends) then its likely you just need a switch. If not and they have 8 wires coming out of them, then a "patch panel" will be convenient to hook up all those cables to RJ45 ports. As far as the POE (power over ethernet) go. Its a easy way to power all those cables from one location (the panel). This way if you hook up things like cameras or phones to them, you won't need to run power to each unit.

Now moving to the other ends of those wires that are likely spread out all over the house. Do they have a male or female end. If its a wire coming out of the wall its likely male. You will need to figure out if that amount will suffice or you will need a connector to extend the cable. If it looks like a phone jack or wall outlet then its likely female. You can just get more Cat5e cable with connectors on them to run the cable wherever you like.

Hope this helps.
 
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