Stupid Cabling Question

Pardon my ignorance, but can I make cat 5 cables without using the 2 pairs on either side (brown, brown/white, orange, orange/white)? I'm told that simple home networks only use the four middle wires-- have I been misled?

 

You can use only 2 pair, but why? Ethernet actually uses pins 1,2,3 and 6 which are the orange and green pairs in a standard cable. If you are running 1000mB then all 4 pair are used.

 

Thank you. Looking to run telephone over the existing cat 5 cable, and it sounds like using pins 7 & 8 will work, no?

 

There is debate that running Telephone on the Cat-5 for networking can cause problems. If I was you, I would pull a Cat-3 along with the Cat-5, and that way the next person will not have problems.

 

agreed. doing it right the first time will cut down on problems youll have later.

 

Self made cat5e has a huge precentage of failur to begin with.

Self Made + Adding phone line to the same wire would deem it a sure Dud.

If it is short runs that it does make sense it make then on your own.

If you need a long runs use Keystine to terminate.

http://www.ezlan.net/CAT.html
.

 

The connectors aren't any more expensive, and you can by wire by the foot from home depot or lowes (and the connectors). The crimper will work on both, as long as it is rated for Cat5. It is not necessary, a good maginifying glass will work, but you can get cable testers pretty cheap too (around $15).

Have to agree with Cat5s post, don't mix the cables, but no reason to not make one from scratch. I've bought cables from eBay to provide wire for short cables (this before the local hardware stores started carrying them).

 

Thanks... Not going to pull new cable three vertical floors in the finished exterior wall for a phone that will not see much use.

 

Then get a cordless with extensions, that way you do not have to pull the wire. Only other would be to set up a Asterik server and IP phonesets.