Running telephone / data lines

[darcyh]

Hello:

Every time I start off with a simple idea, like running simple twisted pair phone wire to my unfinished second level, I make it more complicated!

Instead of telephone wire should I run data wire? I probably will not be finishing the upper level for a while but at least the wire will be in. If so, what wire do you recommend?

Thanks as always for your excellent ideas.

Dave

 

[Steevo]

Yes, future proof your cabling by using at least Cat5e twisted pair wiring.

 

[Ironhorse]

Yes, future proof your cabling by using at least Cat5e twisted pair wiring.

...correct!! The way to go..

 

[BFBOB]

No way to future-proof! Now, Cat 5 or Cat 6 is good. It'll carry phone, computer network, DSL, and alarms (Not sirens-too much current). But, copper is on its way out. The forseeable future is fiber optic. So far, it still requires special tools and techniques, but that will change.
The best future-proofing is making sure whatever you install can be replaced-added to. You've often seen Journalistos in this section advising individual conductors in conduit for power just because that makes it easy to add, revise, whatever. In this case, I advise running at least two cat 5's of different colors if practical, and running them through drive rings inside your walls, not staples. Make generous holes in top plates, etc, and you'll have a good chance of being able to use one of the cables to pull new - whatever - in - whenever - it becomes necessary.
You might consider running an RG-6 coax too - still useful for TV if you don't insist on HD. HDMI cables are still too spendy to install on the if-when.

Of course another possibility is the same as for power wiring. Run conduit. We often do this for 2 - 3 story houses, new construction. Just be sure to use firestopping top and bottom.

 

[darcyh]

Thanks for the info. Should each cat 5/6 cable run back to access point separately, or can I run one continuous cable splicing it at each connection box. I already think I know the answer but wanted to double check.

Thanks

Dave

 

[CNGsaves]

Another thing to do is put in 1 1/2" or 2" PVC conduit between floors (ie attic down to basement unfinished area) so that future wire pulling can be easily done. I've run homeruns from various locations in house down to centralized location in unfinished basement so that changes to connections are simple (ie manage splitter for CATV, etc ; punchdown block for hardwired telco runs, etc). I'll never allow COX to use their superlong drillbit and hang exterior RG6 cables on house!!

Also leave pull string/wires to critical locations where you might want future upgrades either Cat 6/7?/8? or fiber to your "master" technical room. If needed, may want conduits from these rooms down to centralized location in unfinished basement so wiring is accessible if basement ceilings are sheetrocked shut.

New technology is making old school wiring relevant again . . . I've got MagicJack phone (ie IP phone over internet) for $19.95 a YEAR and now all my telephone plugs are useful again after formerly being cellphone only.

Basically . . . plan ahead!! Good luck!

 

[Ray916MN]

Unless you have a very large or concrete building, you can typically use wireless to satisfy both your phone and data needs so internally wiring a building for voice or data is less critical. OTOH, if you want video everywhere, it makes sense to run RG6 as there are not allot of inexpensive wireless video distribution systems.

 

[Ray916MN]

...

New technology is making old school wiring relevant again . . . I've got MagicJack phone (ie IP phone over internet) for $19.95 a YEAR and now all my telephone plugs are useful again after formerly being cellphone only.

Basically . . . plan ahead!! Good luck!

Another way to effectively do this is to get a bluetooth wireless phone system. These phones connect to cell phones like a bluetooth headset, and then connect wirelessly to other system phones or connect to traditional wired and cordless phones through the traditional phone wiring in a home. They connect automatically to any pre-registered phone when it comes into bluetooth range. Once connected, they can be answered and dialed through any phone in a home. Most systems support 3 bluetooth cellphones at a time enabling the phones in the home to work like they were connected to a 3 line PBX.

At the end of the day, I walk in, put my cellphone on the charger and answer it and make calls through it using the phones in my home and workshop. No more having to keep my cellphone on me while at home, no more landline, and all of my phone calling covered by my cellphone contract.

 

[Moto]

Thanks for the info. Should each cat 5/6 cable run back to access point separately, or can I run one continuous cable splicing it at each connection box. I already think I know the answer but wanted to double check.

Use cat 6; the cost difference over cat 5 is negligible these days. And you can't splice it, so you'll have to run separate cables.

 

[CNGsaves]

Hey Ray916MN you're so right on blue-tooth connectivity for cellphone to hardwired telco. Just saw those advertised for Black Friday . . . that's too cool . . . I love my Magic Jack so far which even serves as Fax line for me with unlimited mnutes.

Someday we'll get to "mix & match" where full blown PBX style functions with music-on-hold, touchtone response system, etc is just a software setup on a computer . . . maybe become a "cloud" service if you could trust it wouldn't get hacked. Problem is every conceivable connection to consumer is being price gouged like Apple TV, Hulu, NetFlix, etc. whereas SlingBox did all this for free years ago.

 

[Ray916MN]

...
Someday we'll get to "mix & match" where full blown PBX style functions with music-on-hold, touchtone response system, etc is just a software setup on a computer . . . maybe become a "cloud" service if you could trust it wouldn't get hacked. Problem is every conceivable connection to consumer is being price gouged like Apple TV, Hulu, NetFlix, etc. whereas SlingBox did all this for free years ago.

Take a look at Obitalk and Google Voice. Obitalk interfaces Google Voice with your traditional phones and Google Voice is a cloud voice service. The Google Voice feature set is about the integration of Internet communication with voice. No service fee, domestic and Canada calls are free.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I would use CAT5e or CAT6. You could split the pairs and use one cable for both voice and data jacks @ the same location!

......You might consider running an RG-6 coax too - still useful for TV if you don't insist on HD. HDMI cables are still too spendy to install on the if-when......

RG6 supports HD. Not sure what you're talking about!

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you are going to have POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) you should do 2 cables. Cat3 for POTS and Cat5E or 6 for network.

The Cat3 can be daisy chained. You can even use the cheap flat 4 wire phone cable if you want.

The Cat5E/6 must be installed as a "home run", with no splices.

Coax (RG59/6) (TV) is starting to fade, but I expect it to be around for a good while.

Fiber optic is a long way off (> 5 year, probably 10) IMHO.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I would use CAT5e or CAT6. You could split the pairs and use one cable for both voice and data jacks @ the same location!

I always wondered about that. Most folks don't realize that only 2 of the 4 pairs are used for Ethernet.

Have you tried it ? I'll bet the ring pulse (> 45V ?) will clobber a bunch of packets !!

 

[NWphotog]

As previously pointed out make sure to install raceways. Right now cat5e or cat 6 will work but who knows what is around the corner. Dairy chaining will only work for phones. Everything else has to be home run. Again if you have the raceways you don't have to worry much about the cabling.

 

[Ken Greene]

I always wondered about that. Most folks don't realize that only 2 of the 4 pairs are used for Ethernet.

Have you tried it ? I'll bet the ring pulse (> 45V ?) will clobber a bunch of packets !!

Actually 1000Base-T uses all four pairs of the cable for network. So tere is no way to run ethernet and phone in the same bundle.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I always wondered about that. Most folks don't realize that only 2 of the 4 pairs are used for Ethernet.

Have you tried it ? I'll bet the ring pulse (> 45V ?) will clobber a bunch of packets !!

Yes, I have tried it and done wiring jobs for clients this way before and it works fine! But as Ken pointed out above, this wiring method doesn't work with gigabit. This is a moot point IMHO seeing that most home networks still don't have all the equipment for gigabit nor the necessity to transfer data @ gigabit speeds!

 

[ishiboo]

Run all 5E or 6 for phone and data. I always run several if it's an inaccessible location. No need to buy Cat3 or anything as you'll just end up with a remnant you can't use for anything else, and it's no good for modern data when you decide POTS is useless like the rest of us

As mentioned, gigabit and future users of Cat6 all use all four pairs (and HDMI over two Cat6 will use all 8)... so don't plan on sharing a single line for voice and data.

Any/all of these can be spliced if necessary, like anything any poor connection will increase noise and thus decrease bandwidth, but a quality connection somewhere is not going to hurt anything.

 

[theoldwizard1]

This is a moot point IMHO seeing that most home networks still don't have all the equipment for gigabit nor the necessity to transfer data @ gigabit speeds!

Well, maybe not at YOUR house !

Gigabit switches are cheap these days, as are Cat6 cables. Why ? Doesn't everyone have several TB on a home NAS ?

 

[BFBOB]

Many questions!
1: Home running is best, no matter what the use.
2: Forget Cat3. Price difference to Cat5 or even 6 is just not significant. Even if you don't need the bandwidth, Cat3 is much more subject to interference.
3: Yes, RG6 will carry HD - sort of. It's what's used to bring the signal from CATV provider or dish to your TV tuner. Once it's gone through that, AFAIK the only way to pipe the HD picture (and sound) to other TV's is via HDMI cable. The A/V jacks just put out an ordinary picture. Willing to be corrected, but this is my experience.
4: Splicing Cat5/6. Of course you can. It will degrade performance, though. You won't get the full potential bandwidth. Making a "splice" by using a proper RJ45 plug and Cat5/6 jack works fine with no significant degradation.
5: Splitting the pairs. Yes, most computer networks use only two pairs, and you can use the remaining pairs for some other purpose. BUT, it will degrade performance. I've done it, using the extra pairs for telephone, and gotten away with it. But, you're taking a chance. I've only done it when there was a compelling reason - time, cheapass customer, existing cabling.
6: Conduit. I didn't make it clear earlier, the conduit run I mentioned in new construction was straight top to bottom, attic to basement, hence the need for firstopping.

 

[Moto]

Any/all of these can be spliced if necessary, like anything any poor connection will increase noise and thus decrease bandwidth, but a quality connection somewhere is not going to hurt anything.

The question about splicing was in regard to having a run of cable with several jacks along the length of it. You can do that with a phone line, but not ethernet. Perhaps "tap" would be a better term for what we're discussing.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

If you are going to have POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) you should do 2 cables. Cat3 for POTS and Cat5E or 6 for network.

The Cat3 can be daisy chained. You can even use the cheap flat 4 wire phone cable if you want.

The Cat5E/6 must be installed as a "home run", with no splices.

Coax (RG59/6) (TV) is starting to fade, but I expect it to be around for a good while.

Fiber optic is a long way off (> 5 year, probably 10) IMHO.

Actually, u CAN splice CAT5e/6 BUT u can't daisy chain it- each device needs a dedicated cable! Of course, home runs are the best. I've had to splice it several times. This is accomplished by crimping an RJ45 connector onto each end and connecting them with a coupler.