using cat5e cable for telephones?

[JCROCCO]

Can you use a cat5e cable as a telephone wire. If you just use the standard RJ11 connectors, I dont see why you cant.

Now, can you use the 4 wires not used by the network on a twisted pair cat5e for phones.

 

[ZeroNine8]

1) yes

2) I don't see why not, if they are truly unused.

 

[ZeroNine8]

too lazy to edit.

I'm not positive, but I think only using 4 wires for network will just let you connect at 10Mb, not 100.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Four wires are used for 10/100 communications, you need all 8 for gigabit. You can connect your phone to the others, but don't make a mistake! The 90VAC ringing voltage will surely smoke a NIC in a hurry! Even the 50VDC on the line will probably do the job pretty well...

 

[JCROCCO]

is there also such a thing as cat6E? cant really find info on it.

 

[buleyb]

Originally posted by: ZeroNine8
too lazy to edit.

I'm not positive, but I think only using 4 wires for network will just let you connect at 10Mb, not 100.

4 wires will allow for 100Base-TX, you needed 8 wires for 100Base-T4, which is rare and fairly extinct


and yes, 8 wires for gigabit (4 pairs of 2 doing 250Mbps each).


for the question, yes, analog phones can be run over cat5 or higher, just don't do it on the same cable as data, or you'll have lots of noise

 

[exx1976]

Phone pullsw can be CAT3 or higher, since they don't have NEARLY the bandwidth or NEXT req'd of 100base communications... Trust me, we have over 500 phones in my office, all CAT3 pulls.. Why do you think they still sell it? Certainly you don't think there are still people installing 10Base networks in the year 2004, do you??

 

[ScottMac]

Phones can (and frequently do) use unrated cable (no Category rating at all). Many contractors are using Category-rated cabling for installations that are primarily intended for voice.

Any Category-rated cable will work fine for phone.

It is a bad idea to use the same cable for phone and data (i.e., two pair for data, the other one or two pair for voice).

There is no Cat6e, just Cat6.

Good Luck

Scott

 

[JackMDS]

Link to: Using CAT5 for Telephone Lines, and other Media (By: ScottMac).

 

[WTT0001]

As everyone else has said:

(1) Yes, no problem

(2) Yes, but (a) it isn't recommended (line noise and such) and (b) if you do don't connect the ones you are using for the phone to the NIC and vice-ver (in other words, only have the Orange and the Green pairs hooked up to the Nic and Only have the Blue and the Brown pairs hooked to the phone)

 

[TheToOTaLL]

I used CAT 5 when I needed to run an extra phone line into our office. I figured since I had several 500 foot plus spools that it would be cheaper than buying "phone cable." Just pick 2 colored pairs, connect them to the box out side on one end, and use the same 2 colors wherever you are hooking up the jack inside.