Connecting Cat5e cables

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M

MadScientist

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
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Our new house has 6 Cat5e network and coax cable wall plates.

wall%20plate.jpg


We are the second owners. The wall plates are hooked up to coax and Cat5e cables. I was planning on connecting my router to one of the network connectors and my HTPC in another room to another. I assumed that they were all interconnected. They are not. The contractor left this behind a plate in the garage:

cat5e%20cables.jpg


I would like to interconnect the 6 Cat5e cables to each other. What's the best way to do this??
 
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M

MadScientist

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
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Gonad the Barbarian said:
Put connectors on them and run them into a switch.

Edit: If you just want to connect two, you can use a coupler.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help. I thought about using a punch down junction box like this one http://www.sfcable.com/1020-SF-06.html for connecting the 2 wires I need but the problem is finding the 2 wires out of the 6 since they are not location marked. Possible, but time consuming, and the other 4 would still be useless.

Does someone make a Cat5e cable junction box for connecting more than 2 cables?? A Google search turned up nothing.

Putting RJ45 connectors on them and plugging them into a switch box would probably be the best solution.
 
G

Gonad the Barbarian

Lifer
Oct 16, 1999
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One of these will tell you which cable end is which:
https://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=105&cp_id=10524&cs_id=1052401&p_id=8138&seq=1&format=2
You've really only got two options, a coupler to splice two together, or a switch for the whole bunch. You can put a nice panel on them like Lil'John suggested, but you're still going to then have to run patch cables from it to the coupler/switch. That's why your contractor stopped where he did, it's a networking job at this point.
 
Aikouka

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
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The "cleanest" and "most normal" way to handle that mess of cables would be using a patch panel. Since it looks like all you have is a wall, you'll probably just want a small, wall-mounted rack on which you can mount the patch panel. Then you connect each port from the patch panel to a switch, and you're good to go. Of course, it would be good to label the patch panel, but as long as all patch panel ports are connected, it isn't truly necessary.
 
M

MadScientist

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
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Aikouka said:
The "cleanest" and "most normal" way to handle that mess of cables would be using a patch panel. Since it looks like all you have is a wall, you'll probably just want a small, wall-mounted rack on which you can mount the patch panel. Then you connect each port from the patch panel to a switch, and you're good to go. Of course, it would be good to label the patch panel, but as long as all patch panel ports are connected, it isn't truly necessary.
Click to expand...

I agree that connecting them to a patch panel and then to a switch looks more professional, but in my case the patch panel would be an unnecessary option.
I'll probably put a RJ45 plug on each cable and plug them directly into a switch.

A punch down mutiple, i.e., 6 to 10, Cat5e cable junction box might be a better solution, if someone even makes something like this. Something like this though might cause too much data signal degradation.

Yeah, I see now why the contractor left the cables this way; to give the home owner a choice of how they want to connect their network.
 
P

piasabird

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
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I would test them first to see if they are good. You also need to know which is which. However connecting them all to a single gigabit switch is an option. Connect any cheap router and see which ones you want to use. You could put a media file serer in one location and the TV in another location. Garage seems like a lousy place to put something like this. I just think of all the ice snow water road salts etc. Even the rats from the garbage. Just joking here.
 
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P

piasabird

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
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If you live in a nice temperate area like Florida or california, a garage might make a nice man cave.
 
Fallen Kell

Fallen Kell

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,219
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Doesn't really look like the previous owners used them to be honest.

I know you don't want to, but really the most professional setup would be to mount a small wall mount rack like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-SR...sim_267_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1DBA2EJSNR079RWB7MYN

And use a 1U patch panel like this:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=105&cp_id=10514&cs_id=1051402&p_id=7310&seq=1&format=2

You then also have space in there for a network switch and router. And it is extremely professional and will probably help on resale of the home as a networked home (that said you do have CAT5e so no more than 1GB, but for home use that will still be good for another 10 years).
 
M

MadScientist

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Jul 15, 2001
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It gets a bit warm here in TN in the summer. When we bought the house the garage ceiling and door were not insulated. If it was 90F outside it was 90F in my garage. I insulated both and that dropped temps in the garage ~10F in the summer, but still too hot for my Man Cave. I converted one of the guest bedrooms into my Man Cave.
 
M

MadScientist

Platinum Member
Jul 15, 2001
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I finally got around to connecting my network. I had to install a GFI electrical outlet (code in TN in garages) because there's only one in my garage on the other side. Not sure if it's code here to connect 2 outlets to one breaker so I installed a separate breaker for this outlet.
I used a TP-Link 5 port gigabit switch and mounted it to the wall. http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-SG108-1000Mbps-Desktop-Gigabit/dp/B00A121WN6/ref=sr_1_1?s=car&ie=UTF8&qid=1441468999&sr=1-1&keywords=TP-Link+gigabit+switch Crimped RJ-45 plugs to the Cat5e cables and plugged them into the switch. Didn't use a patch panel. I only have 4 active RJ-45 outlets in the house. http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=7245 These plugs get mixed reviews but I had no problems with them. Used this crimping tool. http://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-RJ-45-RJ-12-RJ-11-TC-CT68/dp/B0000AZK4G/ref=sr_1_1?s=car&ie=UTF8&qid=1441471754&sr=1-1&keywords=TRENDnet+8P%2FRJ-45+and+6P%2FRJ-12%2C+RJ-11+Crimp%2C+Cut%2C+and+Strip+Tool%2C+TC-CT68&pebp=1441471760385&perid=13NN7HP0ENTC4MD7S4BD

Used this flexible opening wall plate for the cables. http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=12572

I did cheap out and got a cable tester from eBay. It worked ok. Didn't have to recrimp any plugs. http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-RJ45-RJ11-Cat5e-Cat6-Network-Lan-Cable-Tester-Test-Tool-/231324139398?hash=item35dbfe3f86
This is a must. The cable tester found the RJ-45 wall jack in my man cave, the one I plan on using for my HTPC, was bad. Whoever installed it mixed the brown and brown striped wires. After fixing, it tested good.

Here's a good how to crimp RJ-45 plugs: http://www.groundcontrol.com/galileo/ch5-ethernet.htm

My router and modem are on my desk in one of the bedrooms. Ran a short patch cable from the router to the RJ-45 connector in the wall outlet in the bedroom.
Network2.jpg
 
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