Network Wiring Question

Ark

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
872
0
0
Home Network:

2 PCs connected to 10/100 Router/Switch in the same room,
1 PC in another room around 100ft to the same switch - 8wire(4pair) Cat5 cable. All NICs are 10/100.
I need to temprorary add 2-nd PC to the second room.

Question:
Should I run 2-nd CAT5 cable or can I use 2 unused pairs from the first cable?

Like I said, it is for few weeks only and really difficult to run new cable over the atic, but could be done.

Thanks.
 

Norssak

Member
Jun 27, 2000
179
0
0
Yes,it can be done. Is it recommended? Hell no. Will it work? I think it will.

If you have an extra foot of slack at each end, a punchdown or crimp tool and a cable tester, and an diagram of which 4 wires carry the signal, you can do this in 15min
 

Ark

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
872
0
0
Norssak
Thanks for response, I know which pairs are used, so connection is not a problem.
I am not sure about interferense between 2 signals: all 4 pairs will go close together.
 

Norssak

Member
Jun 27, 2000
179
0
0
I just remembered, last year I saw a network Y jack in the datacomm wharehouse catalog. Basically a fancy version of what we're discussing. You jacked the sucker into a RJ45 walljack and then had 2 new jacks were previously was one (the picture didn't mention/show that another one would be needed at the patchpanel)

Either way, the point is someone already packaged this idea, so it must at least work...sometimes....a little...every now and then ?
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Yes it will work just fine. However it is unsupported by cabling standards and NOT RECOMMENDED. (ie don't do it at work)

But for you ARK in a home network it will work wonderfully.

spidey
 

Ark

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
872
0
0
Thanks guys,
Will try it tonight.
I am planning to replace single wall jacks with double and reconnect 2 unused pairs ti the second jack.
Also I can slow it down to 10mb,
because it used mostly for internet and occasional file transfers, backups and MP3 dumping to the machine with CD-R.
 

FirmPete

Senior member
Dec 11, 2000
308
0
0
Spidey07: Don't try it at work...

I used to work in a place where did exactly that and more:

To long: 115 meters
Underrated: Cat 3 (cable tester only showed it as cat 2)
Different cobinations:
2 compu's, 1 computer and 2 phones......

Not to mention the mice (The kind with teeth)

Always had a lot to do there. I wonder why?
 

Ark

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
872
0
0
Thanks guys,
Just finished reconnection - networks works fine, will test transfers later.
Now have to go to the store to buy double faceplates - have only single.

Not really standard, but working!