3 pc's, network via phonebox possible

jozi

Just moved into a house with 2 mate and we all have a pc.
Want to network them together but not sure if this will work.
There's a phone box in each room, no phone connecting to outside so none of the boxes is in use.
I was wondering is it possible to wire up the phone boxes in such away so you just plug the lan cable into it.
Is it possible?
Would i still have to get a hub and if in the future we get them phone connected how hard will it be to share the internet connection (possible broadband)?

Jozi

tomk

It's unlikely the phone cabling will be suitable. What you need is called CAT5 cabling, with RJ45 connectors at the PC locations. Phone connectors are RJ11.

You will need a hub, or preferably a switch, to connect more than two PCs, and of course each PC will need a network card.

All of this will still be usable, and required, if/when you get broadband. In that case, you will need a router to manage the broadband connection, and share it out to the PCs via the same hub/switch.

If you don't feel like laying new cable, you could have a look at wireless networking - have a browse through the Wireless forum for more info.

Mixie

Netgear have/had a 'solution' whereby you can network your PCs using the phonelines in your house. When last I checked the speed was 10Mbit, kinda slow.

I can't find it on their site at the moment, perhaps it's been replaced by their electrical outlet networking product?

jozi

I wouldn't mind going wireless but i dont know will the other 2 have to money for it, it does tiddy up a lot i know.
Have a hub, just no cat5 cable but they are easily got.
I had a look at the phone box, it has 8 cables just like a network cable. Could i not wire a network cable into it?
If there are 3 sets of cable coming down to the main box could i not wire them up so they can connect to a hub or router when we get internet?
I must have a good look at it later.
thanks for the fast replies

Jozi

Capt'n Midnight

Check to see what the cables are connected to first - phone cables can have ~50 Volts when ringing which wouldn't do you or your computer much good. AFAIK ISDN can get to 90 V ! (which is not far off USA mains voltage)

Also to get reliable connections the cable must be twisted pair - not normal flat phone cable.

jozi

I'm not sure how they're connected.
There's oly 1 set of wires in the main box down stairs so all 3 other boxes must meet else where?
I think we'll just go with network cable and have them all over the place, unless we drill a hole trough all the walls which the land lord wont be happy with.

Jozi

Redshift

jozi wrote:

I'm not sure how they're connected.
There's oly 1 set of wires in the main box down stairs so all 3 other boxes must meet else where?
I think we'll just go with network cable and have them all over the place, unless we drill a hole trough all the walls which the land lord wont be happy with.

Jozi

Check outside your house for a small white box,like a meter box only smaller. If you have one of these it more than likely the other ends of those cables are lying in there. If you are going the cable route and the house is a fairly new one then assuming all the PCs are in upstairs bedrooms have a look in the attic at how the existing phone cable get down inside the wall cavity. If done properly then it should be running in plastic wavin down to each socket, if that is the case then you should be able to get your new cables into the wavin with the phone cable and down as far as the phone socket without any drilling. You could even use the phone wire as a draw wire to pull your new cables down into the wall.