extra phone socket - run externally??

bofarr01

Greetings all,
I want to put an extra phone socket at the back of my house (main socket is by the front door). I've seen the extension kits you can buy where you plug a double adapter into your existing socket then run a cable to the new location and attach it to a new socket. However the problem with that is the cable will be visible as we don't have carpets to hide it under. So I thought I could run the cable out the front door, around the house and in through a rear window - my question is whether the cable would be weather proof or not?? It's the standard white phone cable.

Any advice or other suggestions appreciated!

Cheers,
BOF

Cal

That cable would be waterproof but it would take no abuse. It is also not shielded so avoid running beside and strong electrical currents. Particularly if you plan on using that extension for modem use.

Simply if it is just for an extra phone and if it is not likely to get physical abuse it will work fine.

Cal

Borzoi

Cal wrote:

That cable would be waterproof but it would take no abuse. if it is not likely to get physical abuse it will work fine.

You could run it inside a run of 1/2" wavin plastic pipe (or similar) to provide the protection

egan007

The cleanest solution is to take off your skirting board - miter off the lower back edge with a chisle, run your cable through this channel.
looking along the skirting board you should leave a channel like....
Original
| |
|_|
Mitered
| |
\_|

Zoso

Depending on what you need the second extension for you could look at a wireless phone extension ? I'm pretty sure places like Maplins stock them but you can pick one up from www.satcure.co.uk if you can't find a local supplier.

Stoner

If it was me I'd go for a poly poly twisted pair cable cable clipped to the wall somewhere, you could also go straight up to your attic , accross the attic and back down again , as everyone said you wont have problems as long as its not in physical danger, but the straighter the better, the thing with is cabling is its difficult to fix to an external wall. You could also open up your phone point and drill out behind the box and connect your new cabel in directly to the existing phone point, that way you won need that double adaptor thing as they are dodgy, and also like the other guys said if its only a phone then go wireless but if you want a modem, then you want the cable to be straight and away from power cables

shabbyroad

Maplins (and others) do a wireless phone extension. Your other option is to use DECT cordless phones. You only need to have one of the handset-bases connected to a phone line - the others can all piggyback off that. Check places like Argos and Roches Stores for deals on 2 & 3 pack phones.

neanderthal

Yes cabling is difficult to fix to an external wall.

The cable that you require is the equivalent of what the telecom companies deliver to your door. It is tolerant to UV and moisture ingress.

In old Telecom Eireann speak this was called drop wire as it drops from the pole to your house. It is the toughest damn cable that you can imagine and will stand up to mechanical impacts. Its outside diameter is about 6mm.

The cable I would purchase if I did not know any telecom workers to give some to me would be what is called an Industrial Ethernet Cable.
Ask for a CAT 5 cable that is capable of being used outdoors and select one of the twisted pairs to carry your phone line from the first junction box at your front door all the way around to your new extension socket.

Do not leave the master socket disconnected. The master socket contains additional components and does not have the same simple status as the rest of the extension sockets.

The simplest way of fixing cables like that is with a cable tacker ( a type of staple gun that fires U-shaped staples ) they are available cheaply and can only be used on cables carrying up to 50 volts (so they are okay for phones, not mains electricity cables).

The staple gun will fix your cable to wood or soft material only. Cable clips with nails are notoriously difficult to fix neatly to masonry walls so I prefer to use "P clips" which are much slower as they require each one to be drilled. Maplins supply them.

Wire the new cable directly into the junction box or the existing socket and dont use one of those feeble double adaptors. You have the option of drilling directly through the wall at the point where you wish to locate the new extension socket but look after the waterproofing. The new socket will then hide the hole in the wall.



That's all I've time for now.