Built in CAT5 cables: where do they go?

maloner

Hi,

My new apartment has built in cat5 cabling. The three bedrooms and the living room each have a blank panel with 2 cat5 cables (or at least wires with 8 cores - 4 pairs of 2 twisted wires inside the main wire).

The utility room has a larger blank panel with wires behind it that I thought were where all these cables ended up. However the wires in there do not have twisted pairs; they just have 8 (untwisted or paired) wires. I reckon these are for the unconnected alarm wiring.

However, one of the wires that comes out of the bunch of cables, *is* a cat5 cable. What are my options (before I chase down the builders which will take a while...)?

I expected all the cables (none have rj45 connectors on them) to end up in the same spot and I'd stick ends on em, buy (or swipe from work...;) ) a switch and bobs your uncle.

Might they be connected in some sort of odd ring? Every panel has two cables, so maybe one cable runs from one room to the next? Sounds a bit daft, but there's no where else to start looking for where these end!

Any advice appreciated...

FusionNet

It is possible that some idiot wired them in a ring as I have had this done by very large electrical companies to me before I get on site and Im not talking about five years ago Im talking about five weeks ago!!!! Sparkies dont give a hoot! Firstly check behind any blank plates, then check your attic or behind a tv or your hot press. There is no knowing where these were wired. Id do all that beore thinking about your next step.

ravydavygravy

if theres a bit of spare cable at each point (inch or two), you could just crimp rj45 connecters
on all the ends (making sure you always use the same colour order!!), and then use a cable tester to see what goes to where?

Or maybe someone sells a device to do this without putting the ends on?

If you end up with ends that go nowhere, then just snip them off...

Or ask the builder - is he still on site?

Dave

sunnysoutheast

hi - best bet is probably to tone them. You may be able to borrow the toner and probe from work and this will save you crimping on and wasting the RJ45s.

Where are you based? - anywhere near Waterford City and you can borrow mine.

SSE

maloner

FusionNet wrote: »

It is possible that some idiot wired them in a ring as I have had this done by very large electrical companies to me before I get on site and Im not talking about five years ago Im talking about five weeks ago!!!! Sparkies dont give a hoot! Firstly check behind any blank plates, then check your attic or behind a tv or your hot press. There is no knowing where these were wired. Id do all that beore thinking about your next step.

Indeed they are! Mad.

Last night I crimped rj45's on the end of all the wires and they do appear to be in a feckin ring.

Utility -> living room.


Bed 3 -> Office
Office -> Bed 1


There are a few cables that don't have link lights on them (possibly related to bad cabling and maybe one of the 3 pints I had before I started...) but I assume I can get a "network" together.

How would folks recommend I hook all this together?

I could stick switches in bed3 and Office and possibly livingroom but that seems overkill. I'd like a fileserver in the office with a high speed link to the living room (DVR perhaps saving to the fileserver...).

With 2 cables ending up in the room between the living room and office, I can connect these together but not bother with a switch and just connect them directly.

I assume that needs a crossover cable of some sort, or do I wire the two straight through?

Thanks for your advice,

John

maloner

Answering my own post, these guys look like what I need:

http://www.dabs.ie/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=310R&SearchType=1&SearchTerms=rj45&PageMode=3&SearchKey=All&SearchMode=All&NavigationKey=0

This should connect all the bits of my odd Ring network..

John

allybhoy

Jesus they are expensive, am i right in thinking that its just 7euro for 1??? I would expect you get a bag of at least 20 or 30 for that price, we have tons of em in work,we also have the swap over type.

FusionNet

Im totally confused, how is it wired? Is there 2 cables coming out of the wall and they are daisy changed?

Cause if thats the case Id use 8 pair high band extenders.

BaconZombie

If they are ringed it could be that the spark who wired used them instead of normal phone wire.

I know my parents places was done this way, in a half assed mixed colour way that makes no sense....

PogMoThoin

maloner wrote: »

Answering my own post, these guys look like what I need:

http://www.dabs.ie/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=310R&SearchType=1&SearchTerms=rj45&PageMode=3&SearchKey=All&SearchMode=All&NavigationKey=0

This should connect all the bits of my odd Ring network..

John

Better prices here, 2 days delivery, have used them before.

maloner

FusionNet wrote: »

Im totally confused, how is it wired? Is there 2 cables coming out of the wall and they are daisy changed?

Cause if thats the case Id use 8 pair high band extenders.

Yup.

Each blank has 2 cables in it, generally one going to the next room and one to the previous room. I have all but 3 matched up.

Pretty sure I know that 2 in particular should be working but aren't. I assume its iffy cabling on my part so I'll plow on.

Thanks for the pointers and links folks.