DIY - Structured Wiring
Copyright Randy Melton 2007
Section 1 - Basics
Structured Cabling is defined as building or campus telecommunications cabling infrastructure
that consists of a number of standardized smaller elements. That term is probably overused to
describe typical home networking and phone wiring.
My goal was to have a reasonable system to allow wired ethernet and phone connections
in multiple rooms of our house. I wanted a wiring box in the basement that would be
easily accessible, relatively cheap and still look nice. I considered a sheet of plywood
with bobbin connections. I decided to go 1 set up with a simple metal box, punchdown-plug
hubs, and power for a phone surge/adsl/security filter.
Section 1 - Existing Wiring
My house already had a single cat5e line run from each room into the basement.
This was done by the builder/electrician to wire a single phone jack in each room.
In the basement these 9 cables (one from outside, 8 wired rooms) were left hanging
with the 8 sets of 9 conductors spliced together using wire nuts.
My DSL Modem already has a built-in 4-port router. I plan to place this in
wiring box and distribute it to 4 rooms from there.
Section 2 - Purchases
| MFG/Part# | Price | Description/Use
|
|---|
| Open House/ H336 | $35.99/geekbro | 36in Structured Wiring Enclosure
|
| Channel Vision/ C-0702 | $13.49/geekbro | 6-Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip (I was disappointed in this)
|
| Channel Vision/ C-0439 | $32.99/geekbro | 15 Location Telephone Distribution Module
|
| ChannelPlus/ WPA-PDC | $7.99/geekbro | Data / Telephone / Coax Wallplates. (While it isn't apparent the WPA is "almond" color, bought 4 of these)
|
| Open House/ H628 | $24.49/geekbro | Data Termination Hub
|
| Channel Vision/ P-0411 | $42.99/buy.com | 4x4 ADSL FilterPhone Surge Module with Auto Reset
|
| Total | 204.60 | (includes shipping/tax)
|
|---|
Section 3 - Wiring Conventions
WARNING: I'm simplifying the specs and wiring below. Phone and ethernet wiring is very simple and easily doable
by most people. If you are unsure or don't understand these notes you should not attempt to do you own wiring.
| Spec | Description/Use
|
|---|
| cat5e | Standard type of cable used for ethernet, and sometimes telephone wiring
|
|---|
| RJ45 | 8-Pin Ethernet Plug
|
|---|
| T568A/B | Standard wiring used for ethernet cables
|
|---|
| RJ11 | 6-pin single line telephone jack
|
|---|
| RJ14 | 6-pin 2-line telephone jack
|
|---|
| RJ25 | 6-pin 3-line telephone jack
|
|---|
RJ11/RJ14/RJ25
| pin | color | use
|
|---|
| pin-1 | green/w | pair3 tip
|
| pin-2 | orange/w | pair2 tip
|
| pin-3 | blue | pair1 ring
|
| pin-4 | blue/w | pair1 tip
|
| pin-5 | orange | pair2 ring
|
| pin-6 | green | pair3 ring
|
Hold the plug up (cable down) with the pins facing you. The pins are numbered from left to right.
(need a picture showing how to identify pin1)
RJ45/EIA-568A
| pin | Pair | Color | Use
|
|---|
| 1 | 2-tip | green/white | TD+ Transmit Data
|
| 2 | 2-ring | green | TD- Transmit Data
|
| 3 | 3-tip | orange/white | RD+ Receive Data
|
| 4 | 1-ring | blue | NC
|
| 5 | 1-tip | blue/white | NC
|
| 6 | 3-ring | orange | RD- Receive Data
|
| 7 | 4-tip | brown/white | NC
|
| 8 | 4-ring | brown | NC
|
My Shared phone/ethernet wiring
Cable
Color
| Use
| Dist Connection
| WPA-PDC Connection
|
|---|
| ethernet | phone
| ethernet | phone
|
|---|
| Green/white
| ethernet TD+
| green/w | | green/w |
|
| Green
| ethernet TD-
| green | | green |
|
| Orange/white
| ethernet RX+
| orange/w | | orange/w |
|
| Blue
| Phone Line-1 ring
| | blue | | blue, green
|
| Blue/white
| Phone Line-1 tip
| | blue/w | | blue/w, green/w
|
| Orange
| ethernet RX-
| orange | | orange |
|
| Brown/white
| Phone Line-2 tip
| | orange/w | | orange/w, brown/w
|
| Brown
| Phone Line-2 ring
| | orange | | orange, brown
|
Note that on the wall plate phone jack I shorted line-1 with line3, and line-2 with line-4.
This is because the WPA-PDC has 2 phone jacks "line-1/2" and "line-3/4". By creating these
shorts I am able to have two usable phone jacks in each rooom.
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