I am asking about physical, plastic sockets, that take RJ45
plugs.

In the process of moving house, the new home has ethernet
wires into several rooms. There is a switch in the loft,
which I have renewed.

All the Cat5e cables into the various rooms simply end in an
RJ45 plug. I am looking to make this a bit neater, but I am
not keen to cut into the Cat5e cable, so I was wondering if
I were to buy a wall box with two RJ45 sockets, how are the
two sockets wired?

If I plug the Cat5e from the loft into one socket, can I
plug a small switch into the other? So as to connect, say a
computer and a printer?

Or is the wiring in the wall box more complex than that?

I have read a number of online articles, but they all seem
to be either too basic (just telling me what a network is
and what an RJ45 is), or too advanced (say telling me how to
hard wire Cat5e into to back of the wall box).

Any thoughts / pointers gratefully received!

Thanks.

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In article <597e78abccsee.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid>,
Russell Hafter News <see.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid> wrote:

> There is a switch in the loft

I'm not sure how happy I'd be with unattended electronics in a loft because
of a possible fire risk, unless there were special precautions/alarms
associated with it.

John

In article <597e78abccsee.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid>,
Russell Hafter News <see.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid> wrote:
> I am asking about physical, plastic sockets, that take RJ45
> plugs.

> In the process of moving house, the new home has ethernet
> wires into several rooms. There is a switch in the loft,
> which I have renewed.

> All the Cat5e cables into the various rooms simply end in an
> RJ45 plug. I am looking to make this a bit neater, but I am
> not keen to cut into the Cat5e cable, so I was wondering if
> I were to buy a wall box with two RJ45 sockets, how are the
> two sockets wired?

They're not wired at all.

> If I plug the Cat5e from the loft into one socket, can I
> plug a small switch into the other? So as to connect, say a
> computer and a printer?

Provided I've understood you correctly. If you wire the two
sockets together yes can do that unusual but yes you can do it.

> Or is the wiring in the wall box more complex than that?

You need a few inches of Cat5e solid conductor cable to wire between
the two sockets and a punch down tool. Use the "B" spec standard
which is..

T568A Both T568B
1 White/Green White/Orange
2 Green Orange
3 White/Orange White/Green
4 Blue same Blue
5 White/Blue same White/Blue
6 Orange Green
7 White/Brown same White/Brown
8 Brown same Brown

Ignore the "A" standard.

Keep the pairs twisted as much as possible and use the orange wire to
connect pin 2 on the one socket to pin 2 on the other socket, The
green for pin 6 etc.

Bob.

> In article <597e78abccsee.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid>,
> Russell Hafter News <see.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid> wrote:

> > If I plug the Cat5e from the loft into one socket, can I
> > plug a small switch into the other? So as to connect, say a
> > computer and a printer?

One advantage of doing what you suggest is that you will gain
confidence at wiring the 8 wires on the rear of a cat5 socket without
taking any risk with the existing wiring. Then, when you've got more
confidence, cut the plug off and terminate on the rear of one of the
sockets. Only one though, so either run another cable or blank off
the second socket.

bob.

In article <597e7d155bUCEbin@tiscali.co.uk>, John Williams
(News) <UCEbin@tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
> In article <597e78abccsee.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid>,
> Russell Hafter News <see.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid>
> wrote:

> > There is a switch in the loft

> I'm not sure how happy I'd be with unattended electronics
> in a loft because of a possible fire risk, unless there
> were special precautions/alarms associated with it.

I had looked for a switch, but could not find it.

It was a professional electrician who found both the switch
and the amplifier for the TV signal. He has found one ot wo
things in the house that I agree need fixed, but no qualms
about the switch.

For fire risk I would be more concerned with the gas boiler
in the loft. Lots of electonics in those!

It is all surrounded with glass fibre insulation...

--
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Russell Hafter
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In article <597e7ffc3dbob@sick-of-spam.invalid>, Bob Latham
<bob@sick-of-spam.invalid> wrote:
> > In article
> > <597e78abccsee.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid>,
> > Russell Hafter News
> > <see.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid> wrote:

> > > If I plug the Cat5e from the loft into one socket,
> > > can I plug a small switch into the other? So as to
> > > connect, say a computer and a printer?

> One advantage of doing what you suggest is that you will
> gain confidence at wiring the 8 wires on the rear of a
> cat5 socket without taking any risk with the existing
> wiring. Then, when you've got more confidence, cut the
> plug off and terminate on the rear of one of the sockets.
> Only one though, so either run another cable or blank off
> the second socket.

Thanks.

--
Russell
Russell Hafter
E-mail to russell at russellhafter dot me dot uk
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Russell Hafter News <see.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid> wrote:
> All the Cat5e cables into the various rooms simply end in an
> RJ45 plug. I am looking to make this a bit neater, but I am
> not keen to cut into the Cat5e cable, so I was wondering if
> I were to buy a wall box with two RJ45 sockets, how are the
> two sockets wired?

The wallboxes typically have modules which are expecting you to push in the
wires using a punchdown tool. That means cutting the wires. With no wires
they sockets are unconnected.

However what you probably want are keystone jacks, which is a standard
module which goes in sockets, patch panels etc. If you had a keystone
coupler module it would take an RJ45 cable into the socket on the back and
provide a socket on the front (ie it's a female to female adapter):
https://www.comtecdirect.co.uk/product/ultima-keystone-rj45-couplers/PG6455

You can then mount these in a keystone wall plate:
https://www.comtecdirect.co.uk/product/ultima-single-gang-shuttered-keystone-faceplates/PG3051
https://www.comtecdirect.co.uk/product/ultima-bevelled-faceplates-with-keystone-shutters/PG3463

which would go in a standard electrical backbox (although this arrangement
can be quite deep, so check what depth you need. The bevelled/angled
faceplates attempt to reduce the backbox depth needed).

> If I plug the Cat5e from the loft into one socket, can I
> plug a small switch into the other? So as to connect, say a
> computer and a printer?

If you had the keystone coupler mounted in a wall plate, you'd only get a
single wall outlet if you had only the one drop cable from the loft. You
could then plug a switch into that, yes.

Theo

In article <597e78abccsee.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid> Russell Hafter News wrote:
> I am asking about physical, plastic sockets, that take RJ45
> plugs.
[snip]
> All the Cat5e cables into the various rooms simply end in an
> RJ45 plug. I am looking to make this a bit neater, but I am
> not keen to cut into the Cat5e cable, so I was wondering if
> I were to buy a wall box with two RJ45 sockets, how are the
> two sockets wired?
>
> If I plug the Cat5e from the loft into one socket, can I
> plug a small switch into the other? So as to connect, say a
> computer and a printer?
[snip]
I understand what you're trying to do, but couldn't you just mount the switch
on the wall and plug the loft cable into that?

Another option would be a splitter (one into two RJ45) or connector (one to
one RJ45). That way you'd not need to cut plugs off, but I reckon Bob is
correct. I'd take the leap and hard wire the back of the socket. It's very
simple with a 'wire-push' tool. I'm no expert and I managed to do this
without a problem many years ago, before BT caught up with their own NTE5
phone / internet front plate.

--
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In article <cPf*FIcxy@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, Theo
<theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

> However what you probably want are keystone jacks, which
> is a standard module which goes in sockets, patch panels
> etc. If you had a keystone coupler module it would take
> an RJ45 cable into the socket on the back and provide a
> socket on the front (ie it's a female to female adapter):
> https://www.comtecdirect.co.uk/product/ultima-keystone-rj45-couplers/PG6455

> You can then mount these in a keystone wall plate:
> https://www.comtecdirect.co.uk/product/ultima-single-gang-shuttered-keystone-faceplates/PG3051
> https://www.comtecdirect.co.uk/product/ultima-bevelled-faceplates-with-keystone-shutters/PG3463

> which would go in a standard electrical backbox (although
> this arrangement can be quite deep, so check what depth
> you need. The bevelled/angled faceplates attempt to
> reduce the backbox depth needed).

> > If I plug the Cat5e from the loft into one socket, can
> > I plug a small switch into the other? So as to connect,
> > say a computer and a printer?

> If you had the keystone coupler mounted in a wall plate,
> you'd only get a single wall outlet if you had only the
> one drop cable from the loft. You could then plug a
> switch into that, yes.

Many thanks, Theo.

That sounds like what I need.

--
Russell
Russell Hafter
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In article <597E819973%mik.towse@xemik.com>, Mik Towse
<mik@towse.org.uk> wrote:

> > If I plug the Cat5e from the loft into one socket, can
> > I plug a small switch into the other? So as to connect,
> > say a computer and a printer?

> [snip] I understand what you're trying to do, but
> couldn't you just mount the switch on the wall and plug
> the loft cable into that?

It would require double sided sticky tape, or something like
that.

The little switches I already have do not have any mounting
facilities.

> Another option would be a splitter (one into two RJ45) or
> connector (one to one RJ45). That way you'd not need to
> cut plugs off, but I reckon Bob is correct. I'd take the
> leap and hard wire the back of the socket. It's very
> simple with a 'wire-push' tool. I'm no expert and I
> managed to do this without a problem many years ago,
> before BT caught up with their own NTE5 phone / internet
> front plate.

Probably the main reason for not wanting to do this is the
two standards of Cat5e cable.

I have read horror stories of people wiring type A cable
using type B setting and vv.

Or even getting them mixed up.

At present I have cables that "just work" and I do not want
to jeopardise that!

I have enough problems with telephone wires - not least as
the existing setup uses the orange wires instead of the
usual blue ones. Easy to deal with, as long as you know what
is going on!

--
Russell
Russell Hafter
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In article <597ed2c9c1see.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid>,
Russell Hafter News <see.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid> wrote:
> In article <597E819973%mik.towse@xemik.com>, Mik Towse
> <mik@towse.org.uk> wrote:

> > Another option would be a splitter (one into two RJ45) or
> > connector (one to one RJ45). That way you'd not need to
> > cut plugs off, but I reckon Bob is correct. I'd take the
> > leap and hard wire the back of the socket. It's very
> > simple with a 'wire-push' tool. I'm no expert and I
> > managed to do this without a problem many years ago,
> > before BT caught up with their own NTE5 phone / internet
> > front plate.

> Probably the main reason for not wanting to do this is the
> two standards of Cat5e cable.

> I have read horror stories of people wiring type A cable
> using type B setting and vv.

> Or even getting them mixed up.

This existing cable you have may have transparent plugs if so, can
you see the wires inside the plug? That will reveal A or B.

The other end is in the loft? Did you say it was plugged into a
switch up there? Do the same up there.

To be honest this is nothing like as complicated or difficult as you
seem to think.

It would be a good investment to get a tester and crimper with your
punch down tool, I wouldn't be without mine. They test all 8
connections end to end and as you need a punch down tool maybe
something like this would be good.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tokmali-Ethernet-Computer-Maintenance-Household/dp/B089SMV2N8/ref=sr_1_38?crid=1XA8MS9JMY47U&dchild=1&keywords=cat5+punch+down+tool&qid=1634810936&sprefix=cat5+punch+%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-38

If you cut the plug off and terminate in the back of a single cat5e
socket the tester would tell you if you have some wires wrong and the
pattern will reveal if its an A-B issue and if it is, just
re-terminate to the other standard or better still, reterminate the
loft end also to "B".

Plenty of videos on youtube on how to put crimp plugs on or punch
down on the back of sockets. Crimper in the kit above, easy, honest.

There are very, very few systems wired as "A" almost everything is "B"

Don't be insulted, I don't know how much you know but this connection
does not have to match anything else in your home. The A or B bit is
just for the one cable.

I find the hardest job is looking at the back of the cat5e socket you
see the 8 connections and usually 2 colour symbols for each. Working
out which symbols are A and which B but once you've got it, you're
away.

This is a skill worth developing not only for your self but for
friends too.

I had some security cameras fitted once and the installer terminated
both ends of the cat5e into plugs. It worked fine but after he'd gone
I checked what he done and it was neither A or B it was security man
special but it worked. It's now B at both ends.

Bob.

In article <597e78abccsee.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid>,
Russell Hafter News <see.sig@russellhafter.me.invalid> wrote:
> All the Cat5e cables into the various rooms simply end in an
> RJ45 plug. I am looking to make this a bit neater, but I am
> not keen to cut into the Cat5e cable, so I was wondering if
> I were to buy a wall box with two RJ45 sockets, how are the
> two sockets wired?

Are they moulded cable and plugs, or ordinary CAT5 cable with plugs added?
The second would be the normal way with house wiring, as getting ready
made cables of the correct length could be difficult.

Most sockets use insulation piercing connections. Insertion tools are
cheap - but you can use a suitable screw driver at a pinch. You may be
able to find ones that take a plug too - but may need a deeper than common
back box.

--
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