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Help with Ethernet in house

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dqpassat

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 28, 2009
100
1
Just moved to a new rental home and I'm trying to get my macs networked and all. Cable/internet guy just came and installed cable modem in patch panel (is that what it's called? panel is master closet upstairs with all sorts of wires coming out).

This is a fairly new home (2000) and there are 2 orange ethernet jacks throughout the house. One upstairs and one downstairs. My previous home had a similar set up and all I had do was plug all the ethernet cables at the patch panel to the cable modem and I had instant ethernet all over the house.

In this new rental the 2 ethernet cables (as I'm told by the cable installer) have no end caps (is that what they are called? so I can plug into router), but are attached to some panel…see attached photo.

How the heck to I plug these into my router to get ethernet working at the 2 ethernet jacks??

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

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belvdr

belvdr

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2005
5,945
1,372
Rather than try to debug this from one picture, I'd ask the owner of the building. I'm sure they have some insight into how this wired. I'm thinking they may have it wired for voice, not data.
 
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dmmcintyre3

macrumors 68020
Mar 4, 2007
2,131
3
There should be a bunch of ethernet ports on another side where you plug the switch into. If not ask the building owner.
 
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hmmfe

macrumors 6502
Feb 28, 2003
262
69
dqpassat said:
Just moved to a new rental home and I'm trying to get my macs networked and all... Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

The photo is a 110 block. Technically, a 110 block will support voice and data but it really depends on how you punch it down.

As others have said, I really can't say for sure how things are connected by the limited photo. But, if you don't care about voice to the two locations you mentioned you can simply pull the cables off the C-clips and terminate using an 8P8C (I am assuming the 2 blue cables are what you are referring to?). If you have never done this before and really don't care to do it in the future, just hire someone to do it. 4 terminations should take all of 15 minutes tops.

If you can take more pictures and post - we might be able to tell more. Really, though, get a guy out there that knows something about cabling and you should be fixed up in no time.
 
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blacka4

macrumors 6502
Sep 28, 2009
424
49
Pittsburgh
yup thats a punch down for voice and it can be used for data..but I bet its not. better to go ask the building manager or owner to see how it was wired
 
miles01110

miles01110

macrumors Core
Jul 24, 2006
19,260
36
The Ivory Tower (I'm not coming down)
hmmfe said:
The photo is a 110 block. Technically, a 110 block will support voice and data but it really depends on how you punch it down.
Click to expand...

Correct. Specifically, it really only supports data for 10/100BaseT networks. Gigabit networks will bleed too much and you will lose performance.

But, if you don't care about voice to the two locations you mentioned you can simply pull the cables off the C-clips and terminate using an 8P8C (I am assuming the 2 blue cables are what you are referring to?). If you have never done this before and really don't care to do it in the future, just hire someone to do it. 4 terminations should take all of 15 minutes tops.
Click to expand...

For CAT-5 you only need the white blue / blue white and white orange/orange white wires in positions 1, 2, 3, and 6 on the jack, respectively. The only thing that really prevents you from putting them in a jack yourself is lack of a crimper, which tend to be a little expensive to own one yourself if you don't do this frequently.
 
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hmmfe

macrumors 6502
Feb 28, 2003
262
69
miles01110 said:
Correct. Specifically, it really only supports data for 10/100BaseT networks. Gigabit networks will bleed too much and you will lose performance.



For CAT-5 you only need the white blue / blue white and white orange/orange white wires in positions 1, 2, 3, and 6 on the jack, respectively. The only thing that really prevents you from putting them in a jack yourself is lack of a crimper, which tend to be a little expensive to own one yourself if you don't do this frequently.
Click to expand...

Since we're getting all technical... no, there are Cat5e and CAT6 rated 110 blocks that do support gigabit Ethernet. I doubt the block in the photo is such a block but the photo is not clear enough to tell.

Exceedingly bad practice to start splitting pairs unless there aren't other options. Once you go down the gigabit Ethernet path and PoE, you will/may need the additional pairs. Also, 568A (used mostly in residential installations) pinouts would be pins 1,2,3&6 using white green/green and white orange/orange respectively. In either 568A or 568B, pin 4 is blue and pin 5 is white/blue and not used in older Ethernet terminations (though I still recommend terminating all 4 pairs).

Now on to less pedantic endeavors...
 
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mh530

macrumors newbie
Oct 14, 2010
6
0
Nobody has said it yet-
They make cables that will sit on top of your 110 block and jump to a patch cable with a RJ45 on the other end...you could then plug these into your switch/router. Might be the easiest and least expensive way out.

This is the first item that came up in a search:
http://www.cablestogo.com/product_list.asp?cat_id=3509
You may be able to get them for less if you shop around.
 
belvdr

belvdr

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2005
5,945
1,372
mh530 said:
Nobody has said it yet-
They make cables that will sit on top of your 110 block and jump to a patch cable with a RJ45 on the other end...you could then plug these into your switch/router. Might be the easiest and least expensive way out.

This is the first item that came up in a search:
http://www.cablestogo.com/product_list.asp?cat_id=3509
You may be able to get them for less if you shop around.
Click to expand...

Sure you can do that, and you'll kick yourself in the rear end down the road. It makes for a nightmare when you are upgrading/moving equipment later on.
 
miles01110

miles01110

macrumors Core
Jul 24, 2006
19,260
36
The Ivory Tower (I'm not coming down)
hmmfe said:
Since we're getting all technical... no, there are Cat5e and CAT6 rated 110 blocks that do support gigabit Ethernet.
Click to expand...

"Support" in the loosest sense of the word; meaning they perform better than standard 10/100-rated blocks, but are still hateful for Gigabit. There are plenty of other places to bottleneck your throughput without using a 110/66 block to do it.
 
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hmmfe

macrumors 6502
Feb 28, 2003
262
69
miles01110 said:
"Support" in the loosest sense of the word; meaning they perform better than standard 10/100-rated blocks, but are still hateful for Gigabit. There are plenty of other places to bottleneck your throughput without using a 110/66 block to do it.
Click to expand...

Sorry to be blunt and nothing personal and all that, but your above comment is simply incorrect.
 
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