Internal rewiring advice

I have an internal wiring problem (a noisy line) which needs sorting so I thought that it might be an idea to install a better wiring setup at the same time using CAT5 cable and a filtered faceplate. I using these terms but don't really know what I'm doing to be honest so need the experts to check my plan!

Current setup is:

BT master socket (traditional NTE5 style) in the hallway
which has plugged into the front of it:
A telephone extension cable (about 20m in total length) running to the study - which has a socket at the other end which has a microfilter plugged in. The router and a phone are both plugged in to that.

The router has to stay put, in the study.

Instead of just renewing the existing telephone cable and filtering the signal in the study, Would it be best to run CAT5 cable from the master socket to the study as a dedicated ADSL cable to provide the ADSL connection for the router, alongside the existing telephone cable which would still have a phone plugged into the end? If I do this, can I still replace the master socket faceplate with a filtered faceplate?

Thanks!

The ADSL Nation faceplate provides both connections for filtered phone wiring and unfiltered ADSL on the back. You can therefore filter at the NTE5 and then extend both phone and ADSL to the study.

The generally suggested setups are as follows:

A. Best BUT does not suit many homes.

1. BT Master
2. Filtered Faceplate (eg. ADSL-Nation)
3a). Rear filtered connections = All phone extensions.
3b). Front socket = Short quality rj11 lead (very rare).
4. Router
5. Ethernet (CAT5e) cable to study/office and PC or Switch.

B. Tidy suits more homes.

1. BT Master
2. Filtered Faceplate (eg. ADSL-Nation)
3a). Rear filtered connections = All phone extensions.
3b). Rear unfiltered connection = CAT5e or Twisted Pair Phone Wire
4. Router in study/office.

If you want a more finished installation in would be appropriate to install something like the following at each end and maybe even use a short patch cable from the filtered faceplate:
http://www.kenable.co.uk/product_info.php?products_i... You can also use these if you end up with the router by the master and run true ethernet to the office/PCs. There are double and quad faceplates too.

There are numerous other suppliers including on eBay. Note that prices vary alarmingly and not just because of higher quality parts.

Also note that the router type RJ11 connector fits neatly in the middle of an RJ45 socket. Do label it as ADSL (for Plan B) though as otherwise someone might nuke an ethernet card! If you hunt around you can get RJ11 faceplates/keystones if you prefer.

One thing to watch is that the majority of the faceplate keystones are designed to work with solid core cable. This is harder to come by in short (< 100m) lengths than long patch leads. Although you can cut the plugs off a patch lead the multi stranded cable used does not suit the rear connectors on most faceplates. Its very easy to be overcharged for cut lengths of Solid CAT5e, even maplin's price is pretty stupid.

Its quite hard to track down quality short router rj11 patch cables. Most are very low quality flat cable, and so not twisted pair. This attracts noise. ADSL nation do sell some although as they are screened BUT most installations won't be wired for this they are sometimes contentious. They are however rj11 and twisted pair!

assuming there are no wired extensions off the master socket then your best bet is a 2-core only extension plugged into the master, which could be achieved by taping over the centre two pins on the existing plug http://www.picturebay.net/img/guests/78149114192/Pho...

you could use cat5, just connect to 2&5 on the back of the existing faceplate and run to the study, with a filtered faceplate at the study end.

In reply to a post by yarwell:

assuming there are no wired extensions off the master socket then your best bet is a 2-core only extension plugged into the master, which could be achieved by taping over the centre two pins on the existing plug

Unfortunately there are two extensions coming off the master socket. One is wired into the back of the faceplate I believe (when I take the faceplate off to expose the test socket there are two wires going into the faceplate). The other is simply plugged into the front of the master socket. Would it be possible to wire both extensions into the back of the faceplate?

you could use cat5, just connect to 2&5 on the back of the existing faceplate and run to the study, with a filtered faceplate at the study end.

I've got to route it around a couple of corners and over a doorway. Is CAT5 cable suitable for bending at 90 degree angles?

Only B, the tidy option suits my place.

I notice that Maplin sell the solid cable in a UTP and FTP type - is the FTP type (foil shielded twisted pair) the better choice? I see they don't sell it in white - hope it's available elsewhere else the missus will be annoyed at me running grey cable through the house!

Solid Cat5 tends to be in Grey, Grey or Grey!!

There are a few others around but not always easy to find and can be expensive when compared to standard grey - although Maplins are ridiculously priced.

Give FS Cables 01727 840841 a call as they have UTP in Violet and FTP in Orange.

Rather than tacking around skirting boards, if you have fitted carpets, you can normally get Cat5 into the gap between gripped rod and skirting and under the skirting so it is mostly hidden. Or if tight, you can get Cat5 cable with just one or two pairs - constructed the same but not truly Cat5 as that requires 4 pairs.

A final thought - what about using external or external armoured? Nice large diameter and in black!

I found this in white, and priced much more reasonably than Maplins too:

http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/catalog/cables/shield...

My house has old wooden flooring which makes cable routing a real PITA. I did wonder about routing the cable externally because it would be reasonably easy in my case.

The issue with any of the shielded cables (CAT5e or phone/ADSL) is that to gain the full (any?) benefit the shield needs to be properly earthed via the connectors... A purist also wants the earth connection applied at only one end and not both to avoid other noise and electical issues (earth loops?). If you use the wall plates there are different modules (keystones) for shielded connections.

Most gains are made from the cables being twisted pair and the voice ring wire not being installed/connected. I've an old thread showing the noise levels on my line with and without the ring wire.

You can find cat5e in white if you shop about. The (shielded) twisted pair phone cable from ADSL nation should be thinner than Cat5e. Cut lengths of Cat5e do crop up on eBay too.

In reply to a post by SwedishChef:

I found this in white, and priced much more reasonably than Maplins too:

http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/catalog/cables/shield...

My house has old wooden flooring which makes cable routing a real PITA. I did wonder about routing the cable externally because it would be reasonably easy in my case.

Where does it say that one is available in white? The picture looks to be grey and it does say - "Brand may vary".


£0.44 per metre still comes out at £140 per box.

I would normally pay about £40 for a box of 305M of UTP and around £55 for FTP.

If you are thinking of going outside then FS cables sell external by the metre. There are two types of external, duct grade and armoured - choose the right one.

Unfortunately there are two extensions coming off the master socket. One is wired into the back of the faceplate I believe (when I take the faceplate off to expose the test socket there are two wires going into the faceplate). The other is simply plugged into the front of the master socket.

Reading that and your earlier description I'm a bit confused, but what is almost certain is that the plug-in extension will have a ring wire that needs blanking off for optimal ADSL.

I can't see white mentioned either, to be fair to cable universe it will always be way more expensive to buy cable by the meter as it takes a lot of time to measure out the cable and them wind it up, you also end up with wastage. I'm sure they would much rather sell you a box than have to measure it out.

Not sure about colour but when i was looking at prices in September the cheapest for cut length solid UTP cat5e were Cable Universe at 29p per metre and some Ebay sellers. Next best was Kenable with a 100m box for about £20.

As I said in the other post its only worth using shielded cable if the termination is handled correctly, so the shield is earthed. I'm not 100% sure what correctly is at the moment.

Sheilding should only be connected to earth at one end.

Ah right. Well in that case CAT5 seems to be unnecessary hassle/expense. I disconnected the ring wire at the master socket and all extensions a while back.

Another noddy question then - is 'standard' telephone extension wire usually twisted pair? I assume not just because of the fact you mention it at all.

A lot of the cheap phone wire isn't twisted pair. I'm still not too convinced about the stuff I bought from Maplin many years ago.

As regards the other wiring - often extensions go the long way around. In my case they run from the lounge to master bedroom then across the house and down to the office area. The idea is to run the best quality cable (phone or Cat5) by the most direct route. If your cable for adsl would follow the same path as the extension wiring then there might not be much to gain IF the extension is already in twisted pair. Arguably the number of twists in the different grades of cable may help or hinder.

The flying lead to the router could be picking up noise - they do tend to be long and rubbish.

The best way to estimate any improvement is to get router statistics from your normal location and compare them with using the BT test socket. You'll never get better than that! NB: If your router lead is poor that will effect the result at the test socket too.