sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Amateur with a 66 block...help!

I'm currently setting up a new office for my business. I hope someone on here can help me, as I obviously don't know anything about telephone configurations. This is where I'm at (sorry if I don't use the right terminology):

I installed 15 (RJ-45 I think?) keystone jacks throughout my office. I only intend to use 2 lines (fax/phone) so I hooked up each jack with the blue and orange twisted pairs and left the green and brown pairs available for possible future lines. I ran all my lines back to a closet where a 66 block had been mounted with 25 pair coming into it. I then bridged the color/white pairs from blue to brown on the 66 block and ran a jumper line for each off to another older 66 block I was given. On a side note: Was this 66 block installed upside-down (see image)?


I used a vertical jumper on the older 66 block to create a "grid" for each cable (all the terminal columns are connected on the older block). I then terminated each cable from the 15 jacks into its appropriate "grid" slot.



I have no line coming in yet so I can't trail and error my setup, and I want to have this ready to go when we get our phone lines/DSL installed. So my question simply is: Will this configuration work? Again, it just needs to work for 2 lines (and DSL).

Thanks for the pics; it makes it much easier to answer your questions. This isn't the industry-standard way to do things, but assuming that your photos are upside-down, it should work.

You mentioned that you used wh/bl, wh/or on the left and wh/gn, wh/bn on the right. I assume that you installed face plates with side-by-side jack openings. That's the proper approach for four-line phones.

The key is not so much colors, but their relationship to the actual pins of the jack. You mentioned "RJ45" jacks, so I assume that you are using 8 position jacks. Here is how your wire pairs should be terminated at the jacks:

White/Blue: Pin 5, left jack, line #1
Blue/White: Pin 4, left jack, line #1

White/Orange: Pin 3, left jack, line #2
Orange/White: Pin 6, left jack, line #2

White/Green: Pin 5, right jack, line #3 (future)
Green/White: Pin 4, right jack, line #3 (future)

White/Brown: Pin 3, right jack, line #4 (future)
Brown/White: Pin 6, right jack, line #4 (future)

You can't just wire "color to color" to jacks when you are using this configuration. One thing to remember is that with this termination at the block, you will have to do it over again if you end up getting a real system. It's not a major deal, but someting that might add to the cost of installing it. Jumpers should be looped, not "banjo strings" since this makes troubleshooting difficult. Separating individual conductors or the pairs is also not suggested. This creates cross talk. The jumpers should have been done as a pair, meaning that white/blue should have been on row 1; blue/white should have been on row 2, and so on.

On the gray block, make sure that it is an R66B4-25 and not an R66B3-50. I think that the fact that it's gray in color indicates a -25 block. If it is a B3-50, you will need to place bridge clips across the two center pins of each row of clips in use.

Don't count on store-bought 2-4 line phones to serve you well; just use them as long as you can. They will fail within a year and by then, the original model will be obsolete.

Lastly, don't count on the telco to place your lines on the first two pairs of the 25 pair cable, if they do this at all. You will likely be responsible for connecting your lines to this tie cable. You might have a bit of trouble in doing this unless you own a toner and test set.

Thanks for the quick reply, Ed. Actually, the photos are not upside-down. I think the 66 block was originally installed incorrectly (or maybe flipped over at some later date), but I wouldn't know. Is this going to be a problem?

As for my jacks, I just followed the color code that came on the package. Was that a bad idea?

You said the jumpers should have been done as a pair. I'm not totally sure what you meant by that. Is there any way of describing that in laymen's terminology?

In any case, after reading your reply, I'm starting to think I might have bitten off a bit more than I can chew. So with that in mind--in case my config doesn't work--how much should I expect to pay a pro to clean up my mess? =)

Thanks again!
-Brandon

A pro should be able to fix the punch blocks in less then 1 hour and replace the 15 jacks in 2 hours if they are all accessible (3 hours max.)

Also when connectind to a 66 block, rap the leads overtop the pins instead of under.

Thanks Merritt. Though, how can I tell if my jacks need to be replaced/fixed? And what would should I expect to pay a telco guy per hour?

-Brandon

Like I said, telco is not my job. I'm just trying to save money while setting up my phone/fax line. The network wiring is actually not half as bad as the voice stuff. I have a little experience with 110. ...I'll send you some more pics when you send me pics of the jewelry you've made--or anything else you're not experienced in. I'm sure I'd get plenty of laughs from that.

Improvised, You have asked for some price info a few times and you may feel like no one is willing to answer. I'll send you a PM or email. The reason it is not answered here in the open is market areas and other factors make things different in your specific case. It wouldn't be professional for a Florida guy to be setting prices for California area. I can tell you this, Merrit is correct in the 3 hour estimate.

It has been said many times on this board and it is true. Your telephones are the lifeline to your customers. Let a pro take care of your needs and be a pro at what you do. I actually think you did pretty good considering you are a Jeweler by profession. But not good enough to stake you business on. I mean that in a complimentary way.

Looking forward to a few of your custom jewelry pics.

John

Hi all - just a question - if this gentlemen punched down the blue and orange pairs on an RJ45 jack and it's 568B, then he won't get a line 2 if he plugs in a 4-wire RJ11 cord. If he punches it down 568A, he will. Whenever people use RJ45 jacks for (example - an Intertel PBX that uses the second pair) and an RJ11 cord, we punch the orange pair on the green pair. Then when they insert their RJ11 cord into the RJ45 jack, they will get connectivity on the orange pair. Just wanted to check if anyone else does this or knows what I mean.