sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Should CAT 5 data terminate on a shared 66 block with a phone system ?

If this is personal residential use, leave it on the block and label it well, interference will not be better or worse by leaving it on the block. Odds are if you split the wiring it will never be changed, put in a 2 receptacle jack plate and use a 2,4,or 6 pin jack for the phone and 8 pin for the network, that should eliminate the confusion, I'd even use a unique color for your network. Best is if the wiring can be corrected, correct it.

In this situation, if I had to deal with one Cat-5 cable per location, and needed to split them for voice and data, I would use a patch panel. Punch the Blue and Brown pairs on the odd numbered ports to create a 2-pair USOC configuration, and match the jack at the station end. Then punch the Orange and Green pairs to the even numbered ports for a 10Base-T configuration, again matching it at the station end. This would let you have a network and a phone system using patch cords.

It is certainly not the way it should have been done. The builder didn't do you any favors, but you can make do with what you have.

The ultimate solution would be to repull the cables and terminate properly, voice on blocks and data on a patch panel.

For some small home networks (3-5 cables) where the customer did not want to pay for a patch panel I have installed cat5e jacks on both ends of the cables and label them. It works out great because it provides a test point and it allows the home owner to be able to "kill" an outlet if they ever want to, such as in the kids room if they don't want them on the net for some reason.

If you have to split the pairs (I hate doing that but I've had to in the past) it could be done at the jacks and would be a lot easier to work with.

But of course you would spend more money than the cost of a panel on larger networks so you have to draw the line somewhere.

In those situations, I like the Leviton blank 12-port keystone plate (part #5G596-U89). Snaps right into an 89D bracket. Cleans things up nicely and as long as you're only installing a couple of lines, the total cost (frame + jacks) will be a fraction of a patch panel & wall bracket.

You would still need a patch cable and create an extra connection. Although I much prefer that over someone putting in a 24 port panel on a small job, I just don't think it's needed on a small network that is not going to be doing any active changing after installed. Again, not saying it's wrong just that it's over kill for a small network.

I don't like to put RJ45 (8P8C) ends on building cable. It looks sloppy.

What I do is to get a surface-mount single gang box and the appropriate Leviton wallplate with the appropriate number of holes and the appropriate number of Cat5E jacks.

This works for anywhere from 1 to 6 drops, and looks much neater.

Doesn't look any different than a patch cable plugged into a hub. Everyone has a preferred method and there is nothing wrong with yours for small jobs.
Bill

It is really discouraging to hear that a customer is not willing to pay for a 12 port patch panel that will last the life of the building, but spends the same money on one tire or car battery that is good for a few years.
Siemens does make adaptors that will pin out an RJ 14 and Ethernet from a cat 5 jack , but you will need one at each end of the link. You can also buy a mod-adaptor the fits on the 66 block and provides the cat 5 female connection. By the time you put this all together, you have spent more $$ than you would have to do it right in the first place. It does work for a sacrifice single.

Siemon Company is the manufacturer. I am in agreement here in all other aspects though.

If the customer was unwilling to pay for a patch panel and 19" swingaway mount I would either put RJ45 ends on the station cable or depending on number of drops use a surface mount box with jacks. Then patch into switch/router. All 3 ways work. I wouldn't use 66 blocks for data.