atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Splitting a CAT5 for voice and data

you can network with quad if you had to.

Yep. Look up products like Ethersplit. They run POTS and 10baseT over the same quad cable.

I've been doing this for 20 years. I agree with Clinton on this. The customer never remembers the deal they got today, even if they requested it. They just remember the trouble it caused later. And yes they do tell every one they know.

Plot thickens.

Verizon, or it's contractors, have wired at least one apartment complex with 6-pair cat5 (not even cat5e, place was built in 2000) to the demarc, and is using two of those pairs for Ethernet, which is wired to a jack right near the built-in computer desk. (Plugging a computer into the Ethernet gives you the option to sign up for their service when you try to go to any web site). The other pair(s) would be used for analog voice service if the customer wants phone service.

BTW. The 6-pair cat5 is terminated on a 110 block inside the apartment along with home runs to all of the jacks in the apartment.

Dunno what's at the demarc end, I have no idea where it is in that particular building.

Somebody sold that bunch a few bottles of snake oil for sure. Imagine that, Verizon, the supposed authority on how it's supposed to be done breaking perhaps the #1 cardinal rule in network cabling.

A large installer here in NE Florida partnered with a CLEAC and did a similar thing in a business park but got sued for not giving the tenants an alternative internet provider.

Interesting, this complex has Comcast cable and in fact my friend ordered Comcast cablemodem service since the Verizon Ethernet service seemed expensive for the speeed you get.

Back on the topic, what is the purpose of 6-pair Cat5e? It seems to be intended for multiple services in the same cable. Why else would you want an extra 2 pairs in the cable?

back in the early 90's, I ran into an issue with split pairs. The I-Macs had just come out, and the client had replaced several tired workstations with the latest and greatest offering from MacIntosh.

As soon as they plugged in the network cable (that was a split pair feeding 2 previous computers) the building network halted. Seems the I-Mac was a full-duplex system, and required all 4 pair to communicate.

Then and Now are two different things!

Older Macs used Localtalk, which ran on one pair at 230kbps. This stuff would even work on quad wire.

The Imac came with 10baseT, which as we all know runs at 10mbps, requires 2 pairs, and needs cable that's at least twisted pair.

the old local talk used the "black and yellow" pair, in theory it was to allow you to run it over your exhisting telephone wiring