Linking Traditional Phone Cables to Internet for Housewide Ethernet Connectivity (CAT 5e)
Linking Traditional Phone Cables to Internet for Housewide Ethernet Connectivity (CAT 5e)
I'm aiming to upgrade your home telephone wiring to Ethernet using CAT 5e cabling. You've already replaced the faceplates in your room. Connecting the house wiring to the internet would simply involve running an Ethernet cable from the router to the nearest port, which should provide internet access throughout the house. Regarding the existing setup, it would be ideal to avoid connecting the landline directly to the master socket unless necessary. If you'd like a switch or any other configuration advice, just let me know. Please share more details if needed.
Unless your home had an office phone system before, telephone cables are made of four wires, while Ethernet (especially gigabit) needs eight. Additionally, you should have a direct link for each port; Ethernet doesn’t work well in shared setups (at gigabit, more than three devices can cause constant interference).
Landline power delivery features a fixed 48V DC on-hook level, with off-hook output ranging from 3 to 9V DC. The ring voltage stays at 90Vrms AC at 20Hz, superimposed on the base voltage. Whether it operates as steady 48V DC or fluctuates between 3–9V DC depends on the system design and compatibility with the POE injector. It’s not guaranteed to work as intended, but understanding this helps clarify expectations.
Likely won't be successful. Phone jacks are typically wired in series. Attach one end to the phone junction box (or VoIP router) and then connect each subsequent jack sequentially. You wouldn't want multiple Ethernet devices on the same cable. Unless you have a distribution setup with each Cat5 running from a patch panel to individual wall jacks, you could swap the wall outlet for an RJ45. You might take a pair from the master socket, but your maximum speed would drop significantly—possibly from 1Gb to 100Mb or even 10Mb.
It relies on the construction timeline and location. My home was built in 2004, alongside others in the neighborhood, using CAT 5e for phone lines. Depending on whether RJ 14 or RJ 25 was installed, some pairs were left unused. This setup isn’t exclusive to my area.
It seems likely it's in series, though verifying isn't clear. Using no more than two ports at the other end should work.
Ethernet provides a specific connection between the device and the router/switch. Phone lines usually connect at a single location inside your home. It functions similarly to an electrical junction where several wires are joined, with one carrying the telephone signal.
Yes, it's still feasible to have just one or two connections at the other end.