[romo218]

Hi.

Im installing a new phone jack that is only using a 6ft cable from my telephone interface box to the jack im installing in the wall. (the spot is right on the other side of the wall).

What cable should I use? Cat 5/6? Or can i just use a regular telephone cable... I originally planned to just use a regular phone line and just connect green/red, but when I looked at the wires they were kind of thin, and im not sure how theyll do outside.

The only use for this jack is a dsl modem. Its going to be doing 3Mbps and I want the fastest speed possible.

Theres going to be 6ft from telephone interface box to the jack, then a 25ft regular telephone cable from the jack to the modem. Is 25ft too long?

Please help!

Thanks!
Greg

 

[Scuba_Dave]

Reg phone wires works
25' is not too long, I've used 50' cords

 

[romo218]

anyone want to confirm this taht its ok to use regular phone line wire?

 

[Scuba_Dave]

Reg phone wire has been used for decades if not centuries
Whats your problem with phone wire?
Its why its called phone wire

 

[romo218]

every online source says use at least cat 5. The lowest in most stores is now cat 6. Phone line is less than cat 3. Ive never read about someone connecting phone line to telephone interface box in the near present.

Phone line was good back in the day when you just wanted to run 56K dial up internet. I run 3 Mbps internet in mine. Not sure if its good enough to use phone cable...

 

[Atroxx]

The selling point of DSL has always been that it runs over a normal phone line. The cable isn't what makes it go fast, it's the distance from you to the DSL box thing that the phone company installs on your street/block. While there's no reason why you can't run CAT5, it wouldn't make any significant difference in your speed.

Incidentally, CAT3 and CAT5 cable use the exact same wire size, there's just more of them in your CAT5. Also, CAT3 is rated to carry 10 megs/second by the Telecommunications Industry Association, which is more than 3 times what you'll be carrying on it.

 

[PaliBob]

Good advice from Scuba.

....and just connect green/red...

As far as color codes go, here is the more recent color chart that I keep handy:
http://nps-vip.net/tester/colortbl.htm

If the line polarity gets reversed the DSL will still work but you can verify it with a cheapo polarity Tester:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Philmore-75-4650-Telephone-Modular-Jack-Line-Tester_W0QQitemZ260417009339QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ca21036bb&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65:12|66:2|39:1|72:1205|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50


or same Tester from ACE:
http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com/ace-telephone-line-tester-eliminates-costly-p-17038.html?ref=42

 

[Scuba_Dave]

Should have 'splained it better

If you have some CAT3, 5 or 6 then use it
But I wouldn't buy it just for that purpose
Are you running a CAT3, 5 or 6 25' line to the modem?
If not & its's just phone wire then it doesn't matter whats used for the 6'

My old phone wires are thicker gauge then CAT3, 5 or 6

My new addition will have CAT3 for phone, CAT6 for Network
Only reason I am using CAT3 is I have a 1,000' spool

 

[AndrewF]

Yes, but he also doesnt want his 6' to be the weakest part of the link...meaning, high resistance as that could (albeit ever so little) affect his speeds.

I would utilize a 20 gauge piece of wire.

Most in-wall phone cable is fine...if you are talking about the flexible RJ11/12 cable, I'd toss it.

But that is just me as I always seem to have spools of cable around and my own crimps and tools.

 

[theatretch85]

When I was in the middle of my remodel on my house, I ripped out all the old coax and 4 conductor phone wiring strung throughout the house all the way to the demarc. I am home running everything for voice, data, and catv to a server room I am building in the basement. Phones I am running Cat5e since I will actually be using IP phones and need the full 4 pairs (phone gets powered via POE at the switch in the server room) but in the future it will be easy enough to use it as a standard phone jack with up to 4 phone lines. I didn't see any reason to go with anything higher than cat5e for the voice, I have cat6 for all the data jacks, and in some places im running gigabit fiber, catv is all quad sheild rg6.

Anyway, back on topic - just about any phone wiring you buy these days would be more than adequate to run 6ft through a wall to run a DSL modem. That being said, go find the shortest length of cable you can buy (unless you have some handy) or I believe Home Depot will cut a short length off the spool for you so you don't have a ton extra (if thats something of a concern to you). Most likely the cable will be standard 4 conductor phone wire or cat3/5 and will be just fine for your application. Just make sure its "in-wall" rated and you'll be fine.

Like was said here earlier, if that 25' cable from the jack to the modem is a standard phone cord it won't matter if you have cat 6 in the wall. I still don't think it will matter even if that 25' cable was cat 6.

 

[ScottR]

if you are talking about the flexible RJ11/12 cable, I'd toss it.

Couldn't agree more. The conductors on that stuff are usually so thin that, resistance aside, I'd be afraid of them breaking off the screw terminals when a slight wind blows.

The 22awg straight up red/green/yellow/black stuff will not affect your speed at all vs. CAT3-6 on that short of a run. Hell, the telco probably isn't using twisted pair anyway, and you're probably a few miles from their CO anyways (central office -- other end of your DSL connection).

Its going to be doing 3Mbps and I want the fastest speed possible.

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

No offense intended - sometimes the speed you can get is the speed you can get. But that's a funny statement..

When I was in the middle of my remodel on my house, I ripped out all the old coax and 4 conductor phone wiring strung throughout the house all the way to the demarc. I am home running everything for voice, data, and catv to a server room I am building in the basement.

That's weird, I could say the exact same thing. Down to the server room. Bet you were looking at split type A/Cs and pricing out the tools to evac. the lines and charge it yourself instead of paying for the install, but the whole thing's so expensive and you just bought a house, so for now the servers will just go in the basement with a portable A/C? Or is that part just me? :thumbup:

 

[romo218]

Cool tanks for the help everyone.


So I just finished and i did just use normal phone line. Each wire was very thin so i was still a bit worried, but it seems to work fine...for now.

Im just worried the thin wires may cause a disconnect and cause the box to constantly reconnect.

using old phone jack
Jitter: 6ms
Ping: 52ms
Download: 131 Mbps
Upload: 31 Mbps

using new jack
Jitter: 0ms
Ping: 12ms
Download: 144
Upload: 42 Mbps

So just by moving the box to a new line made a significant difference on my connection by having it so close to the interface box and now it doesnt run through the 30 year old wiring from our basement. The main thing is the 52 ping down to only 12 which was a supprise to me. (For those who dont know lower ping/jitter is good)

Now i just have to wait till friday for them to activate my 3 Mbps download speed

Thanks again
Greg

 

[theatretch85]

That's weird, I could say the exact same thing. Down to the server room. Bet you were looking at split type A/Cs and pricing out the tools to evac. the lines and charge it yourself instead of paying for the install, but the whole thing's so expensive and you just bought a house, so for now the servers will just go in the basement with a portable A/C? Or is that part just me? :thumbup:

Haha, Actually I happen to have a cold air return duct that runs right through the ceiliing of the server room into the bedroom right next to it that I just "T'ed" off and will run a short line into the rack. Then probably putting in some pass-through in-take vents in the wall of the server room near the floor to help facilitate the exchange of the air in the server room. I've considered installing a register on the heat vent thats also in the server room and only opening it when the a/c is on in the summer.

To the op, Looks like you've got a pretty decent change in connection stats, I wouldn't worry about trying to make it better. Just leave it the way it is, no need to futz with it more.

 

[romo218]

actually a problem. If it rains at all, the new line wont connect to dsl at all. the dsl light just blinks red... Any ideas?

There edinetly isnt any rain getting to connections... Does rain maybe affect the thin wiring?

as soon as the rain stops, the dsl back to normal...

 

[Atroxx]

My dsl does crap like that when the weather gets bad. If you are sure there is no water getting into your box or other jacks in your house, I would call your phone company and report the problem. It is probably on their end anyway.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I've never had DSL
Is it strictly a phone line connection?
I'm thinking of DTV & internet which used phone & small dish
During bad weather signal sucked - TV pic was pixelated
So I dropped DTV after 1 year

At one house the line from the street was bad
This was when I had dial up connections - modems
Telco replaced the line & the problem was solved

 

[PaliBob]

DSL is a leased phone line that has simultaneous connection to a regular voice line and an Internet connection that is always ON.

Dave, are you on Cable now?

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I'm on FIOS over 2years now, had comcast before that
I actually had cable internet back in 1998 or so at my last house
I was surprised because I was sort of out in the boonies
No-one was on so it was really fast at the time
Beat 52k dial-up

 

[Chatter]

Cat 3 inside wire is fine to use from the prot. to a jack if the wire is protected from the weather. The problem, is cat3 telephone wire does not stand up to the elements outside. If the wire is flexed in very cold weather, the outer coating can shatter. The telephone people use a wire (drop wire) that has a heavy coat for outside. Cat3 wire on the other side of the modem or routers will handle speeds to 10 mbps and the cat 5 will handle speeds to 100 mbps. Hope this information is helpful.