Pre-wired Home with Cat5E

[Tharilla]

Hello everybody I think I have a pretty good idea of what everything is here that I'm dealing with. Just need to make sure. I have a home with pre-wired Cat5E networking cable all crammed into this little location outside my garage. I plan on just keeping one main line as my landline connection. This also has my fax line at the same location. So in my picture that is the line I have highlighted. The white and orange wire is for the fax line. The rest of the house I want to be able to have ethernet connections throughout the house.

My main concern is the home security system. I think it's the grey wire I have highlighted in the pic. Is this correct? Or am I assuming wrong? IF this is the case I can go ahead and terminate all the other wiring except my main line which I have highlighted. I'm planning on putting a patch panel and Linksys 8 port gigabyte switch in that little area. Would this all work out? Thanks in advance.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

The grey appears to be a 4 wire phone line, only way to know 100% for sure would be to tone it out or you could slap a phone on it and find out.

A patch panel would be a good idea, even punch down the phone line and security if you are feeling froggy, makes it look nicer and easier to work with.

 

[zetsway]

Hello everybody I think I have a pretty good idea of what everything is here that I'm dealing with. Just need to make sure. I have a home with pre-wired Cat5E networking cable all crammed into this little location outside my garage. I plan on just keeping one main line as my landline connection. This also has my fax line at the same location. So in my picture that is the line I have highlighted. The white and orange wire is for the fax line. The rest of the house I want to be able to have ethernet connections throughout the house.

My main concern is the home security system. I think it's the grey wire I have highlighted in the pic. Is this correct? Or am I assuming wrong? IF this is the case I can go ahead and terminate all the other wiring except my main line which I have highlighted. I'm planning on putting a patch panel and Linksys 8 port gigabyte switch in that little area. Would this all work out? Thanks in advance.

Man I so wish my home was wired with Cat5. I'm way to lazy to wired my home. I would invest in a tonner and fine out. People use different colors for different things.

In terms of wiring negative should be black right? Some idiot use pink

 

[Tharilla]

Thanks guys I'm gonna get a toner to make sure. The grey wire I still think is for the security alarm. When I opened the wall plate behind my main phone it was the Cat5e wire. The only one I haven't looked behind is the alarm panels. Thanks again will update.

 

[Modelworks]

Get rid of the wire nuts they don't belong. Use these instead:
http://www.techtoolsupply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=3M-UR

 

[jaqie]

Get rid of the wire nuts they don't belong. Use these instead:
http://www.techtoolsupply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=3M-UR

This is 100% correct.

That wire you point out could very well be the alarm system's "call to security center" phone connectivity wire. Best check.

 

[ASTOCADDIDS]

Why would you not want to use a wireless router? Im a little confused at that. I agree with Evasive, given your restrictions, you cant or wont run wireless. A long CAT5 cable is your only option.

 

[zetsway]

Why would you not want to use a wireless router? Im a little confused at that. I agree with Evasive, given your restrictions, you cant or wont run wireless. A long CAT5 cable is your only option.

Why would you want to run wireless? I'm confused in that. If I had the option to run cat5 in my townhouse I would but I rent so I can't. Wireless is less secure people can sniff your traffic and it requires more equipment. You have to buy a wireless router and if you have a desktop you have to buy a wireless card. I don't know about you but my wireless card gets really hot and I have to replace mine every 4 months.

Wireless in a home that you own is the best solution. If you rent than we have know other choice buy to use what we have wireless

 

[notposting]

I rent in a townhome and ran 2 cat5e and 2 rg-6 to both upstairs bedrooms, plus 2 more cat-5 and 3 more rg-6 to the living room. Plus more in the kitchen and basement.

Then again it's my day job so you could consider it a bit unfair.