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Piggybacking Telco & Cat5
- Thread starter TomZ
- Start date
Tom, I have done this many times with good results. First check and see what pairs the phone is using, you don't want to put the phone out of service. Cat5 data normally takes 2 pairs that I think connect to pins 3and6 and 7,8 on the cat5 jacks. I am not sure on the pin numbers, maybe someone that knows more about cat5 and data will correct me if I am wrong.
I have done PBX work at many motels that had data sent to each room this way and some of the wiring was a big mess but seemed to work ok.
Good Luck
Robert
I have done PBX work at many motels that had data sent to each room this way and some of the wiring was a big mess but seemed to work ok.
Good Luck
Robert
Except (most) 66 blocks are not cat-5 certified, so there may be a data stumbling block.
I've noticed that some CAT5 cable breaks down over time and tends to, eventualy, short out when ringing voltage is applied. The insulation on most CAT5 isn't as good as most CAT3 telephone wire. It usually takes 3 to 5 years for these failures to start, but if you're unlucky enough to have it happen, you'll have to replace the CAT5. I've been running POTS over CAT5 for over 10 years and have seen this happen on indoor runs twice, so far.
No, I've done it quite a few times. No crosstalk problems at all.
CO
CO
ChiefOperator said:No, I've done it quite a few times. No crosstalk problems at all.
CO
Cross talk isn't the issue. The problem is that a wire in one pair can physically short to another. I've had two pairs short together and, more commonly, the two wires in a single pair short together. When it starts, the symptom is that incoming rings are answered by the breakdown of the insulation, then the call is dropped because there is still enough gap so that the resistance is too high to hold the call. I've also seen this on very, very old CAT3, but usually on stuff that's 40 or 50 years old. Some CAT5 seems to last better than others, but considering the fairly thin insulation on all of it, I suspect that most of the CAT5 will have a shorter life than typical CAT3 telco wire.
Wired our small studio building with CAT5 cable for the telephone system 8 years ago --yet to have a problem. Did not look to me like the insulation on the CAt5 cable I used was any thinner then the stuff normally sold for telco installations.
For our site, the CAT5 cabling was attractive not only for the price (with everyone doing computer network installations price goes down quickly) but because it uses twisted pairs (unlike cat3), which help with RF suppression (17 kw 200' above studio). The telephone system we use is the multiline "AT&T" (not) which runs tip and ring around the building, so it's telco ringing voltage on the wires.
CAT5 color codes are on the internet--just Google it. There are two different systems in use. Note, too, that some of the jacks can be wired dual use--telco modular hits the center 4 wires, while the network cable doesn't go in as far & only picks up the 4 wires on the outside used for the LAN. Back to the original question--our local electrical supplier had a rack mount punch block for Cat5 with jacks on the front. At our other station I just mounted this below the switch, brought the wiring up through the floor below the rack & used short jumpers into the switch. Made a nice neat install. But then, my building, new install. One doesn't always have that luxury.
For our site, the CAT5 cabling was attractive not only for the price (with everyone doing computer network installations price goes down quickly) but because it uses twisted pairs (unlike cat3), which help with RF suppression (17 kw 200' above studio). The telephone system we use is the multiline "AT&T" (not) which runs tip and ring around the building, so it's telco ringing voltage on the wires.
CAT5 color codes are on the internet--just Google it. There are two different systems in use. Note, too, that some of the jacks can be wired dual use--telco modular hits the center 4 wires, while the network cable doesn't go in as far & only picks up the 4 wires on the outside used for the LAN. Back to the original question--our local electrical supplier had a rack mount punch block for Cat5 with jacks on the front. At our other station I just mounted this below the switch, brought the wiring up through the floor below the rack & used short jumpers into the switch. Made a nice neat install. But then, my building, new install. One doesn't always have that luxury.
Kmagrill-
I understand the point of the 90V breaking down the insulation over time. I have not seen that problem, but I'm not saying that your wrong. You may well be correct.
I'll add to the original poster that indeed the two can be mixed. In fact, the contact sequence is designed to mix POTS and data. You'll notice that data uses pins 1,2,3,6. POTS uses pins 4,5. If wired properly, one can insert a POTS connector and pick-up dial tone from 4,5. Or they can insert a data connector and pick-up data off 1,2,3,6--without picking up POTS voltages on 4,5....
Good luck
I understand the point of the 90V breaking down the insulation over time. I have not seen that problem, but I'm not saying that your wrong. You may well be correct.
I'll add to the original poster that indeed the two can be mixed. In fact, the contact sequence is designed to mix POTS and data. You'll notice that data uses pins 1,2,3,6. POTS uses pins 4,5. If wired properly, one can insert a POTS connector and pick-up dial tone from 4,5. Or they can insert a data connector and pick-up data off 1,2,3,6--without picking up POTS voltages on 4,5....
Good luck
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