Home wiring

[kgruber]

Now that I don't have a home phone and am completely cellular, I was wondering?

What are some of the uses I could put my old phone wiring system to?

I'm thinking maybe speaker wire?

 

[mikea]

You can use it as your home network, either by wiring in some RJ-45 jacks on short runs or using HomePNA devices

 

[gismo]

Now that I don't have a home phone and am completely cellular, I was wondering?

What are some of the uses I could put my old phone wiring system to?

I'm thinking maybe speaker wire?

As long as you're talking "background music" telco wire (which is usually 22 or 24 gauge) is going to have a higher resistance than optimal, especially if the length is more than 20 ft.

 

[gismo]

You can use it as your home network, either by wiring in some RJ-45 jacks on short runs or using HomePNA devices

The 3 pair UTP unsheathed wiring that was common for residential phone wiring doesn't come very close to meeting Cat 5 or 6 standards for impedance etc. The older 4 conductor sheathed cable (IW) is far worse. But like you posted short runs will still work at 100 Kbps. I don't know what the practical limit for that is but I'd guess it's around 50-100 ft.

 

[mikea]

The 3 pair UTP unsheathed wiring that was common for residential phone wiring doesn't come very close to meeting Cat 5 or 6 standards for impedance etc. The older 4 conductor sheathed cable (IW) is far worse. But like you posted short runs will still work at 100 Kbps. I don't know what the practical limit for that is but I'd guess it's around 50-100 ft.

You note I said short runs. It's been proven that you can send 100mbps over barbed wire for short runs, Mr. Engineer. We hackers don't check the theory before we try it.

 

[ja_user]

It will run 100Mpbs easy, since at least 1995. Your broadband likely isn't near that fast yet. If you have a newer home, you MAY have CAT5, which will get you GigE if installed properly... Which is doubtful.

 

[gismo]

You note I said short runs. It's been proven that you can send 100mbps over barbed wire for short runs, Mr. Engineer. We hackers don't check the theory before we try it.

I did indeed notice and I must admit I've pushed relatively high speed data over crappy wire before myself. I should also point out that I meant to write 100mbps not 100kbps for short runs of "three pair" telco wire. And FWIW, the "theory" is compatible with your experience.

 

[AdamZ]

Well if your gonna rewire then by all means

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX3kxAA2L4Q