Quick tip for testing phone cable?

beaker · 08-11-2005 3:34pm #1

I have just moved into a house with dodgy phone wiring. There is a dead phone socket in the living room (which I would really like to use for DSL). By the front door, there are the exposed ends of 4 phone cables, with all the little coloured wires sticking out.

Is there any quick and dirty way to test if any of these exposed ends have the living room socket at the other end?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Cheers.

Miley · 08-11-2005 3:37pm

If you could get your hands on a tone set, that would do it for you

Diabolus · 08-11-2005 4:04pm

Alternatively attach a small battery to the wires.
Then touch the loose ends with a phase tester.

beaker · 09-11-2005 1:07am

Thanks, Diabolus. Nice idea. I'll give it a rattle.

Miley, I'm afraid I don't know what a tone set is.

Thanks for the replies, guys.

gordonnet · 13-11-2005 12:03am

tone set = continuity tester.?
maplin have a phone / network tester available.

Capt'n Midnight · 13-11-2005 12:30am

Diabolus wrote:

Alternatively attach a small battery to the wires.
Then touch the loose ends with a phase tester.

phase tester won't work off a battery !

you could stick a resistor across two wires and measure the at the other end

or you could use a continuity tester , get one in a car accessory shop should light up on a 9 v battery - but don't forget that a short would drain it in no time.

or use a christmas tree light and a 9v battery

darraghrogan · 13-11-2005 3:57pm

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

phase tester won't work off a battery !

you could stick a resistor across two wires and measure the at the other end

or you could use a continuity tester , get one in a car accessory shop should light up on a 9 v battery - but don't forget that a short would drain it in no time.

or use a christmas tree light and a 9v battery

9V battery and lick them!

If you want to be absolutely sure that your line passes the DSL test - ring eircom to get it tested BEFORE connecting up all the other extensions.

Darragh

beaker · 16-11-2005 12:58pm

Thanks for the replies. I didn't think this thread would be this lively!

I like the christmas tree light idea.

It now looks like those wires are alarm wires that were put in but there was never an alarm installed. The inner coloured wires look very phone-wire-like.

I'm wondering if they would carry a dsl signal?

But I'm also reckoning the whole pre-existing wiring thing is too dodgy and I that I should figure out a different solution...

Quick tip for testing phone cable?

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