Figuring out where cat5e cables terminate

b.gud · 02-05-2020 08:13PM #1

Hey folk looking for some help and hoping someone here might have the answer.

So I recently discovered that my house has cat5e cable running to all the bedrooms in my house, though it's terminated as RJ11 sockets. As far as I can tell the cat5e all comes back to a blank 2 gang socket beside the eircom socket. There is also one extra cat5e cable which I think goes to another blank socket in the hall. I've tried to pull the wires to see if I can figure out the corresponding wires but they don't budge at all.

So what I'm wondering is, is there a way that I can tell which cable corresponds to which socket without simple trial and error of punching them down as female cat5e endpoints

John mac · 02-05-2020 08:28PM

multimeter? battery and a bulb. battery connected to 2 pairs in hall , connect bulb to corresponding pairs in bedrooms . may do the trick

b.gud · 02-05-2020 08:40PM

John mac wrote: »

multimeter? battery and a bulb. battery connected to 2 pairs in hall , connect bulb to corresponding pairs in bedrooms . may do the trick

Thanks that's a great idea I'll give it a go

Cork981 · 02-05-2020 10:50PM

Just join a pair on one side, for example blue and blue/white and do a continuity test on the other side using a multimeter.

Falconire · 03-05-2020 01:11PM

b.gud wrote: »

Hey folk looking for some help and hoping someone here might have the answer.

So I recently discovered that my house has cat5e cable running to all the bedrooms in my house, though it's terminated as RJ11 sockets. As far as I can tell the cat5e all comes back to a blank 2 gang socket beside the eircom socket. There is also one extra cat5e cable which I think goes to another blank socket in the hall. I've tried to pull the wires to see if I can figure out the corresponding wires but they don't budge at all.

So what I'm wondering is, is there a way that I can tell which cable corresponds to which socket without simple trial and error of punching them down as female cat5e endpoints

The easiest way would use a tone tested if you have access to one, if not join two of the wires on the cabel for exanple and then use a bell test on the other ends of the cable with a multi meter to find the cable.

niallb · 05-05-2020 11:23AM

Cork981 wrote: »

Just join a pair on one side, for example blue and blue/white and do a continuity test on the other side using a multimeter.

You could extend that by joining blue/blue-white on one, orange/orange-white on a second, green/green-white on the third. Then you'd only need to visit each end once...

A tone-tester is the easiest way to find them if you've a lot of wiring- they're a fraction of the price they once were. You'll get a basically functional one on adverts or similar for €20.

b.gud · 05-05-2020 12:04PM

Thanks for the help folks. Picked up a multimeter in Lidl yesterday and was able to figure out the wires successfully

smuggler.ie · 05-05-2020 03:05PM

niallb wrote: »

You could extend that by joining blue/blue-white on one, orange/orange-white on a second, green/green-white on the third. Then you'd only need to visit each end once....

..... updated graphical version for multi-room testing....

niallb · 06-05-2020 12:20PM

smuggler.ie wrote: »

..... updated graphical version for multi-room testing....

I went there in my head I must admit, but maintain a bit of decency!
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Figuring out where cat5e cables terminate

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