Some of you may remember that I participated in the Powerline discussion (getting internet over the electrical wires) and mentioned that I could no longer use this solution once my main electrical box was upgraded (new switches = heavy filtering).
The short-term solution I came up with was to pull a cable (essentially a patch cable) from the main floor Internet connection up two floors in the conduit for the phone.
Now, I am trying to do a better set-up where I have the cable connected to a splitter box so I can plug in two cat 5 cables (to allow direct connections to computers in two rooms). So, I went out a bought a splitter box (probably not the correct word) from Roline. It is a Cat. 5e flush mounting wall box with dual jack. So good so far.
I read the instructions and they say that there are two options for the wiring. It says "follow the Krone IDC colour code to position T568A or T568B wiring". I have no idea which one I should use. The box allows both (I just wire to the top or bottom of the box). I do not know what the electrician did when he put an end on the cable we pulled. Unfortunately, he is too busy to help these days.
So, my question is: Does it matter which one I use? If yes, how do I tell which one I should use? Do I need one of those special tools to fit the wires into the slots or can I do it by hand (with some other tool)?.
If needed, I can give you the colours they have for the A and B.
T568B is what most new installations would be done as today, but honestly it doesn't matter as long as the pinout is the same on both ends, for a short run in house installation EMI/crosstalk will not cause you many problems. What is more important that you get the right pairs to the right pins on the wall unit, so you might as well follow something like this to hit the right twisted pairs too:
If that is the case, then all you need to do is to make sure the cables on both end side are the same ie both side have the same color cables. if you want to work according to standard, then here is a page with the correct wiring for both options T568A and T568B
Note: The more switches and more length of cable, the more degraded the signal is ie you might not get 100MB or 1000MB speed but this in my experience only matters if you have 100m cable length and more
If I've read this right then a splitter box isn't going to help you.
OK, how I read it:
You have a Cat5e or 6 cable which is plugged into a router downstairs. This cable then runs up to where you are and either terminates as an RJ45 plug or an RJ45 wall socket? If that's so then the splitter won't work for 2 computers. You can't split a single port on a router (Internet box) into 2 separate connections
What you need is a small ethernet switch.
Connect the cable from downstairs to one of the ports on the ethernet switch and then connect two other cables to the switch to go to each computer - job done.
You don't need to buy and run a switch upstairs (you CAN, and it would be ideal from a performance standpoint, but not necessary). 100BASE-TX only uses 2 twisted pairs (4 lines, pins 1 2 3 and 6), so you can run 2 lines in one actual compound cable pull. Look at the picture I posted, you'll need to do that on both ends, and run two cables into the switch downstairs. I think you can even have collision on one port, but really that's pushing it It'll work fine. It'll max out at 100mbit. If you require a gigabit run, then yes, you'll need a switch on the end upstairs.
Thanks for all of your replies so far. Sorry for the confusion about the product and the "splitter comment". I just got in so I will have to read over the replies before I can ask any follow-up questions.
The dual jack has the cat 5 cable coming into it (from downstairs) then it allows me to plug in two patch cables (to the two rooms).
Here is a photo of the product ( roline 25.16.8487R ):
Here is a link to some of the product data (there is a product sheet link part way down the page):
To make this happen, I need to cut the jack off the cable that I have and then "wire" it into this roline jack. Hence the question/confusion about the A&B options.
Thanks again for all of your comments and ideas. I had a chance to read things again.
So, my "splitter thing" is really a RJ45 wall socket. I understand that in terms of wiring it is important/best to stay A:A or B:B. So I need to check the end that I have downstairs in the router and copy it.
I am showing my limited technical knowledge by thinking I could run two computers (at the same time) off one router port. Thanks to all of you for that clarification and the comment about a splitter (downstairs).
Installation:
If I understand things (since my run is probably 15 meters - router to upstairs) I could split the cable as shown in Vostok4's diagram without degrading the speed too much.
I need to install a small switch and two short cables into the two different ports on the router.
Once I have done that, it is not clear what I need to do upstairs. It seems from the directions on the roline RJ45 wall jack that there is only one place to connect the wires (A or B). How would I split things? When I wire it is it splitting the connection as was suggested/shown in the diagram above?
Here is a photo of the inside of the wall jack. On the instructions page it shows the wires being done on only one side (A or B) but on the data page it mentions that there are two ports. ( http://shop.roline.com/roline-surfac...6.8387-20.html ).
@Slaphead. Not a question of the famous molehill but trying to follow/understand what is being suggested.
What I understood from the suggestions is I need a switch and two cables at the router end of things as a start. Are you saying instead that I need to install the switch upstairs for the two computers, ignore the RJ45 wall unit and just leave the single cable downstairs plugged into the router?
Yes - simply connect the switch to the cable from downstairs and use two other cables from the switch to connect to your computers. You don't need to touch anything on the router end.
Buying a wall "blanking plate" to tidy the hole up or a single socket then plug the switch into the single outlet.
This is my set-up, so think yourself lucky I've runout of Ethernet sockets, I don't know what the house it constructed of but wifi doesn't signal travel that well.
Basically I keep tiering of the VDSL Router Ethernet ports by adding routers and switches a port at a time.
VDSL Router Ethernet 1> 1gb Router > Ethernet 1 PC
VDSL Router Ethernet 4> In Line Bridge > Ethernet 1 Internet Radio
Then the usual phones and laptops connect via wifi.
All of this I hardwired and crimped plugs down myself. It's a pain sometimes the crimp takes sometimes not.
Really if you start to talk about physical Ethernet wall sockets you should have though about this when building the house. It's much more difficult to run them behind skirting boards and walls.