Long Ethernet cable or DSL cable?

Sui · 21 Sep 2018 at 13:29

Hi Folks,

Moved into a new house last month and I'm trying to get some network connectivity to the TV/media units, unfortunately the phone socket is in a rubbish place for our room layout. I have the following options (I think)

1. Set router up where socket is located and run an ethernet cable outside, over external door and back in.
2. Set up router near TV and run a DSL cable from the phone socket as per above ethernet cable.

I'm thinking of buying a 20meter cable, the question essentially is does one cable degrade over distance more than the other?

A couple of photos - There is a whole in the corner near the shoes I can use for the cable going outside where an outside light has been uninstalled and have a Sky engineer coming tomorrow which I'm hoping will make a whole in the wall near where the TV is to bring the feed in.

Armageus · 21 Sep 2018 at 13:38

Assuming you have power near the phone socket for a router anyway, then using Homeplugs could also be an option.

Ideally you want to keep the DSL cable as short as possible to minimize signal degradation, whereas Ethernet is designed to run up to 100m with no degradation.

bremen1874 · 21 Sep 2018 at 13:58

Either option will work.

If you run a length of external grade Cat5e you can use it to extend the DSL line or as a network cable.

You can buy kits that contain all of the parts you require.

Extending the DSL cable shouldn't make much difference to broadband connection unless it's already marginal.

Sui · 21 Sep 2018 at 14:09

Thanks peeps. I could do the powerline option as well, I'm just planning to get a little hub/switch behind the TV and have it as my main networking point.

I'll see how friendly the Sky guy is tomorrow to see if he can put an extra hole in the wall

bledd · 21 Sep 2018 at 14:28

Best option is 0.5m ADSLnation rj11 cable from wall to modem/router then ethernet cable to router/switch

Sui · 21 Sep 2018 at 17:23

bremen1874 said:
Either option will work.

If you run a length of external grade Cat5e you can use it to extend the DSL line or as a network cable.

You can buy kits that contain all of the parts you require.

Extending the DSL cable shouldn't make much difference to broadband connection unless it's already marginal.

bledd said:
Best option is 0.5m ADSLnation rj11 cable from wall to modem/router then ethernet cable to router/switch

Any recommendations for the external Ethernet cable? Seems a minefield on Amazon with things not being what they say judging by reviews. Don’t want to spend the world on it ideally, will need just over 10m so I guess a 15m length.

bledd · 21 Sep 2018 at 19:15

You comfortable with crimping connectors?

I can post you a 20M length for free if you like. It's CCS cable, solid core cat5e. Usually around £100 for 305M.

bremen1874 · 21 Sep 2018 at 19:49

If the OP wants to take you up on your generous offer he's got the easier option of using faceplates available.

Sui · 21 Sep 2018 at 20:42

bledd said:
You comfortable with crimping connectors?

I can post you a 20M length for free if you like. It's CCS cable, solid core cat5e. Usually around £100 for 305M.

That's very generous of you, I'm more than happy to pay you for it though, as I've struggled to find custom lengths of decent things. I've had a look at a video of how to do it and doesn't look too bad!

I'll pop you a trust with address etc.

p.s @bremen1874 Faceplate as in I can attach the end near the TV into a wallsocket type thing rather than just having a loose cable?

bledd · 21 Sep 2018 at 21:08

No need to pay, I've got loads of spares from various installs etc.

I can crimp one end (the router end), and send you a module for the far end. As long as you send my punch down tool back, all is well

Uhtred · 22 Sep 2018 at 09:45

As a 3rd option I run a 30m length of external cat5e from the phone socket to the modem in my garage using RJ11 to RJ45 converters at each end.

Ayahuasca · 22 Sep 2018 at 09:50

Was a massive sigh of relief when I realised I could go under the floor when I moved in, I do need to run an external cable to an upstairs office though so I'll keep an eye on this thread.

Graham.M · 2 Apr 2020 at 07:49

I had a BT hub plugged directly into the main BT socket located in a temporary caravan. When we moved into the house I installed an old redundant hub in the house as a secondary unit, which was then connected to the router in the caravan via an Ethernet cable (Cat5), length approx 25m. This worked fine giving test speeds of around 12mb/s. I then decided to extend the phone line into the house so we could use the phone so I re-used the cat 5 cable as the phone line and I installed secondary phone sockets in the house. I moved the main hub from the caravan to the house, plugging it into the secondary phone socket and my speed test dropped to 1.6mb/s at 7am, 0.8mb/s during the day. Not sure why this should be as somebody said earlier cat5 cable is designed for speed, but maybe as an Ethernet cable and not as a phone line extension?

bledd · 2 Apr 2020 at 08:06

Graham.M said:
I had a BT hub plugged directly into the main BT socket located in a temporary caravan. When we moved into the house I installed an old redundant hub in the house as a secondary unit, which was then connected to the router in the caravan via an Ethernet cable (Cat5), length approx 25m. This worked fine giving test speeds of around 12mb/s. I then decided to extend the phone line into the house so we could use the phone so I re-used the cat 5 cable as the phone line and I installed secondary phone sockets in the house. I moved the main hub from the caravan to the house, plugging it into the secondary phone socket and my speed test dropped to 1.6mb/s at 7am, 0.8mb/s during the day. Not sure why this should be as somebody said earlier cat5 cable is designed for speed, but maybe as an Ethernet cable and not as a phone line extension?

Don't extend phone line. Put your modem/router right next to the port, then run cat5e to your next switch.

Graham.M · 2 Apr 2020 at 09:50

Thanks for the reply. I connected my main router back to the main BT socket and that improved the speed to 2.1mb/s, though not the original 12mb/s that I had. I then disconnected the telephone extension cable at the main BT socket (25m of Cat5) and retested, speed back up to 12mb/s. So it was the telephone extension cable dragging it down for some reason! I still have the secondary router connected to the main router via 25m of Cat5 and thats still giving me the full speed! So the Cat5 works well for its intended purpose but seems not as a phone extension. Wonder if ‘proper’ phone cable would make a difference. It’s a little bit annoying I cant connect the house phone but we dont really need it and haven’t missed it over the last 12 months, we all have mobiles with unlimited minutes!

nlel1975 · 2 Apr 2020 at 11:25

Sui said:
Any recommendations for the external Ethernet cable? Seems a minefield on Amazon with things not being what they say judging by reviews. Don’t want to spend the world on it ideally, will need just over 10m so I guess a 15m length.

I picked up a 10M Cat 6 cable from the Amazon marketplace for £ 2.94 ex VAT inc delivery. On eBay the cheapest 10M Cat 6 was £ 2.75 inc delivery.

The cable is round with pre moulded RJ-45 connectors on it.

bremen1874 · 2 Apr 2020 at 11:32

nlel1975 said:
I picked up a 10M Cat 6 cable from the Amazon marketplace for £ 2.94 ex VAT inc delivery. On eBay the cheapest 10M Cat 6 was £ 2.75 inc delivery.

The cable is round with pre mounded RJ-45 connectors on it.

For an external cable, I'd be buying a length of external grade solid core and a faceplate to go onto the wall at each end. Various sellers on eBay and the like sell kits that contain all of the parts you'd need.

Having trailing cables will obviously work, but it's a bit ****.

Deleted member 77746 · 2 Apr 2020 at 11:38

I have a 5cm DSL cable (4 pin) - Router as close to the socket as possible (I get 80/20 connection) then an Ethernet cable running to the centre of the house with a ikea lack rack to a (8 port poe switch) then from the 8 port goes to different rooms. These are all in the wall so no cables are visible except network points on the wall.

nlel1975 · 2 Apr 2020 at 11:45

bremen1874 said:
Having trailing cables will obviously work, but it's a bit ****.

I don’t mind, I can’t do what you suggest.

bremen1874 · 2 Apr 2020 at 11:46

Graham.M said:
Thanks for the reply. I connected my main router back to the main BT socket and that improved the speed to 2.1mb/s, though not the original 12mb/s that I had. I then disconnected the telephone extension cable at the main BT socket (25m of Cat5) and retested, speed back up to 12mb/s. So it was the telephone extension cable dragging it down for some reason! I still have the secondary router connected to the main router via 25m of Cat5 and thats still giving me the full speed! So the Cat5 works well for its intended purpose but seems not as a phone extension. Wonder if ‘proper’ phone cable would make a difference. It’s a little bit annoying I cant connect the house phone but we dont really need it and haven’t missed it over the last 12 months, we all have mobiles with unlimited minutes!

I've extended several phone sockets for VDSL connections and haven't lost any significant sync. The length of cable you're adding is usually insignificant compared to the length of the cable that's coming in from the street. There are always going to be edge cases, but losing that much sync seems excessive.

I'd start with a filtered faceplate. Using solid core cable (CW1308 or Cat5/Cat5e/Cat6/etc.) use a pair for voice and a pair for data and connect using the IDC terminals, not the sockets. At the other end connect a double network faceplate, or if you want to get exotic dedicated RJ11 and BT phone sockets.