Running ethernet and PSTN down a single CAT5

[NathanE]

Wanting to sign up to Sky+ but can't yet because I don't have a phone port anywhere near where the Sky box will go.

I do however have a Cat5 that emerges from the wall in the perfect spot.

I seem to recall that 100Mbit Ethernet only actually uses 4 wires of the 8 available in a Cat5 cable. So this leaves 4 wires that aren't be used at all.

Could I use 2 of these unused wires and wire up a PSTN line?

Would there be interference issues? Bare in mind it's only going to be used for Sky+.

PS: I'm aware that this would restrict me from running Gigabit over the cable in the future.

 

[NathanE]

Neat.

I will have to find a RJ45 & RJ11 combined wall plate to put behind the TV area. That will save me from doing some dodgy bodge where a little RJ11 cable is just dangling there with no outer sheeve

The opposite end isn't a problem as that goes to a patch panel anyway.

 

[NathanE]

I got it to work.

In the end I just put a BT socket on the wall next to the existing Ethernet socket and daisy chained it using a short piece of CAT5 and some electrical junction blocks. Not the prettiest of the solutions but it cost me £0 and it's all hidden behind the TV anyway.

The opposite end was fine as I have a patch panel there which makes this sort of thing easy.