Use phone wire for PoE?

[JonSnow]

My house uses cat5 cables for the phone lines, I only wired one for the actual phone and the rest I can use for other purposes.

I have yet to terminate any of them, other than the one used for the phone and a hack on one for testing. I plan on using it for PoE cameras and a few PoE Wireless Access Points.

The problem I have is the cables don't actually run to my patch panel, which ever wall has the jack i have about 3-5ft of extra cable in the basement and i need to run each wire at 10ft to reach my patch panel. The idea is if i was to get the phone jacks wired they would daisy chain the cables.

Whats the best way to length these cables?
Is it a bad idea to run PoE with couplers and Cat5 cables?
Is it a bad idea to mix cat5 and cat6 cables when used for PoE?

I was planning on installing a RJ45 male plug on the cat5 phone wire and using a punch down keystone on the new cat6 cable i'd run, so its becomes a coupler. I haven't been able to find punch down couplers on both ends otherwise i would have went with that.

We'll also be finishing the basement at some point and worried the r45 plug may come loose or something, it has happened before.

 

[mat200]

My house uses cat5 cables for the phone lines, I only wired one for the actual phone and the rest I can use for other purposes.

I have yet to terminate any of them, other than the one used for the phone. I plan on using it for PoE cameras and a few wireless Access Points.

The problem I have is the cables don't actually run to my patch panel, which ever wall has the jack i have about 3-5ft of extra cable in the basement and i need to run each wire at 10ft to reach my patch panel. The idea is if i was to get the phone jacks wired they would daisy chain the cables.

Whats the best way to length these cables?

I was planning on installing a RJ45 male plug on the cat5 phone wire and using a punch down keystone on the new cat6 cable i'd run, so its becomes a coupler. I haven't been able to find punch down couplers on both ends otherwise i would have went with that.

We'll also be finishing the basement at some point and worried the r45 plug may come loose or something, it has happened before.

Hi @JonSnow

Is it Cat5 or Cat5e?

 

[JonSnow]

The phone wire is Cat5 and not Cat5e.

I'm using one with an Access Point without PoE and its been fine so not really worried about data or throughput just need to know if its a bad idea for PoE.

 

[Hammerhead786]

Since you have an unfinished basement, I would suggest you get some cat 5/cat 6 junction blocks. When you decide to finish your basement, you could fix the blocks to a stud and attach a cover plate over it in case you ever needed to access it again. Something like this: Amazon.com: SF Cable, CAT6 Junction Box, 110 Punch Down Type UL Listed: Computers & Accessories.

 

[TonyR]

+1^^^, @Hammerhead786 .....that's the exact one I was getting ready to show the OP.

You can extend an existing pre-terminated cable with a female-female RJ-45 coupler but I DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT. I have done it in a protected, indoor environment as a temporary measure until I can replace the cable soon. The more mechanical connections you introduce into any circuit, the more possibility of problems. Extreme temperature swings, especially in an attic, can introduce thermally intermittent connections, especially with something that depends on spring pressure and friction to make and maintain a good, low impedance connection. Moisture from a basement or crawl space would not help either.

 

[Hammerhead786]

The phone wire is Cat5 and not Cat5e.

I'm using one with an Access Point without PoE and its been fine so not really worried about data or throughput just need to know if its a bad idea for PoE.

Ideally, I would suggest upgrading your cable to Cat6, however, if this is not an option for you, then POE can be run on a Cat 5 cable.

 

[JonSnow]

Since you have an unfinished basement, I would suggest you get some cat 5/cat 6 junction blocks. When you decide to finish your basement, you could fix the blocks to a stud and attach a cover plate over it in case you ever needed to access it again. Something like this: Amazon.com: SF Cable, CAT6 Junction Box, 110 Punch Down Type UL Listed: Computers & Accessories.

I've been looking all over, I'm up north so shipping from Amazon.com won't work for me.

What about this? Do i need to worry about UL?

Tripp Lite N237-001 Cat6 Cat5e Unshielded Junction Box, 110 Style Punch Down : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

Tripp Lite N237-001 Cat6 Cat5e Unshielded Junction Box, 110 Style Punch Down : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

www.amazon.ca

I bought a couple of these

Amazon.ca

 

[JonSnow]

Ideally, I would suggest upgrading your cable to Cat6, however, if this is not an option for you, then POE can be run on a Cat 5 cable.

Yeah that wouldn't be possible as most of these run to the attic and then down into the rooms

 

[Hammerhead786]

I've been looking all over, I'm up north so shipping from Amazon.com won't work for me.

What about this? Do i need to worry about UL?

Tripp Lite N237-001 Cat6 Cat5e Unshielded Junction Box, 110 Style Punch Down : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

Tripp Lite N237-001 Cat6 Cat5e Unshielded Junction Box, 110 Style Punch Down : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

www.amazon.ca

I bought a couple of these

Amazon.ca

Take a look at this: CAT5e Punch Down Type Junction Box [ZJB-C5EPD] - $4.95 CDN : Cable Sales Canada, your computer cable and accessory online superstore!. Remember that this is for solid and not stranded cable.

 

[JonSnow]

Take a look at this: CAT5e Punch Down Type Junction Box [ZJB-C5EPD] - $4.95 CDN : Cable Sales Canada, your computer cable and accessory online superstore!. Remember that this is for solid and not stranded cable.

Never bought from them but will check it out.

 

[TonyR]

Never bought from them but will check it out.

And they have a single gang, surface mount box for a CAT-5e jack: here

 

[JonSnow]

And they have a single gang, surface mount box for a CAT-5e jack: here

Yes I planned to do exactly that, a keystone inside a blank surface mount box. The one end would still use the RJ45 male plug. I do like the idea of the junction box since eventually it will get covered by a ceiling but maybe to late.

If i decide to go either way, I'll be fine to use for PoE, especially the cat5 side?

I had already ordered the keystone, surface mount and RJ45 plugs, so rather not spend more on a junction box if i don't need to.

 

[TonyR]

If i decide to go either way, I'll be fine to use for PoE, especially the cat5 side?

Should be OK for POE as long as:

• The cable is solid copper, not CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum)
• You punchdown/terminate all ends/jacks correctly to the T-568B spec.
• You test with simple Ethernet cable tester before putting into service.