rj45
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The end of an RJ45 Ethernet connector (left) vs. an RJ12 phone connector (right)
Ethernet and telephone cables look fairly similar and it is not uncommon to get the two mixed up. The key difference between the two is the size of the plastic connectors on the ends of the cable. Telephones use an RJ11/RJ12 connector whereas Ethernet uses RJ45. RJ11/RJ12 only uses 4-6 pins whereas RJ45 uses 8 pins. As a result, RJ11/RJ12 is physically smaller than RJ45 since it does not need to contain as many pins. See the RJ11 to RJ45 wiring diagram for more info.
Key Takeaways
- Ethernet and telephone cables serve different primary purposes.
- Ethernet cables are designed for networking and data transmission.
- Telephone cables are commonly used for voice and telephone-line connections.
- RJ45/8P8C connectors are commonly associated with Ethernet, while RJ11 connectors are commonly associated with telephone equipment.
- Ethernet cable categories include Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, Cat7, and Cat8.
- Similar-looking
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Keystone jacks are small inserts made from plastic or metal designed for simple customization projects. They are designed to go along with keystone compatible products such as wall plates, surface mount boxes, and patch panels. A keystone ready product is made with square holes where the keystones are inserted. Each keystone simply snaps into place and can be taken out with a simple release tab if they ever need to be removed.
A keystone wall plate with three ports
The main advantage and purpose of keystones is customization. Take wall plates as an example. There are plenty of pre-made wall plates out there that have one RJ45 Ethernet jack and one RJ12 phone jack. But what if a room needs both of those for a computer and phone plus a second RJ12 jack for a fax machine? One extra jack seems like a small thing but finding a pre-made wall plate exactly like that can be a challenge. But by using a keystone wall plate, it is as simple as popping that extra jack into place. Using keystones
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Ethernet is one of the most important types of cables today, being used to connect all manner of technology around the world to the Internet. While many stores today have pre-made ethernet cables available, sometimes another option is needed. Users may need a cable in an unusual size or just need to replace a broken connector. This guide will show users how to put an RJ45 connector onto the end of bare ethernet cable.
Before jumping into the main guide, there is an easy fix if you have a connector where the release tab broke off. When the tab breaks, the cable will not lock into place and have trouble maintaining a connection. This can be easily fixed with a Quick Snap Latch, which is a much easier repair than replacing the whole connector. If a broken latch is the only issue, grab one of those for a simple repair that will only take a few seconds.
A video guide detailing the below steps can be found at the bottom of the article.
Step 1: Gathering the Supplies
There are a few simple supplies
