| Doing your own home phone wiring can save a lot | | | | work. Remember to run the cable where it |
| of money on labor costs. It's also fun to do and | | | | won’t get hit with nails. Put protective |
| safe. | | | | plates over the cable where they could be cut. |
| A person can really save a lot of money by doing | | | | |
| his or her own labor in many areas, but residential | | | | It’s also important to keep all Cat5 cables |
| phone wiring is where many homeowners feel | | | | apart from power cables to avoid interference. |
| more confident because of the low voltage wiring | | | | Next, run a cable from the hub to the outside |
| in phone systems. | | | | power box installed by the phone company. |
| | | | | |
| Phone systems are different than electrical wiring | | | | Once the cable runs are complete we can wire |
| systems in the fact that the electrical current for | | | | the cable to the hub and then on to each jack. |
| phones comes from the phone company. Phones | | | | We will wire all the phone jacks first. |
| use their own power. | | | | |
| | | | | |
| It’s much easier to wire a home that still | | | | We will use only two wires inside the Cat5 cable |
| has the walls and ceilings exposed during the new | | | | for each phone line. The first two will be blue |
| construction. The newer type of cable used for | | | | white and white/blue wires. The phone jack or |
| phone and network systems is called Cat5 cable. | | | | mod jack will have four, six, or eight screws. We |
| It has eight wires inside of different colors. This is | | | | only need to worry about the screws with the |
| the cable that is most often used in new homes. | | | | red and green wires under them. The blue wire |
| | | | | with white stripes will attach to the red screw. |
| There are two methods of running a phone line. | | | | The white wire with blue stripes will attach to the |
| The older method is called a daisy chain | | | | green screw. Once this is done, the jack can be |
| and the newer method is called a hub. A | | | | secured into the electrical box and a cover can be |
| daisy chain wiring method starts at the box | | | | put on it. |
| outside installed by the phone company. It runs in | | | | |
| to the first phone jack and then on to the next | | | | The other ends of the Cat5 cables will need to be |
| phone jack in a chain manner. This uses less cable | | | | wired to the hub using the same color coding. If |
| than the hub method. | | | | there aren’t enough red or green screws |
| | | | | for each phone jack, you can always attach two |
| The hub method has a line that runs from the | | | | or more of the blue/white wires to one red |
| box outside to a junction box that feeds each | | | | screw. You can do the same with the white\blue |
| phone jack with a separate Cat5 cable. This uses | | | | wires and a green screw. |
| more cable, but is more reliable over time. | | | | |
| | | | | Finally, the Cat5 cable that runs from the hub to |
| The next step is to make circuit runs of cable | | | | the box outside will need to be connected. The |
| from the hub to each phone jack. Almost every | | | | box from the phone company will be coded using |
| room in the house should have a phone jack. | | | | the blue\ white and white\blue wires. Just attach |
| Phone jacks fit into regular electric boxes. These | | | | each wire to the corresponding color and the job |
| boxes should be the same height as electric | | | | is finished. |
| outlets. | | | | |
| | | | | Test each phone jack with a phone and cable for |
| Be sure to secure the cables using a cable staple | | | | a dial tone. Make sure all covers are put back on |
| gun. This will make sure that the cable | | | | to all the electric boxes and mod jacks. |
| won’t move or be cut while doing finish | | | | |