Modular cable outlets?

I'd like to install 1xRJ45, 2xRJ11 and a aerial coax in each room. I'm on the lookout for outlets (modular ones) that will let me have 1 panel that houses all 4 connections. Does anyone know of places out there that meet such requirements and don't cost an arm and a leg. I'll be doing about 6 rooms. Have a feeling clipsal might do something but are there any others that are cheaper and I won't be spending half my money on brand?

I guess I'll have to know an electrical wholesaler place. Anyone know of any in Sydney which offer competitive prices? I'll obviously need the cabling for the outlets so if you know of a good store that's cheap I'd be really interested in hearing from you.

Well it's been awhile since I was in the electrical wholesaling racket, but HPM, Clipsal, PDL all used to do these at all around the same price. Your best bet to get 'em a bit cheaper would be to hit up a friendly contractor at the pub or somewhere. They will get them at trade -xx% (depending on how much they spend).

I pick mine up at the local computer fair. There are usually a few tables that specialise in wires/plugs/sockets. Better price than the once-off price from the trade store.

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Originally Posted by Master Splinter

I pick mine up at the local computer fair. There are usually a few tables that specialise in wires/plugs/sockets. Better price than the once-off price from the trade store.

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No computer fairs around me unfortunately. By the time I went to the nearest one and paid for the travel probably wouldn't make a difference (assuming they even had any). Thanks for the suggestion though.

Communications cabling needs to be installed by a licenced installer for obvious safety reasons thus ensuring suitable seperation is provided from electrical circuits.

You can buy the standard 4 way light switch covers from various manufacturers (clipsal, HPM, etc) which allow the RJ45 connectors to clip straight in. Why in this day and age would anyone want to limit themselves with RJ11 connectors though, ensure that you plan for the future by installing cat5/6 cables and RJ45 connectors back to you patch panel?

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Originally Posted by KevM

Communications cabling needs to be installed by a licenced installer for obvious safety reasons thus ensuring suitable seperation is provided from electrical circuits.

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Yes, because it's such a difficult job :roll: I'm not having a go at you and I understand what your saying but there is no mystery to wiring a simple cat5/6 network to a patch panel. Just stay away from powerlines as you've stated. Frankly I think it's a bit of protectionalism in the industry but whatever. I guess you get people who don't do homework and don't work out the pinlayouts etc. The whole thing will be tested and I am in the networking game so cat5/6 cable, patch panels etc are not a mystery to me.

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Originally Posted by KevM

You can buy the standard 4 way light switch covers from various manufacturers (clipsal, HPM, etc) which allow the RJ45 connectors to clip straight in. Why in this day and age would anyone want to limit themselves with RJ11 connectors though, ensure that you plan for the future by installing cat5/6 cables and RJ45 connectors back to you patch panel?

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Thats good to know. I thought the covers would have been specific to the connectors but if any RJ45 connectors just clip in then simple.

Oh yeh I was planning to only install RJ45 cat6 to a patch panel and use them for the network/phone connections. Just in my mind I stated what I'd be running off them. Probably should of made it clear they would be RJ45 (except the coax of course). Thanks for pointing it out. I can see how such a description was misleading and thanks for taking out the time to offer good alternative if I'd made that choice.

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Originally Posted by KevM

Communications cabling needs to be installed by a licenced installer for obvious safety reasons thus ensuring suitable seperation is provided from electrical circuits.

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Well that sounds like a whole lot of crap to me. Like RePO says trying for protectionism.

I know you certainly can't do Telstra cabling but to wire up for computer cabling just make sure it is in a separate stud bay in the wall.

RePO why not just use RJ45 sockets because RJ11 plugs will operate happily in RJ45 sockets. I have plugged a RJ11 cable out of the phone socket into the RJ45 socket and then plugged the phone into the RJ45 in another room and the phone just works.

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Originally Posted by Barry_White

RePO why not just use RJ45 sockets because RJ11 plugs will operate happily in RJ45 sockets. I have plugged a RJ11 cable out of the phone socket into the RJ45 socket and then plugged the phone into the RJ45 in another room and the phone just works.

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Yep thats what I plan on doing and what, if I read it correctly, KevM was getting at though not explicitly stated that you could use them. Guess I just suck at conveying my intentions.

I work in a telecom lab and this is the way it's setup so any RJ11 or Ethernet connections/console connections just get plugged into the RJ45.

Just a quick questions. Would people recommend the solid or the stranded variety for the home. I know the solid is probably preffered for inwall stuff but would it make such a significant difference to use stranded for the home? Reason I ask is because I don't think I'll use all 305m and for any left over I could make cables for the PC's. Guess I'll have to see how stiff the solid stuff is. Perhaps I'll just buy the solid anyway since the cables won't be being moved around once they are connected to PC's etc so flexibility isn't all that important..

Just to confirm the T568A wiring is the most common right and the one I should go with? I know they are all just straight through but I'd like to use the most common.

RePO

I used the solid in the wall and used what was left over to make a long fly lead and it wasn't too bad. Once you have it plugged in there usually isn't much movement anyway unless your moving around with a laptop.

I have some made from some multi-strand and they seem to be just as stiff. The ready made fly leads seem to be a bit more flexible. Making them is certainly cheaper than buying made up ones. They usually want about $20 for them.

I have attached a link for the wiring setup. The T568B is a crossover cable for direct connection of two computers. Have a look at the link.

http://www.tc.cc.tx.us/rj45_wiring_scheme.html

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Originally Posted by Barry_White

RePO

I have attached a link for the wiring setup. The T568B is a crossover cable for direct connection of two computers. Have a look at the link.

http://www.tc.cc.tx.us/rj45_wiring_scheme.html

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Thanks. Looks like I'll be going with T568A since Australian standards recommends all new installs follow that. The wiring (colour wise) lines up nicely for power over ethernet if in the highly unlikely case I ever need that. I have an ATA already which does the job. I don't really need to cross over anything. The patch panel will head off to a switch/router which handles all the combinations needed. Straight thru will be the simplest way to proceed.

Cheers for the solid cat6 advice. Sounds like solid is the way to go. Why compromose the house wiring (which is harder to fix) for a few bits hanging off the end is my way of thinking.

Back to your original question, I did a cable installation recently and settled on using keystone wall plates (you can buy them for maybe $1 each on eBay). I bought ones with six spaces. You can buy a bunch of keystone fittings, from RJ-11, RJ-45 and RCA, and also 3.5mm, coax, F-type etc. Very simple way to get things done - just snap in the connectors you need. You can fill any spares with blanks.

Ross.

FWIW I had a problem when trying to make fly leads from some leftover solid cable I rescued from an office rewiring. The gauge of the wire in the solid cable I had did not fit the RJ45 plugs I had. I think there must be several specs for solid wiring, perhaps that maybe one of the diffs between Cat5e and 6 solid?

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Originally Posted by ronafios

Back to your original question, I did a cable installation recently and settled on using keystone wall plates (you can buy them for maybe $1 each on eBay). I bought ones with six spaces. You can buy a bunch of keystone fittings, from RJ-11, RJ-45 and RCA, and also 3.5mm, coax, F-type etc. Very simple way to get things done - just snap in the connectors you need. You can fill any spares with blanks.

Ross.

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Yeh I was ebaying and saw these. Also went into my local Turk electrical outlet just for ideas and when I saw the price they charged for the plate and a single RJ45 from clipsal/hpm it was absolutely ridiculous. Definitely will be going keystone route over the clipsal/hpm stuff which is incompatible with it..

My house is wired using all HPM fittings e.g switch plates and GPO's so not matching them up was not an option to put some elcheapo plates on the wall.

This is what I used. They look much better.

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Originally Posted by Barry_White

My house is wired using all HPM fittings e.g switch plates and GPO's so not matching them up was not an option to put some elcheapo plates on the wall.

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Luckily I'm not that fussy else I'd break the bank given the cost differences between hpm/clipsal vs keyston.

The way I see it power outlets are power outlets and data outlets are data outlets. Don't need to match as long as all the power outlets are consistent and all the data outlets are consistent throughout the house. :) Most times the outlets are obscured by equipment anyway and I never see them.

I'm looking at getting a 6 way keystone outlet for future expandability. I'll just fill in the unpopulated ports with blanks as required. Three just doesn't seem like enough.

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Originally Posted by Fuzzie

FWIW I had a problem when trying to make fly leads from some leftover solid cable I rescued from an office rewiring. The gauge of the wire in the solid cable I had did not fit the RJ45 plugs I had. I think there must be several specs for solid wiring, perhaps that maybe one of the diffs between Cat5e and 6 solid?

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Was that with proper cat6 solid cable or just some random cable that looked like it coud be used?

This may not have everything you want but its a good start at excellent prices.

www.4cabling.com.au

I get all my data cabling/wall plates etc there now

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Originally Posted by damien

This may not have everything you want but its a good start at excellent prices.

www.4cabling.com.au

I get all my data cabling/wall plates etc there now

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Yup. Highly recommended. I bought from there as well after stumbing across them by pure chance. Did a pickup order as I was near by. Unfortunately they only have 4 way keystone plates and I wanted 6 way. They also didn't sell any blanking ports so ebay was the answer to the 6 way plates and blanking ports (I need 5 ports and installing 2x4way just seemed like more work than it was worth). Forgot to pick up the panel wall brackets though! Doh