News • Reviews • Features • Galleries • A-List • Group Tests • Videos • Downloads • Tech Deals • Advice • Buy

Common home wiring mistakes: using the wrong cable in the wrong socket

by William Maher | Friday 10 February 2012

Home network wiring is a minefield of rules and common errors. Here's one basic that some people get wrong.

This might come as a shock if you or a friend has setup Ethernet cabling at home – in many cases a licensed professional is actually supposed to do the job.

We admit, this seemed ridiculous to us too, but once you talk to a professional cabler you understand why. We've seen photos of cables running though power points, for example. Bad cable terminations can mean slow speeds and dropouts.

There's really a whole bunch of things you can do to ruin your connection speed, or worse, put your life in danger. Then there's the small things.

We spoke to James Frost of Sydney Electrical & Data, a professional cabler, who showed us some common home wiring mistakes. One example is the use of the wrong cable in the wrong socket.

Similar, but not quite the same.

Says James: "If you use standard RG12 connector – which is your normal telephone square connector – if you put one of those into a Cat5/Cat6 socket, you can actually bend pins out. Your phone will work fine, but when you go back to use it for data, you may find your pins have been broken inside.”

Similarly, you shouldn't be using Cat6 cabling with Cat5 jacks.

For our full list of tips like this, grab the new issue of PC & Tech Authority magazine, which is on sale at newsagencies. In it, you'll find excellent tips from cabling professionals, plus we show how to get ready for the NBN and look at the network hardware you'll need. Lots of good stuff if you're home network isn't up to scratch, or you just want to know how to make the most of the coming broadband speeds.

Got home networking/wiring questions? Ask us below and we'll look at writing a followup with answers to your questions.

Readers of this article also read...

In Pictures: Corning's NBN cable manufacturing facility

Steve Wozniak slams Aussie tech prices

Sony World Photography Awards 2012: Arts, Culture, People

Sony World Photography Awards 2012: Nature, Wildlife and the Environment

In Pictures: Samsung Galaxy S the 3rd

Comments: 12

kevin_watters 10 February 2012	I've seen a lot of 'home' wiring jobs (aka do-it-yourself jobs) done in businesses that are really dodgy. Non-plennum grade cable used in drop ceilings etc... people think its fine to do that kind of thing... until there is a fire. Solid core cable used with crimp on jacks for patch cables. Mixed methods of pin patterns (mixed 568-a/b) at the location. It really should be done by pros. However, I can easily see why people don't get it done by pros as the price to get it done professionally is prohibitive (to say the least). Comment made about the PC & Tech Authority article: Common home wiring mistakes: using the wrong cable in the wrong socket? Home network wiring is a minefield of rules and common errors. Here's one basic that some people get wrong. What do you think? Join the discussion.
smadge1 10 February 2012	I'm used to using a structured, horizontal data cabling system at work, if I were to ever build, or own a home, I have a pretty good idea how to go about it. Cat6 cabling is the way to go, you can use wireless to complement the data cabling, but not replace it.
amcmo 10 February 2012	Smacks of a tradie trying to use scare tactics to drum up business. With the very least smarts and a methodical approach any normal person (rules out rabid Android fanboys - normal Android fanboys ok) should have no problem wiring.
MoonShadow 10 February 2012	Just wired my house last week and only had one issue getting the pins correct on the patch panel, they had an upper and lower connector with half of the top and half of the bottom used for each port !!. Apart from that (and almost getting stuck in the roof) with the right tools I had no issues. 2U rack, 24 port Gig PP, 24 port gig switch, 3 outlets running 4, 4 and 6 Cat6 plugs with solid core cat6 cable and 14 0.5m patch cables (pre made) all under $1000.
Deonast 10 February 2012	Hey kevin_watters believe it or not I've seen "Mixed methods of pin patterns (mixed 568-a/b)" done by professional cablers, without a cable tester on hand it took me a while to work out what was going on in that room. I wired three outlets wired in the house I'm in, guess I must have done it ok to start with or just got lucky. Solid core cat5e (this was a while ago) in the walls, no where near power and I've never had performance issues. The only dropouts of the network card in my pc I experience is through odd interference from some electrical items, like turning the switch on my desk lamp that causes the adaptor to drop for a second. So I suspect power over ethernet would fare poorly under such dubious electrical conditions.
symowallo 12 February 2012	Great point amcmo - I'm sick of the electrical industry, one of Australia's most union dominated and regulated industries, from using scare tactics to force people to pay high fees for a sparkie. If someone is cluey enough and takes responsibility for their safety, let them do it.
photohounds 13 February 2012	Can anyone confirm whether insurance companies can still avoid a fire damage claim, if the blaze can be even partly be pinned on 'non-professional' wiring? An electrical worker in a previous life, I wire my homes as required and to a good standard. When one sees what some 'professionals' have done, one wonders why houses don't burn more often - oh wait the home insulation fiasco ...
amcmo 13 February 2012	Insurance companies will void a claim if they can even hint at ANYTHING out of the ordinary. I'm not registered, however my background is electronics. I have wired 2 complete houses and had sparkie mates check my work then wire up the meter board. I've also assisted/wired all the networking for our last 4 premises.
kevin_watters 13 February 2012	Hey there Deonast... re the mention of solid core on crimped patch cables... what happens is the tooth inside the crimp plug bends to the side as a result of pushing on the solid core cable (it cannot penetrate the solid copper core) and can/does cause intermittent connections. Obviously its different on punch-down plugs as the blade design digs into the copper core and these ones should not use stranded cable as the bladed design can cut through the stranded cable. The average Joe doest not usually know this and they end up with botched cable runs/installs. Obviously, people with some experience in cable, like many here, know this and its not an issue to them, but most do not know this and its a problem,
Deonast 13 February 2012	Thanks Kevin_watters good summary of the problems with Solid and stranded cables. Yes I have solid core in the walls at home. For patch leads I only ever use stranded. While I have some RJ45 jacks that are supposed to be for solid core I avoid using them as patch leads, they bend less easily and I'm under the impression that they are more prone to failure if they are moved often due to that lack of flexibility, perhaps people using the wrong connectors as you mention would also be a contributing factor to failure in usages out there.
Gavin_Fielke 15 February 2012	My father in law had an electrician fit data cabling when he was battling cancer and I fchecked the work but was shocked to find that the electrician wired it all like a power cable from one socket to the next, to the next until the last piece of the strand made it to where the computer lives which means there can only be one device using any of the houses 3 sockets not one on each socket. Naturally I was disgusted by the work of the electrician and if the cabling is ever needed I will replace the mess with a structured cabling system myself if it is ever needed.
Gavin_Fielke 15 February 2012	I will also add that although I am not a professional I do all of my home data cabling, I have read through the 240v and data cabling codes in my spare time so from what I have seen in peoples walls the only thing that would distinguish my work from many pro's is that my cabling would be neat and organised. It also means that when i build my own house I will be able to save a lot of money by running all cable and installing junctions then having an electrician come in and connect the ends of all the wires as I like my insurance company having less reasons to void my policy, heck I am having an electric oven replaced tomorrow and chose to pay $100 for a sparkie to undo three screws and tighten them up again just for my insurance.

<< Prev Next >>

Most Discussed

Copyright © 2012 Haymarket Media. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorisation.
Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of Haymarket Media's Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

Common home wiring mistakes: using the wrong cable in the wrong socket

Home network wiring is a minefield of rules and common errors. Here's one basic that some people get wrong.

Readers of this article also read...

Latest Comments

Latest in Misc Networking

From our Partners

Sponsored Links

Most Popular on the Haymarket IT network

Please check your email