Do I really have a telephone-only cord connected to my RJ-45 jack?

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I recently purchased an end table that comes two electrical outlets and an RJ-45 jack.

The RJ-45 jack came wired with a cable I am having trouble identifying. The markings say

E170689 AWM STYLE 20251 26AWG 60(degrees)C 150V VW1 LF

The customer rep for the manufacturer couldn't tell me what kind of cable this was. After some googling, I found this product page that might be either it or equivalent but identifies it as a telephone cable.

I am used to telephone cables being connected to RJ-11 jacks and ethernet cables with markings like CAT5 or CAT6 being connected to RJ-45 jacks. Could this cable be used to provide ethernet perhaps with some kind of adapter (when I plug my laptop into this jack and wire the other end into a hub, I cannot get a network connection) or do I have to replace it?

Also, if the intention was to plug a phone into the jack, is there a reason why they would connect this cable to an RJ-45?

Ryan Jarvis

Posted 2016-07-01T15:20:12.283

Reputation: 133

It definitely seems to be an RJ-45 port for data. One thing I want to know is if you plug an Ethernet cable into your laptop and then into the end table, where does it go after that? – DrZoo – 2016-07-01T15:30:00.690

The cord runs cleanly out the back of the table and has an RJ-45 connector on the end of it. – Ryan Jarvis – 2016-07-01T15:56:44.053

Is that end table near your router? Or a wall port that leads to your router? I'm sure if you plugged the cables in, it would work just fine on you laptop. – DrZoo – 2016-07-01T15:58:26.890

I tried that as I thought I described in my question body. I have plugged the other end both into a switch I have into this room as well as the wall port in this room and neither works. No network connection. In fact the LED on the switch doesn't even light up when I plug it into there. – Ryan Jarvis – 2016-07-01T16:05:23.070

Have you tried using each cable separately into your laptop and straight into the switch? – DrZoo – 2016-07-01T16:18:43.960

have you tried a working ethernet cable instead of this cable? – Keltari – 2016-07-01T16:30:47.630

Oh, if you are asking can I create a wired network connection on my laptop without the end table, then yes. This question is about the cable in the end table itself. It doesn't appear to be an ethernet cable. – Ryan Jarvis – 2016-07-01T17:09:31.960

Answers

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Based on your Googling, I agree - the wiring it has is definitely not UTP so you'll probably not get a network going with it. You can probably feel the cable and tell if the wires are laying flat or if you can feel twists under the outer jacket.

Any chance of rewiring the jack with proper Cat5/6?

kazoni

Posted 2016-07-01T15:20:12.283

Reputation: 633

The cable is indeed flat like my very old telephone cord (although the telephone cord is not as wide). It is not rounded like my cat6 ethernet cable. Are ethernet cables required to be UTP? – Ryan Jarvis – 2016-07-01T17:36:19.230

Yep, otherwise you lose the crosstalk and interference protection properties afforded by twisted pair. – kazoni – 2016-07-03T00:15:54.603

Asked: 2016-07-01T15:20:12.283

Viewed: 270 times

Active: 2016-07-01T16:15:49.080