I am helping a friend to re-arrange his office and trying to avoid
having to run extra CAT5 cables.

I have been looking at the Hellerman Coolport range of products

http://www.rwdata.co.uk/index_news01.htm

which utilise unused pairs in the CAT5 cables to either.....

Get 2 Data down 1 cable run

or

3 Voice (Digital)

or
1 Data and 1 voice (Analogue)

Or

1 Data and 2 Voice (Digital).

So, to the question(s)

Firstly, are all digital phones created equal? Will even the ones with
lots of buttons and LCD displays work with just 1 pair?

Secondly, Will an analogue fax machine which is being run off a PABX
work with just 1 pair (4&5) or will it also need 1&2 (There is no R
button, but it would be nice if it rang).

Also, another requirement is to "extend a bog standard BT analogue line
from nearby the patch panel to nearby one of the CAT5 outlets. Can
anyone give me catalogue details or point me to a good site where I can
work out what is required at either end?

Thanks

wrote in message
oups.com...
I am helping a friend to re-arrange his office and trying to avoid
having to run extra CAT5 cables.

I think you might help your friend more if you put him in touch with someone
that knows what they're doing. Good job he isn't in any hurry as it will
take you a while to learn what you need and what to do - it's impossible to
give you a step by step guide and look for products for you then suggest a
solution. I doubt you would know where to start nd wouldn't be able to
provide free ongoing technical support.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I am helping a friend to re-arrange his office and trying to avoid
having to run extra CAT5 cables.

I have been looking at the Hellerman Coolport range of products

http://www.rwdata.co.uk/index_news01.htm

which utilise unused pairs in the CAT5 cables to either.....

Firstly, are all digital phones created equal? Will even the ones with
lots of buttons and LCD displays work with just 1 pair?

It does depend on the phone and system, but modern stuff seems to only need
2 wires in my experiance.
You need to have a look!
The phone will usually have an RJ11 connector connecting the phone to the
lead, have a look if this has 2 or 4 pins in it
even if it has 4, it may only be using two - you will need to test it
leaving only two connected (usually the middle pins)

Secondly, Will an analogue fax machine which is being run off a PABX
work with just 1 pair (4&5) or will it also need 1&2 (There is no R
button, but it would be nice if it rang).

You *may* need a master socket or a "PBX Master" adaptor at the fax end, but
if it is a new machine, it will probably still ring - just have a look at
it's cabe, if the RJ11 connector (the end of the cable that connects to the
actial fax machine) has only two contacts, then it doesn't need this (and
even if there are 4, it still may not, you need to test it to be sure)
Here is a PBX Master adaptor for £2 from Inmac
http://www.inmac.co.uk/catalogue/item/MODTAP04

An example picture is here
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/freshwater...s/rj45ada1.jpg

Also, another requirement is to "extend a bog standard BT analogue line
from nearby the patch panel to nearby one of the CAT5 outlets. Can
anyone give me catalogue details or point me to a good site where I can
work out what is required at either end?

If the phone is the only thing connectin to this port, then just make up a
lead with a BT type socket one end and an RJ45 connector the other - connect
pins as follows

BT - RJ45
2 - 4
3 - 8
5 - 5

Then do the same the other end with a BT socket connected to an RJ45 plug
using the same connections
The easiest thing to do is buy a BT extension lead, chop it in half, then
connect the RJ45 plugs to this


Remember, these Coolport boxes don't contain any electronic components at
all, they are simply routing pairs of wire to pins in the sockets, so
depending on how much these cost, it may be better to make them yourself if
you can.

I have made them using short lengths of CAT5 cable, RJ45 plugs and some RJ45
couplers, it is really easy

I have successfully made
10/100 data + 10/100 data
10/100 data + 1 digital phone and 1 analogue fax
4 phones (analogue & digital)

Sparks...

Sparks wrote:

snip

Remember, these Coolport boxes don't contain any electronic components at
all, they are simply routing pairs of wire to pins in the sockets, so
depending on how much these cost, it may be better to make them yourself if
you can.

I have made them using short lengths of CAT5 cable, RJ45 plugs and some RJ45
couplers, it is really easy

I have successfully made
10/100 data + 10/100 data
10/100 data + 1 digital phone and 1 analogue fax
4 phones (analogue & digital)

Sparks...

Thanks for crediting me with a little intelligence Saprks (No more than
i'd expect of you).

As it happens, I also "invented" these things. I wired 2 cables with
RJ45 on the ends to a single RJ45. Mine were for seial data though
(Decserver 700 anyone?)

I am begining to suspect that I am not dealing with Digital handsets,
but VOIP handsets which will make the job both simpler and more
complex! At least I know exactly where I am with Ethernet Port
Economisers/Doublers.

For the benefit of anyone who comes googling after, I did find an off
the shelf product to feed a standard (2 Pair) BT analogue phone signal
down a CAT5 line, it comes as a kit (2 cables) and is a bit pricey at
£20ish (www.videk.co.uk catalogue number 4134).

Videk's catalogue makes a good reference catalogue, but they can be a
bit on the dear side, though like RS most of the stuff they stock is
good and the service is excellent.

/babble over.

wrote

snip

Thanks for crediting me with a little intelligence Saprks (No more than
i'd expect of you).

Not sure if that was a real thanks, or sarcasm!?!

Sparks...

Sparks wrote:
wrote

snip

Thanks for crediting me with a little intelligence Saprks (No more than
i'd expect of you).

Not sure if that was a real thanks, or sarcasm!?!


It was real, I was aware it could be taken as sarcasm, but hoped the
tone of the rest of the message would have conveyed my good intent.

Your reply to my original message was much more useful than the
messsage whose subliminal message seemed to be "if you aren't a
"Telecom CORGI" then back off and
allow them through.

Then again, perhaps I misinterpreted that post, again it could be read
either way.

I did also re-post a slightly modifed version of the original post in
uk.telecom, but only got one reply from someone who was undoubtedly
very knowledegable, but seemed to have got the wrong idea of what I was
trying to do and appeared to have missed some info that I thought was
fairly obvious in my post.

Oh well, the wonders of modern communication.

Thanks again Sparks.

wrote in message
oups.com...

Sparks wrote:
wrote

snip

Thanks for crediting me with a little intelligence Saprks (No more than
i'd expect of you).

Not sure if that was a real thanks, or sarcasm!?!


It was real, I was aware it could be taken as sarcasm, but hoped the
tone of the rest of the message would have conveyed my good intent.

:-) Glad to hear it!
It is difficult to convey a tone of voice through text, and I wasn't quite
sure!

Sparks...