Hey everyone! So, I recently moved into a new build in the UK, and I'm having some trouble with my internet setup. The modem and router are in a cupboard under the stairs, which totally kills the WiFi signal. There's a wall socket next to the modem that electricians say is for an Ethernet cable, but it seems to be too small for a standard Ethernet plug. I noticed there's another wall socket in the living room too, which makes me think I should be able to connect the modem to that one as well. However, I can't get the Ethernet cables to fit! Am I supposed to be using a different type of cable, or am I missing something? Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I can't seem to find anything useful online about this! Cheers!
4 Answers
For sure, that wall socket is for your phone. I've seen a lot of new builds still wired for landline connections. You might want to pop off the wall plate and check the wiring. If there are eight individual wires, then you could potentially switch it to an RJ-45 jack, which is what the Ethernet uses. You'll need a punch-down tool for that though, so be prepared!
I recently got into flat Cat6 cables and they're a great option if you want to hide them. You could run them discreetly under rugs or along walls to wherever your PC or router needs to go. If the signal is really bad, this could be a good solution without damaging anything!
Just so you know, if the wall plate is a phone line type, that means it's probably not set up for Ethernet. But if you're looking at a DIY solution, you could remove the RJ-11 and replace it with an RJ-45 jack, assuming the wiring fits. But if that sounds like too much hassle, just look into those PowerLine adapters instead—they can really save you a headache!
It sounds like the wall socket you've got is actually for a phone line (RJ-11), not for Ethernet (RJ-45). Those are two different standards, and the phone line sockets are smaller. So if you want to connect your modem to that socket, you'll need a special setup, or you might consider using PowerLine adapters or even MoCa adapters if you can't run a cable straight to your router. Just have a look at the other socket in the living room to see if that one’s also set up for Ethernet or if it'll be another phone line too.
Related Questions
Lenovo Thinkpad Stuck In Update Loop Install FilterDriverU2_Reload