# Home AV cabling question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 28, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850 "2014-11-28T21:22:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/21 "2014-11-29T02:04:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > That’d be Doing It Wrong. The right way is to crimp a female RJ45 on the cable, mount it in the wall plate, then use a separate male-male jumper cable to reach the TV’s jack. > > Several people seem to be using terminology loosely. 8-wire (4-pair) twisted cable is not necessarily “Cat 5” cable. It could be Cat 3, Cat 4, Cat 5, Cat 5e, or Cat 6. Practically the only way to tell the difference is to read the tiny print written lengthwise on the cable itself. As LSLGuy suggested, you need something like [http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c\_id=105&cp\_id=10513&cs\_id=1051308&p\_id=5371&seq=1&format=2](http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=105&cp_id=10513&cs_id=1051308&p_id=5371&seq=1&format=2) clipped into a single keystone plate like [http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c\_id=105&cp\_id=10517&cs\_id=1051703&p\_id=6725&seq=1&format=2](http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=105&cp_id=10517&cs_id=1051703&p_id=6725&seq=1&format=2). Total cost under $2. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/22 "2014-11-29T02:15:25Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > As LSLGuy suggested, you need something like [http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c\_id=105&cp\_id=10513&cs\_id=1051308&p\_id=5371&seq=1&format=2](http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=105&cp_id=10513&cs_id=1051308&p_id=5371&seq=1&format=2) clipped into a single keystone plate like [http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c\_id=105&cp\_id=10517&cs\_id=1051703&p\_id=6725&seq=1&format=2](http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=105&cp_id=10517&cs_id=1051703&p_id=6725&seq=1&format=2). Total cost under $2. You can get these, or an equivalent, at Home Depot or Lowes. They even come with a disposable punch down tool. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/23 "2014-11-29T02:25:57Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > You can get these, or an equivalent, at Home Depot or Lowes. They even come with a disposable punch down tool. I’ve even done it with a small flathead screwdriver and some scissors, no other tool required. I’ll leave it up to the reader to decide if that’s clever or just ghetto. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/24 "2014-11-29T03:45:42Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > I’ve even done it with a small flathead screwdriver and some scissors, no other tool required. I’ll leave it up to the reader to decide if that’s clever or just ghetto. How about efficient? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/25 "2014-11-29T03:48:32Z")
The right tool makes it a lot easier… even the little plastic one. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/26 "2014-11-29T03:57:25Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The right tool makes it a lot easier… even the little plastic one. I honestly have more luck with the tiny screwdriver sometimes. The blades on punchdown tools often suck, and won’t cut heavier-gauge cat 5 and cat 6. Of course, many/most punchdown blocks are not well-made. I would usually rather put an RJ-45 end on and just use a pass-through male-to-male wallplate insert. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/27 "2014-11-29T15:06:37Z")
Now I’m a bit frustrated. I connected the RJ45 keystone end (female) and punched it down. But I’m not getting a signal. Yes, the wires are in the right slots and they are punched down well. I did it to both of the Cat5 cables that are in the wall behind the TV. Neither works. I am using a known good ethernet cable between the new punch down and the the TV. All 4 Cat5 cables that come into the box where the On-Q module is located are connected to the router. I suppose it’s possible that the cables in the wall by the TV are not coming back to the On-Q module, but I don’t see why. The router is fine. If I connect my computer directly to it I get a connection. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/28 "2014-11-29T15:11:38Z")
It’s very difficult to do this kind of repurposing without the right tools - a good punchdown tool to make sure the connections are tight, a sniffer to trace the cables to the right boxes and a cable tester to make sure you’ve connected everything right. I doubt you want to run out and drop that $100 (for cheap-ish stuff) but maybe you can borrow it from an IT pal. ETA: It’s hard enough when starting from a “known-good” wiring plan intended for networking. It’s into la-la land when trying to figure out a weird custom cabling scheme and standardizing it. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/29 "2014-11-29T15:19:59Z")
I work in IT (not a networking role, obviously…) and can probably borrow a cable tester and a sniffer on Monday. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/30 "2014-11-29T17:13:46Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > I work in IT (not a networking role, obviously…) and can probably borrow a cable tester and a sniffer on Monday. If it was me, I would ‘borrow’ the guy who owns them as well. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/31 "2014-11-29T22:13:57Z")
I would double check the wiring pattern at both ends, you can use [EIA568 A or B](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIA/EIA-568). It doesn’t matter which, as long as both ends are the same. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/32 "2014-11-30T00:30:01Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > If it was me, I would ‘borrow’ the guy who owns them as well. This is the best idea yet! ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/33 "2014-11-30T01:25:48Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > Now I’m a bit frustrated. I connected the RJ45 keystone end (female) and punched it down. But I’m not getting a signal. \ I suppose it’s possible that the cables in the wall by the TV are not coming back to the On-Q module, but I don’t see why. The router is fine. If I connect my computer directly to it I get a connection. Based on the colors of the RCA jacks, I don’t think the Cat5 you want to use for Ethernet actually goes back to the On-Q module. Instead, I think it came from the location of the AV Receiver & video sources like a Cable Box, DVD, BluRay etc. Look for a Cat5 wire in that location (perhaps behind a blank outlet plate) and hope that there is another one nearby with Ethernet and you can wire them together. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/34 "2014-11-30T03:45:38Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Based on the colors of the RCA jacks, I don’t think the Cat5 you want to use for Ethernet actually goes back to the On-Q module. > > Instead, I think it came from the location of the AV Receiver & video sources like a Cable Box, DVD, BluRay etc. Look for a Cat5 wire in that location (perhaps behind a blank outlet plate) and hope that there is another one nearby with Ethernet and you can wire them together. Yep. This is my thought, too. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/35 "2014-11-30T05:55:32Z")
Red, Green and Blue are the standard connector colors for [component video](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video) and orange is digital audio. The off part is that it’s entirely the wrong wire on the back side for any of those. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/36 "2014-11-30T16:12:23Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Red, Green and Blue are the standard connector colors for [component video](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video) and orange is digital audio. The off part is that it’s entirely the wrong wire on the back side for any of those. This. You basically can’t send video over unshielded wire. The whole thing looks like standard connectors used in non standard ways… which is common in niche applications like home automation and networking. Which is why I’ve said from the beginning that it’s a choice between rebuilding the original system (meh) or repurposing the wiring using a more standard plan. Making any assumptions about the setup because this or that connector is standard for this or that purpose is going to go 'orribly rong. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/37 "2014-12-01T03:33:45Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Red, Green and Blue are the standard connector colors for [component video](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video) and orange is digital audio. The off part is that it’s entirely the wrong wire on the back side for any of those. Exactly - instead of running 4 shielded coax cables, the previous installed cheated and used a CAT5 cable to run from A to B. (in the days before HDMI) The question is, you’ve found B, where is A? Likely they had a central cable converter box or PVR, or it runs to the box in the bedroom or whatever. You have to find and punch down both ends and make the connection at each end to Ethernet (I.e. from router to TV.) ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/38 "2014-12-01T05:46:05Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > This. You basically can’t send video over unshielded wire… Cat5 is sufficiently twisted… the induced noise tends to cancel… ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/39 "2014-12-01T14:02:15Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Cat5 is sufficiently twisted… the induced noise tends to cancel… Try it sometime. It might do well enough with VGA for control and monitoring purposes, but entertainment vid will be degraded… quite so at 720 and up. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850/40 "2014-12-01T14:27:21Z")
Update: I removed the wall plate where the coax comes in near the TV and sure enough, the other ends of the 2 Cat5 cables were buried in there. Neither one was connected to anything. I can only assume a project was started to run another component jack to that area for some equipment, but was never finished. So, part of the mystery is solved. There does not seem to be any connection from that area back to the On-Q module though, so it doesn’t really do me any good. Thanks for all the info though! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-av-cabling-question/705850.md?page=3)