In wall Ethernet cabling - Cat 5 / 5e / 6 and 10/100/1000 confused?

[plastik8]

Hello tech gurus,

TLDR: Tested ethernet connection in new house and only looks like 3 wire pairs working... Expecting 4, I think. Not sure to make of it?


Detailed:

I'm building a house, and have requested for the sparky to install 2 Ethernet cables (and wall sockets) both going from study to lounge room. Idea is to have the modem in the study, then a cable or two into the lounge room for TV / HTPC / Apple TV etc.

Now, work has been done, house is a few weeks from hand over. I went to have a look around today, and was able to borrow a "FLUKE networks MicroScanner Pro" device from work to test the connections. Connected a little loop back thing in the lounge room end, and the scanner in the other.

Assuming I used it correctly, the "wiremap" only came back with 6 "wires" connecting through... I'm assuming this means 3 pairs. When testing the 2 patch cables that I am using, I get the full wiremap - "12345678", which suggest patch cables are OK.

Did a bit of research and this (3 pairs) does not make much sense... Most standards are either 2 pairs (10/100 Mbit), or 4 pairs (1000 Mbit). 3 Pairs is a bit of no man's land?

I checked our "selections summary" documentation, and the parts selected were "Cat 5E Socket (RJ45)", with no mention of the actual cabling to be used.

So what have I got? Have I tested incorrectly? What kind of cabling would only use 3 pairs? Would a sparky ever not install standard Cat 5E or Cat 6 in 2015?

Photos below

[Santaria]

Maybe it's the cheaper solid core stuff and it's gotten pinched? How many points have you got it running from and too? Which one is the central point?

P.S. The sparky may not have pushed the krone tool hard enough on one of the points probably.

Sent from my Nexus 5

[plastik8]

Thanks Santaria.

Maybe it's the cheaper solid core stuff and it's gotten pinched? How many points have you got it running from and too? Which one is the central point?

I believe it is 2 physically separate cables, running (physically) alongside each other from the study to the lounge room directly. So 2 sockets in study lead directly to the 2 sockets in the lounge room.

P.S. The sparky may not have pushed the krone tool hard enough on one of the points probably.

I'm hoping so too, but, the other socket alongside (not photographed) had a similar issue - but, it was missing a DIFFERENT 2 wires.... Think it was matching on "123456"... I was in a bit of a rush this morning, plus it was freezing :P

Thoughts??

[wobblysauce]

Pinch, or when doing the plug a wire fliped.

And if you were running 2 cables.. would you not run another cable or 2 for backup/expansion, in-case point like now 1 is not working.

[plastik8]

Pinch, or when doing the plug a wire fliped.

OK, hopefully that just means re-doing the socket/jack/crimp.

And if you were running 2 cables.. would you not run another cable or 2 for backup/expansion, in-case point like now 1 is not working.

Only need the 1 cable, as will be placing a switch in the lounge room. 2nd cable was for redundancy! And both looking farked...

[Shonky]

Are you saying both are wired the same, or just the one? If it's both unscrew the sockets off the wall and check the connections, for them to be both pinched/broken with the same 2 pins on each cable is next to impossible.

[plastik8]

Are you saying both are wired the same, or just the one? If it's both unscrew the sockets off the wall and check the connections, for them to be both pinched/broken with the same 2 pins on each cable is next to impossible.

Socket 1 was showing "123456 " on the wiremap, Socket 2 was showing "123 678" on the wiremap.

So consensus sounds like it is the terminals / crimping that is causing the issues, not the cables themselves. I will unscrew sockets and check once house is handed over. Hopefully an easy fix

Thanks all - will keep you posted

[wobblysauce]

How much spare cable do you have in the wall/roof?

[r8response]

I'd be asking to see this sparkies telecommunications licence and for a properly filled out TCA1 form.

I will unscrew sockets and check once house is handed over. Hopefully an easy fix

Don't wait. If the sparky was doing the job properly (and that's if he is even licenced), he'd have thrown a tester on it like you have and fixed it straight away. Pull the plates off and have a look. Get him to fix it before the hand over.

[plastik8]

Cheers everyone. I'll have a word to the site supervisor. I'm not fussed when it is fixed, as long as it is fixed at some stage with no cost to me.

Can't believe though that a half decent sparky wouldn't check his own work as he goes? Would save a lot of time in the long run I would have thought.

[plastik8]

I'd be asking to see this sparkies telecommunications licence and for a properly filled out TCA1 form.

Is a TCA1 form required for cabling of a new residential home? Would there be a separate one for data cabling (only 2 x 20m runs), or would there only be one single form for all cabling inc. electrical etc.?

And, what will a TCA1 form tell me / how can it help me?

Appreciate the help r8response

[wobblysauce]

It means they should know what there doing..

https://acrs.com.au/why-use-tca-forms/

The following are practical guidelines developed by the ACMA for the use of TCA1 forms:

The forms are the responsibility of the cabler undertaking the work. However, you may make arrangements with your employer for the forms to be stored by the employer. You must be able to access the form if requested by the ACMA.
The form is available from the ACMA website. Alternatively the form can be incorporated into existing invoices or other business documentation to avoid additional paperwork. This can be done by having the signed declaration section as an optional add-in on the electronic version of the invoice, or by using a rubber stamp after printing.
There are some very small jobs for which the ACMA does not require a TCA1 form to be completed:
Cablers can complete a TCA1 form for these small jobs if desired. Even when a TCA1 form is not required, the cabler needs to be registered to undertake small jobs work and the Wiring Rules and all other Cabling Provider Rules still apply.

[norbs]

I'd be asking to see this sparkies telecommunications licence and for a properly filled out TCA1 form.

I will unscrew sockets and check once house is handed over. Hopefully an easy fix

Don't wait. If the sparky was doing the job properly (and that's if he is even licenced), he'd have thrown a tester on it like you have and fixed it straight away. Pull the plates off and have a look. Get him to fix it before the hand over.

This!!!!


Fucking electricians are notorious for fucking up data cables. Some of the abominations I have seen beggar belief. Including a 6 point install that was done in a star shape. When I climbed into the roof he had used 3M joiners to join all the cables together. The reason, makes the pings less!

All 8 points should be connected. And they should usually all go back to a central point, unless you have asked for something different.

The crimps aren't hard to do, unless you are a sparky it seems. Oh, and that test is the first step. I have seen the pin to pin test pass, but still have a shitty connection. Does that tester have a bit error rate tester?

[dvestate]

When I had my place built a few years back the sparkie that did my cabling stuffed 7 of the 10 points I have in the house.

The good thing is I didn't have to find out the hard way, there was an electrical issue just after I took possession and the guy that came out to fix it got talking with me and when he found the issue got out the cable tester to check all those points for me.

He wasn't happy when so many were stuffed

[r8response]

Is a TCA1 form required for cabling of a new residential home?

Yes it is. There are certain exceptions when the form isn't required, this isn't one of them. If he insists that it isn't required do no accept the hand over (there are cases where the cabler will amend the TCA1 form to his invoice, but I doubt it in this case (and don't tip him/her off about it)).

Would there be a separate one for data cabling (only 2 x 20m runs), or would there only be one single form for all cabling inc. electrical etc.?

And, what will a TCA1 form tell me / how can it help me?

The form is purely for telecommunications cabling. It's used in case the cabler is audited. In your case, you can use it to show whomever you've contracted to build the house. It should detail the work was completed. Except that it wasn't completed to a satisfactory standard as you've show with the tester.



The first and easiest step to take, is to pull the plates off the wall and check that there are in fact 8 separate that have been punched down onto the socket. After that it gets a little harder as your tester is only end to end. It can't show any possible breaks in the cable.

[plastik8]

Is a TCA1 form required for cabling of a new residential home?

Yes it is. There are certain exceptions when the form isn't required, this isn't one of them. If he insists that it isn't required do no accept the hand over (there are cases where the cabler will amend the TCA1 form to his invoice, but I doubt it in this case (and don't tip him/her off about it)).

Would there be a separate one for data cabling (only 2 x 20m runs), or would there only be one single form for all cabling inc. electrical etc.?

And, what will a TCA1 form tell me / how can it help me?

The form is purely for telecommunications cabling. It's used in case the cabler is audited. In your case, you can use it to show whomever you've contracted to build the house. It should detail the work was completed. Except that it wasn't completed to a satisfactory standard as you've show with the tester.

The first and easiest step to take, is to pull the plates off the wall and check that there are in fact 8 separate that have been punched down onto the socket. After that it gets a little harder as your tester is only end to end. It can't show any possible breaks in the cable.

Thanks r8response, really appreciate the help. The same sparkie will come in on handover day (Aug 28) to install oven etc., so I'll make sure he is there to test and prove all is well with the ethernet connections. I'll mention a TCA1 form, and see what he says.