Ethernet Cable

I have an unused telephone cable in my home with RJ-11 connectors on each end.
Can this be converted to an ethernet cable with RJ-45 connectors for use with a typical ethernet network card/hub?

1. RE: Ethernet Cable
lbyard Jul-18-01 07:05 PM
In response to message 0

No. See http://duxcw.com/digest/Howto/network/cable/cable2.htm. Larry

2. RE: Ethernet Cable
ghirsch Jul-31-01 06:27 PM
In response to message 1

Actually, i've been using a normal 4-wire standard telephone cable which is 20M long (not in the wall, it's just laying on the floor..) and my LAN works just fine!
I would like to get more info. about cabling, if someone can explain the advantages of using a shilded (not nessesarly Twisted) cable.
As for you, you may try using your phone cable.
(BTW: i am using a cross-over cable)

4. RE: Ethernet Cable
lbyard Jul-31-01 08:04 PM
In response to message 2

Working fine at what speed? How fast can you move 100 MBytes from one computer to the other? There are several kinds of telephone wire. What kind do you have? What does it say on the outside of the cable? Are the pairs twisted? Larry

5. RE: Ethernet Cable
ghirsch Jul-31-01 08:18 PM
In response to message 4

Well, it copies a 40MB file in 50-70 seconds.
i guess it's not the fastest, but i also have one ISA NIC and one PCI (and the ISA is on a slow P-133Mhz)
The cable itself is a flat 4-wire telephone cable just like the one you get when buying a modem or a new phone.
it's 20M long as i said and for sharing files and internet connection i see no problems with it.
I'm now planning on adding another extension which will need a 30 M cable (and i will use 20M + 10M) and i guess it will work also.
How can that be ? (Btw, UTP cable is 4 times more expensive than the regular phone cable in Israel)

6. RE: Ethernet Cable
lbyard Aug-01-01 02:02 PM
In response to message 5

It must be because you live in Israel… Those transfer speeds indicate that you have a 10 MHz (BPS) network and not a 100BASE-TX network. I’ve heard of people doing this sort of thing before. I doubt that it will go the full 300 Meters supported by a 10BASET network with CAT 4 cable. You may also be getting some corrupted packets and packet retransmission that would not otherwise occur. You will need straight-thru cables and a hub or switch for the third computer. Larry

7. RE: Ethernet Cable
ghirsch Aug-01-01 08:10 PM
In response to message 6

Indeed. I have 10Mhz network. it's quite allright for home networking. I added Dlink 704 router recently and it seems to work just fine.
This is an excellent solution if CAT 5 cables do not want to fit in the walls.

8. RE: Ethernet Cable
lbyard Aug-01-01 09:42 PM
In response to message 7

Sixty feet of CAT 5 cable costs about $12 or less retail in the United States and that is the best choice. Just had to add my two cents. Larry