2

I have a telephone line and I was wondering. Is there a way to convert the telephone line into ethernet and splitting it so I would be able to have internet on my PS3 and my computer? I already have one ethernet cable and it's plugged into my computer, providing me with internet. I was just wondering if it was possible and if so if there was a device that would help me out.

1
  • 1
    I'm not sure what you mean about the telephone line, but with an existing Ethernet cable you can probably get away with an Ethernet splitter: superuser.com/a/104847/494
    – sblair
    Dec 12, 2012 at 21:59

4 Answers 4

4

If the phone wiring is decent you might get away with abusing it for 10 Mbit Ethernet.

10 Mbit, not 100 Mbit, not 1000 Mbit.

This is because normal Ethernet cable for 10 and 100 Mbit connections uses 4 of the 8 available wires, and those wires are specifically twisted to prevent signal interference.

For anything reliable: no. Do not use old wires. Use new Cat-5, 5E or Cat-6 cables.

If you do not want to lay new wires, consider either wireless or a powerline solution.

1

Generally, standard phone cable is only 4 wires, and is built to Cat-3 standards at best. Ethernet needs (at least) 4 wires per circuit, so at most you could run one circuit, and the reliability would be poor, given the poor quality of the cable.

However, occasionally you will find that Cat-5 or better cable was installed for phone lines (more common in office buildings and in relatively recent up-scale residences). Check the jacket of the cable for any rating info. Also count the number of wires -- Cat-5 and better will be 4 pairs/8 wires.

1

It is not worth the trouble, just get a used Ethernet switch for $10 off of Craigslist and only run one connection. It will be faster and more reliable.

The only thing I would I would be cautious of is as Hennes mentioned in his answer, the cable you have may not be good enough quality to even run one Ethernet connection over it. If you get lucky and have cat-5 just go with a cheap switch instead of trying to hack together some solution with two connections over one cable.

0

Least expensive and more reliable solution is an Ethernet switch. It needs mains power, but will allow several Ethernet connections to be taken from it, typically 8.

However, if you have more cash, Powerline adapters are a reliable solution. One is connected to the router and plugged into the mains. This turns your mains wiring into an Ethernet network and another, or a few, powerline adapters, can be plugged anywhere into the mains circuit to provide an Ethernet access point. Powerline adapters are now offering more than one Ethernet outlet port and the pass through adapters have a normal mains plug socket in them that means you won't lose a mains socket.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .