Hack your House: Run both ethernet and phone over existing Cat-5 cable

Step 4 Remove a pair

Ethernet does not use the brown or blue pair in Cat-5. I chose to use the brown pair. You may use either.

• Be warned that if you use the blue pair, your RJ-45 jack will no longer be able to carry phone service. However, you will hopefully have a separate phone jack soon, so this will not be a problem in the long run.

Using a knife or small screwdriver, break both of the brown wires as close to the jack as possible. Avoid all the other wires. If you break any of the other wires, you may have to redo the entire jack.

Using a knife, cut out a small section of the cable jacket about three inches from the jack.

Using a knife, screwdriver, or pliers, lift up the brown twisted pair and remove them so they stick out this hole.

• I do not recommend using a knife to do this, as you may damage other wires.