How-to make your own Ethernet "splitter"

With an Ethernet "splitter", you can simultaneously connect two computers (or other network devices) on one Ethernet cable. You can buy Ethernet splitters for approximately $ 20.00 USD but you also can make your own.

Context:
One office, one ethernet jack and two computers, or
One living room, one ethernet jack and one HTPC and one XBox.

If you can't realistically (without tearing apart walls or renting a scissor lift) pull one more ethernet cable from the patch panel to the office / living room etc. you can consider the use of an Ethernet "splitter".

I'm assuming all the four pairs of the ethernet cables are properly connected within the ethernet wallplate and the patch panel.

Step 1: What you need

In order do make your own Ethernet splitters you'll need the following:

• Two RJ45 Crimpable Plug
• Four RJ-45 keystone jack
• Short Ethernet Cable Scrap (approximately 2 feet)

The tools you'll need:

• RJ45 Crimp Tool
• Craft knife
• 110 Punch Down Tool
• Loctite Super Glue

Comments

[jrdiver]

I'm just going to add this as a note: if you are trying to achieve faster speeds with Gigabit Ethernet, this is not going to work, as Gigabit uses all the pairs on its own, if you take away half of them it WILL limit you to 100mbps.

[altso888]

using the following wiring scheme for T568B:

RJ45 Plug

1 White/Orange
2 Orange
3 White/Green
4 Blue
5 White/Blue
6 Green
7 White/Brown
8 Brown

Take the other end of the cable, cut it to 9 inches and punch down the four pairs using the following wiring scheme:
• Jack #1: T568B
1 White/Orange to pin 1keystone jack White/Orange
2 Orange to pin 2 keystone jack Orange
3 White/Green to pin 3 keystone jack White/Green
6 Green to pin 6 keystone jack Green
• Jack #2: T568B
4 Blue to pin 2 keystone jack (Orange)
5 White/Blue to pin 1 keystone jack (White/Orange)
7 White/Brown to pin 3 keystone jack (White/Green)
8 Brown to pin 6 keystone jack (Green)

[philhartree]

Hi
I realise this is a couple of years old, but I wondered if I might ask you to check the text against the pictire.
Specifically, assuming the top left connector in the pic is pin 1, the colours don't match the text.
Your input would be greatly appreciated.
Regards, Phil

[chrismake]

philhartree -> in the illustration of step 3, jack #1 will be on the right and jack #2 is in the left. The wiring is correct and match the text but it just depends on the type of keystone jack you have.

[redalertnv]

philhartree is correct the picture has blue in pin 1 and blue/white in pin 2 but your text says the opposite for jack 2

[kdrayer]

this set up is for B configuation, is there an A?

Thanks

[RodHq]

Hi, great instructable, but i have a question. If I want to do this, but I want three female ends instead of two, and no male ends, how should I wire the Keystone jack instead of the crimpable plug

[chrismake]

They wiring is like this

1 White/Orange to pin 1
2 Orange to pin 2
3 White/Green to pin 3
6 Green to pin 6

4 Blue to pin 2
5 White/Blue to pin 1
7 White/Brown to pin 3
8 Brown to pin 6

The key is too keep the pairs together. Regards

[kdrayer]

Your set up is for B wiring configuration, do have the A version.

Thanks

[jcasper66]

DUUUH, I answered my own question. My 'sharer-splitter' adapters worked fine once I determined that BOTH keystone connectors and RJ45 plugs would use only the orange/green pairs. The router keystone connectors and or the DVD/TV cable box inputs must just use one half of the wires, those being the orange/green pairs.
The adapters allowed me to operate two separate devices off of a SINGLE Cat 5 cable as long as I had two free router outputs.
Thanks to all the comments as in the end they saved me from running an additional cable.

[jcasper66]

Is it possible to use a SINGLE Cat5 cable to connect two outputs of a cable TV router to a TV cable box AND a DVD (both needing separate ether-net inputs)??????????? I have no specs on any of the installed equipment but the concept of this thread seemed promising.

The simple solution of using TWO cables is not feasible due to access issues and the DVD/Cable TV converter are NOT wireless.

I tried simple homemade splitters at BOTH ends of known good SINGLE cable but only the side with the green and orange wires functions. The standard is 56B. I have probably oversimplified my solution but if there is some simple trick short of patch boxes/switches it might save me and other users some money. I can not open the cable box to see how the output and input keystone connectors are wired. Am also not a network guy but did work on vacuum tube TVs back in the 60s so I can follow a wiring diagram.

Reviewing other comments did not seem to help but since so many had similar issues with one side not working I am led to believe that what I am trying to do is just not that simple. The cable TV company is of no help either as they do not understand why I would not simply drag another cable through the wall.

Any help most appreciated.

[Spndavillain]

I did all the steps but i cant seem to get it right. after i completed the splitter if i connect only one jack it doesn work but when i enter 2 jack only one works. i tried with the combination of colours you gave and the combination of the rjs i found on the existing set up

[Klaudiuszm]

I like the idea :D. I haven't tried this, but in theory it would work.

[giltech]

followed your instruction jack #1 works Jack #2 don't wok please advise thank you

[Nova_Logic]

is there any way i could jsut buy this from walmart or somthin, i dont feel like doin any big complicated projects

[DBLinuxLover]

Lol this isnt complicated.

[Groxx]

Unless, of course, you don't have any of the required tools for this (which would cost more than making a few of these splitters).
I'll admit, it's not a "big complicated project", but there's no reason to pick at people.

A simpler option is to just buy a network hub, they're pretty cheap (often $20 or less). This is similar to an un-powered hub, though this is incompatible with PoE and Gigabit.

[chrismake]

A network hub will work as well but will create a bottleneck. I guess each solution (network hub vs. splitters) has it's pros and cons.

As for DBLinuxLover's comment, what Instructable has he ever done ? 'nough said...

[meenzal]

No, not 'nough said... A lot of very experienced engineers read here but don't post. Their offering their expertise should be appreciated, not slammed. There's a reason that ethernet hubs have fallen out of favor compared to switches, and you have built a 2 port hub. They do create network bottlenecks and dropped packets and packet collisions. Your instructable is good for a fast 'n nasty, but to split a connection a switch is really the only way to go, especially when it comes to gaming where microseconds can be the difference between success and failure.

[mgalyean]

Most bottlenecks with home LANs occur at the cable/DSL/whatever modem. With the typical 100MB (or even 1GB) network two computers sharing a cable via a hub or switch will still be orders of magnitude faster than the ISP feed...typically. Unless you are doing a lot of heavy bandwidth stuff within your LAN that doesn't traverse the modem then worries about LAN bottlenecks are usually unwarranted. Unless WiFi is involved. That is an entirely different can of flying monkeys, but isn't relevant to sharing a cable via hub or switch.

[jongscx]

... Do they even sell hubs anymore? We tried to find some for our "Intro to Networking" class, to show bottlenecking and signal crossing... and nobody had any in stock anymore... Unless of course you guys are talking about switches...

[kill-a-watt]

I dug a hub out of the trash at work a few years ago. It was only 10 Mb, so that's why I assume it was tossed.

Engineers hoard the things at my new place of work. It's an easy tool to use to sniff network traffic.

[mgalyean]

I haven't seen hubs in stores for awhile either. For those who don't know, a hub shares the available bandwidth among all connections, while a switch typically has a backbone that is much faster than the ports so it can better insure that each connection gets full speed and doesn't have to share. In other words, two 100MB streams via a 100MB hub will get 50MB each. On a switch with a 1GB backbone inside they'd both see 100MB. Switches are so cheap now there is little reason for anyone to market a hub given their shortcomings.

[Groxx]

They definitely do, though switches are primarily taking over because they're so cheap to make now. I think I remember finding an un-powered / power-optional hub a few years ago, too. As proof that they still exist, a quick search yielded one from Best Buy for $19. Though a switch with one more port was $22, and was 10/100, not just 10, so there's not much of a reason to go for that one in particular.

[Luistheguitarist]

How does it create a bottleneck? 2 computers on a hub and 2 computers on this splitter still puts them on the same collision domain. In fact some hubs do exactly the same thing. Both layer 1 devices. Help me understand.

[jongscx]

This device does not split the signal... it splits the cable. Normal ethernet on a Cat5 (4-pair) cable only uses half of the wires in the bundle (2 pairs). All this "splitter" does is redistribute signals so that one computer uses 2 pairs and the other computer uses the other two. They are on separate collision domains because they are still connected to two separate ports on the router... The analog to this setup is if you just had two ethernet cables running normally connecting two computers to a router.

[Luistheguitarist]

Of Course! So simple. I should've read the instructable. Needless to say this won't work with gigabit networks then. Thanks for clearing that up.

[amason9]

It will, but you won't get gigabit speeds.

[jongscx]

no, it wont.

[jchusky]

i was wounding can you use both the ports at the same time .i have xbox 360 and a internet tv

[Redion]

Well in my case I only have one ethernet outlet upstairs in the apartment building but I have 2 pcs. So i need a splitter!

[soudeh]

i try it but jack 2 is not working

[mahinder]

There are different configurations for  Ethernet splitters, which depends on the objective of the usage for example an rj45 splitter used for data- data splitting different  from that of data- voice splitter and which is again different from the voice - voice splitter. The user must be aware of this while buying an ethernet splitter.

[mickad27]

Would this work with 1 ethernet and 1 USB connection? Like instead of the 2nd ethernet port, I would put on a USB port. Or would there be cross-talk?

[rrrmanion]

am i right in thinking packet collisions are more common with this setup?

[smitdesai]

Is this work if 3 pc connected to single internet connection ??

[chrismake]

You need a 3 ports router on which you connect you 3 PCs.

[rrrmanion]

or, connect a hub to the modem router, or if you get internet access through a modem on one of the computers, set that up to share it's network connection, then hook up a switch to that

[jefftoshey]

I also cant get the two computers connected simultaneously to the switch. only one can connect to the internet. kindly assist

[chrismake]

These splitters don't connect directly to the switch but to the patch panel.

[leethebee]

Hello Chrismake,

I have attempted to do this to connect 2 computers to one modem, but it is not working.  Only the oranges and greens are working.  I'd like to use this concept to run 1 ethernet cable to my bedroom (from the basement) to connect 2 computers to the internet.  Am I missing something or a step?  I didn't really understand step 6...

[chrismake]

leethebee: you must be confused with "modem" and "patch panel". A patch panel is as shown in step6. Thanks.

[nzsammy]

Its main aim, is on a 10/100mb Lan (which only uses two pairs) utilizing the other two pairs in the cable for a second Ethernet device. This is for cable only and will not work by trying to run two pc's off one switch port, each pc must use its own port, but two pc's can share one cable. The same can't be said for Giga-Bit (1000mb), This uses all four pairs so using a splitter would force the NIC to 100mb.

[pierlinn_buenvenida]

help me --- what is the main purpose of that spliter its use in 2 pc or its for hub or rounter thank you

[Eegras]

If you're running Gigabit (like I am) this trick won't work.  10/100 connections only use 2 pairs (4 wires) which allows this hack to work.  Gigabit uses 4 pairs (all 8 wires).

[tyler9613]

I knew it was possible!

Is performance reduced at all?

And where do you get your keystone jacks? They look really nice.

[wokwithme]

Performance should be fine for 100Mb which uses just 4 out of 8 wires. Not for 1000Mb or 1Gb since that uses all 8 wires.

[rahulait]

which standard r u using???
568A or 568B ?
then the connections might change....

[wokwithme]

I'm not original Poster. I have build my own with matching Data Jacks sets and Just use Standard Cables. You can buy the Ethernet "Splitter" Jack Kit on Ebay (I call it a  "Sharer," instead for less confusion).  Make sure to get the special ones that come as a set. I think there's only one Seller that has them in the NA.
Yes the 568A and 568B are different connections, but that's on the cable or termination on the jacks. All Jacks are built the same hence "structured cabling." You decide which wires are for what. In this case, you disregard the 568A or 568B standard when you configure the Splitter/Sharer.

[rahulait]

so is it that the switch sends data to all the 8 lines we have in CAT5, because only then its possible otherwise the output of the switch will not match with the kind of input we want for the two jacks, i.e. both having sending and receiving lines....... but that's creating some confusion how is it going to work... all 8 lines having access to input , or some particular format is there,,, can you help me on that???

[wokwithme]

You are using 4 wires per connections. You will be using 2 ports from the switch or router. The Switch/router will run fine on 10/100MBps with 4 wires. The CAT5/CAT6 cable in the middle and between the 2 Jack Splitter/Sharers will use standard EIA/TIA 568A/568B wiring.

We're borrowing the Unused 4 wires to run the 2nd 10/100MB Ethernet connection. PIN number 1,2,3, and 6 are the regular 10/100 on the 1st connection. We are borrowing the unused PIN number 4,5,7, and 8 to run the 2nd connection on the 8 wires on the Main(middle) cable. Then we swap back the wires for PIN 4,5,7, 8 to PIN 1,2,3, 6 for the 2nd jack which connects to the 2nd Device/Node because all Nodes and Devices will only sync with  PIN 1,2,3, 6 on their RJ45 port to get 10/100MBps Ethernet connection.

[rahulait]

yeah that's true that we are using the unused 4 terminals to send the data of other cable. but on the other end which is at the switch, it is terminating at the 4,5,7,8 pin only. so how come is it able to know which pin to act as transmitter or receiver, positive or negative???

[wokwithme]

(removed by author or community request)

[rahulait]

if i am true, then plz do reply.... i want to confirm but i hadn't tried this,.... but to my view my below comment is correct......

[wokwithme]

Step 6, show the 8 wires Cat5 Connected to a Patch Panel and not to a Switch.
The 2  Orange jacks connect to the Switch.
If you replicate 2 set of RJ45 Jacks on the picture for Step 3 on one CAT5 cable, then you can transmit and recieve 2 x 10/100Mbps Connections.
Good Luck.

[rahulait]

thanks a lot for such usefull discussion... i really enjoyed the stuff...

[rahulait]

you are saying according to the diagram given on the intro page. but as per given on the diagram of step 6, where we are using two RJ-45 and converting them to single line, and then feeding to the switch, then one of the connection using lines 4,5,7,8 will be unable to get the data. As shown in "intro" figure, there at end we are using 2 ports of a switch...... so that will work....... but not the one on 6th step.......

[wokwithme]

Update: There are at least two people who sell the splitter/sharer kit on Ebay. The other Ethernet Splitters you see on sale are "parallel wired" Jacks.  You can use the "parallel wired" jacks but you'll have to rewire the connectors on that connects to the 2 ports on the splitter (2 ports on router and 2 nodes). You can rewire the cable for both Sets(both nodes) or just 1 set. If you rewire the cable connector make sure you label them so you won't use them as regular patch cable since they won't work for use as normal patch cable.

[rahulait]

@pctejasviu switch is similar to a hub but it is a smart hub. It does not send the data to all computers on the  network. Once it finds the destination pc, then it sends data to it only.... whereas a hub broadcasts to all.....

[mlucas719]

it can be confusing to the unknown here but the green cable is plugged into a "punchdown" not a switch. He has it wired correctly.

[bobkat1226]

You cannot use the switch connection as indicated, you need to use two ports, not one. there must be another splitter at the switch with the cable connected to the incoming cable{use a cable extender) and the two ports connected to the switch 

[chrismake]

bobkat1226: take a look at my diagram in the intro step http://bit.ly/6bYdeZ
You must be confused with "switch" and "patch panel". Thanks.

 

[LordMekk]

One Idea is to use a different color jack to indicate which computer is hooked up to which jack. If you use the same color at the other end it would make troubleshooting easier.

[Singh]

Hello every one , this is very nice post i am new to networking please if some can help i have ADSL2 + modem( THE PICTURE) i am connected thru rj 45 , i want to connect two computers should i make rj45 splitter as u described and insert one side in rj45 jack on modem and from the other side two patch cables on two computers( lan)will this work? will it divide the bandwidth between two computers please help and guide Thanks

[jongscx]

My suggestion really is just to buy a router. With the price of a very simple router dropping under $50, and usually having a minimum of 4 wired ports, it would solve all your problems in the simplest possible manner, without having to mess with internet connection sharing, crossover cables, etc...

[Groxx]

Most modems I've run across get unhappy if more than one computer is plugged into them. They're not routers, which will manage a network, they basically just translate your phone line into your network cable.
Your best bet with two computers and no router is to use the USB connection that's on most to connect the closer computer. It should have come with a disk to do just that, or you should be able to find drivers online.

To be more techy, I've yet to use a modem that has a DHCP server, which is necessary for a network. Most have even had trouble with changing what they're connected to, requiring a complete reset-to-defaults to even swap computers. A hub, splitter, or switch won't make a difference here, as there's still nothing managing the network, so you'll need a router.

Or, yes, there's Derin's suggestion. You'll need a crossover cable to connect the second computer, though, and I've had tons of headaches getting Windows to share its internet (though that's partly because of problematic wireless drivers).

[chrismake]

Singh ---> No, my splitters are not for this !! Two solutions for you: 1. Get a router, configure it with your connection and plug your two computers on it. 2. Configure one computer with your modem. Then install two network cards in each computer, hook them up (via a hub / switch or via a X-over cable) and install a proxy server (i.e. Wingate) on the connected computer to share the connection with the other computer. Sounds complicated but do some search, I gave you the basics. ;o) Regards

[Derin]

Windows actually has the proxy option.For Singh,I will explain the Windows process.These steps are only done on the middle computer which is a proxy now.It shares connection with the other computer and is between the router and PC #2. 1.Go to Network Connections and make sure both cards and cables are working. 2.Find which connection is to the router. 3.Right-click the connection and select "Bridge Connections" 4.I can't help any further because of my configuration but I'll try to find a guide.

[ranman448]

A word of caution for those of you in a corporate environment. Most companies have some kind of network/hardware policies in place. Be sure to check with your network administrator before attempting something like this, or adding any small hubs/switches to any Ethernet connection. You can get into ALOT of trouble modifying network outlets or using un-authorized equipment on a corporate network. I have seen this type of setup cause problems on long network runs, but short runs should be fine.

[xenosapien]

ok, what i was thinking when i read ethernet splitter was that i could have the short ethernet splitter plugged into my modem, with the two split jacks connnecting to my 2 ethernet cords- 1 to my computer, the other to my xbox. is there a way to do this or is your demonstration the way to acheive the same outcome?

[frollard]

That won't work - ethernet from a standard source only uses 4 of the 8 wires. You can't hard-split them with this device to go from 1:2, just from 2:2. To 'split' from the modem to 2 devices you need a hub, switch (smart hub) or router (switch with a bridge). One of the above can be had from 15-200 dollars.

[m456arcus]

I have the same question, please help!

[ScubaSteve]

If you go down to your local electronics store, you can buy one (or many) wired ethernet cables. (should be less than $20, i got mine for $3.50) Install it into your PC, and then bridge the internet connection (the one your modem is plugged into) to the add-in card in the network manager. I have this setup so my friend can play XBOX and i can be online at the same time. HOWEVER, dosent work with computers with diffrent OS'es. (XP and Vista)

[Groxx]

I just replied in more detail above, to Singh's comment, which applies here as well.

The basics, though:
Modems almost never handle more than one computer connected to their ethernet. You'll need to connect the modem to a router for any setup with more than one computer, unless:
1) you use the USB connection to supply internet to one computer, and the ethernet for a second. Almost all modems now have a USB port, though you may need drivers for your modem to use it for internet access.
Or:
2) you connect the modem to a computer, and set it up as a proxy (also called "sharing the internet connection") for the other. Your proxy-ing computer will need two network connections, though, and the computer you connect it to will need to use a crossover cable. The second computer will also only have internet access if the first is on.

[bokoo]

can one cat5 cable split to Ethernet and telephone? Ethernet takes 2 pair and telephone take 1 pair. Will 90V phone ring cause problem?

[frollard]

I did this - it does cause a problem to any adsl modems (via the network interface) on the wire. Whenever the phone rang I had to reboot the modem to get internet back. Some people won't encounter this problem.

[BJ_Hax0r]

Yes! You are actually able to run Ethernet and TWO phone lines. The ring shouldn't cause you any problems at all! If you are only using 1 phone line, you could instead use the "extra" pair for PoE (Power over Ethernet) to power the phone. The color codes you use won't matter (T568A/T568B), but you should keep constant.

[Groxx]

Ehhh... I've heard tales of rings causing brief interruptions with this setup. The phone ring uses a fair amount more power than ethernet communications, so is more likely to cause noise in the ethernet lines.

That said, it IS only brief, and networks are very good at handling interruptions without breaking. They even catch the errors and ignore bad data. You'll only notice the hiccup (if it occurs) if you're doing something extremely time-sensitive, like a fast-paced online game. And it shouldn't be a problem even then, unless your phone is literally constantly receiving calls.

And, again, I have not actually done this, only "heard tales", which could be mistaken.

[laminae]

I ordered and waited for 2 weeks to get an ethernet splitter so that my son could be on XBOX and I could be on the computer at the same time. It's not working. What's the deal? I didn't want to buy a router, but is that my only option?

[weirdo557]

the splitter doesnt really "split" the signal so much as it lets you use the extra wires in the ethernet cable to connect another computer to another source. a routher actually takes the data packets and routes them to the correct destination computer. they dont do the same thing.

[PSPerson]

yes. your only option is to get a router. if you don't already have one, you should get one, it adds another layer of security to your network (via a firewall built into the router). routers are fairly cheap ( i saw a dynex model for $40 US the other day at best buy).

[DieCastoms]

I did essentially this, but instead of using 4 keystones, my splitters each used one keystone on one end, and one RJ45 and one RJ11 crimpable connector at the other end. An existing cat5e with crimpable ends was left unmodified between the splitters. In the house, there are currently only two computers, My mother's and my father's, both of which are cabled to the modem/router. The splitter is only about 6 inches long, since the Modem/Router unit is right beside the DSL filter and phone jack. I plug the RJ45 into the router and the RJ11 into the DSL filter. In the RecRoom in the garage 150 feet away, the splitter is actually about 3 feet long. I connect it to the other end of a buried drop and connect the RJ45 to a TMobile HotSpot router (WRT54G Linksys router but with more memory than the standard 54g, and running ddwrt software) and the RJ11 goes directly to my telephone, since it is already filtered in the house. Now, with only a single length of buried cable, I have telephone and as many as 8 internet devices (One desktop where we store most of our files; two laptops, our primary computers, which we use on a regular basis; two PDAs which we use often; a PlayStation2 is cabled to the router with ethernet adaptor, hard drive, and software mod which we use for most of our TV entertainment including streaming video from the main desktop computer, gaming, watching DVDs etc; one PlayStationPortable; and one NintendoDS). We also have a couple frinds who come over from time-to-time with their own laptops and handheld gaming systems and jump right on our net without hassle.

[rllngriver]

I work in an huge corporate building.Each cubicle in my immediate area as its own Ethernet jacks. I would like to be able to connect two devices to one jack though. A network printer and another pc for its internet connection as well as printing to the network printer. Can I just use this one $20 splitter or do I need something else?

[PSPerson]

you need a powerless hub or switch... you can also use a regular switch that you can pick up at one of your local big box stores (best buy, fry's, etc). i would recommend a lynksys, D-link or Netgear

[lostandconfused]

I think I am confused here but maybe you guys can shed some light and wisdom. I have done like so with the above but on each ends I have different jacks. Will this make a difference at all? On one end I have this jack to the left.(typical keystone jack) Now on the right I have a different kind of keystone jack. I followed the above scheme and matched the numbers to the jacks on the right. I plug into, from the jacks on the right, and get no signal. Now I know for a fact on the other end, the left, is properly executed. (I'm not a pro but I attended BIXI cabling before) But on the left, I am would imagine that the tool it came with touched to wires to the metal connections. But I get nothing when I hook into the the router. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to point me in the right direction.

[chrismake]

lostandconfused -> No that's fine on the left you can use a keystone jack instead of a crimpable plug, you'll just need two extra patch cord do. I'm not sure what you did, but let me remind you, you need TWO adapters like the one you did above. One plugged on the wall and one plugged to the router. Also check my step #6: the adapter you see on the picture is not plugged on the router but on a patch panel (green cable) ; then the two blue cables goes to the router. Hope I made myself understand, but let me know if you need further explanation ;o)

[lostandconfused]

What if I have no patch panel....This is what I have done: I have used an existing routed Cat 5 ethernet cable routed to one bedroom from my office. I have completed a splitter in that bedroom and executed 2 jacks(1 for that bedroom and 1 on the adjacent with the jack on the left above) I have executed the above on the right I think which is right. I have ran 2 cables from the above on the right back to the router and have no connectivity. Now am I missing something or what...thanks for the help and patience

[chrismake]

lostandconfused -> I have made a schematics after your pictures of what your setup should be. Please look a it and re-read every step of my instructable. Of course feel free to ask me any questions if you have any more problems.

[lostandconfused]

Sorry for the no reply, I have been busy.

Chris, According to your PDF diagram, I have done everything except, between splitter #1 & splitter #2, you see how you have 3 jacks on each side, We'll I only have 2 on each side. So my question this time is. Do I have to complete a jack on each end then break out from there into 2 more jacks, or am I missing something?

[lostandconfused]

Here is my diagram of what I have done. As you can see, I have split the cables right down the middle. Please advise....I greatly appreciate all the help and maybe, who knows, maybe someone else may go through this exact problem.

[vinnydb]

I have the same problem, the orange and greens works and the blue and browns dint. You have posted that you solve the problem, please help me with it.

[wkrasnor]

I did the same thing. The one with the orange and greens works fine but there is no signal over the blues and browns. I can't figure out why if the one with the blues and browns is rigged the same way as the greens and oranges. Please post the cause and solution. Thanks

[wkrasnor]

Never mind. I solved my problem.

[bwpatton1]

Hey!, great now I am not the only one using "B" configuration

[biban]

gokil abis

[pctejasviu]

wonderfull solution.. cud any1 help me with step 6... wats the switch? till step 3 will work??? help me pls...

[teknomuffin]

Ok, I'm a bit of a noob. I can easily do this, but I want to make sure it's useful and not a waste of time. I have my XBox 360 in my room, and a computer... I'm on a second floor, and the router is in my garage on the other side of my house. I have a cable running through the house into my room. Can I easily make this, and have the cable running into my room be split, so that one wire can go into my Xbox 360 and the other into my PC? Thanks in advance!

[Metaferia]

hi i have a a question, do we need a special Crimper for the female rj45? thanks

[chrismake]

Yes I believe you need a 110 punch block110 punch block but some basic plastic ones are sometimes offered when you buy female rj45

[DBLinuxLover]

Not true. Ive worked with the females before. They are little slots, and you can actually push the wire in via a flathead screwdriver. The power-puncher is to save time because its much faster. but if you're only doing one or 2, a screwdriver will work just fine.

[PKM]

To everyone trying to use this to connect two computers to one modem jack or similar, that's not what it is for. This device will not let you change your end point connections, it merely allows you to "piggyback" two separate end-to-end ethernet connections over one length of cable by using all eight strands rather than only four. You still need the connections at each to match up (two router jacks to two computers or equivalent). In the home, this essentially means that if you want to connect two computers upstairs to two sockets on the router in your basement, you only need one length of cable trailing down the stairs, but in the basement you still need a splitter to connect that to two sockets on the router. And, in case anyone had any illusions, you can't plug splitters into splitters into splitters and have 8, 16 etc. connections over one cat5.

[clievers]

Hi, I would just like to confirm that this would work for my situation before attempting to make these. I have my cable modem in my living room. I want to run the RJ45 'out' down to my spare bedroom (using half of a RJ45 line) where my firewall will be. From the firewall there will be a switch connecting one or more computers there. Then from the switch, it connect to another switch in my Living Room, by using the other half of the RJ45 line (back down the hallway). From the LR switch, it will connect 2 or more computers. Is this possible? Using this split line to bascially connect two switches together. Thanks.

[clievers]

I attached an image for clarification:

[bandobando]

Clever, at a quick glance I thought it wouldn't work with two splitters. But on closer analysis, It looks like it would work and you even have all your systems behind the firewall. Although, I'm not sure if the modem uses all four pair(full duplex, correct me if I'm wrong). Even so, your connection to the internet is not likely to exceed the bandwidth of the 2 pair running to you firewall. I don't see anything wrong with it. I like it.

[bandobando]

Although, the left hosts will have a reduced bandwidth potential when connecting with the right hosts, maybe. I guess it depends on the NICs and switches. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[frosty1433]

then why does the cable come with eight wires?? four are useless??

[chrismake]

frosty1433 -> When you're working at 100 Mbit/s (Fast EthernetFast Ethernet) yes four wires are useless (except for PoEPoE devices). But when you're working at 1000 Mbit/s (Gigabit EthernetGigabit Ethernet), then it is using the eight wires.

[juanar]

I got a problem: I got a modem router (Tainet CA81R) that comes with two connectors: USB and RJ. The RJ is busy with a computer and the other is connected via USB. I do not want to have the USB connected anymore, because i need to use that computer with linux and it doesn't suppor the drivers -and I assure you that it has no solution-. So, I need to know if it is possible to connect this splitter (only one) to router's RJ out to split it for the 2 pcs. Thank you.

[chrismake]

juanar -> No, you need a switch on which you connect your modem router, and your two computer !!

[ths666]

hey im new and i was wondering...would it be possible to "connect" 2 ethernet cords....like without having a special connector?.....like "rig"something up....so therefore it owuld be somewhat temporary until you got a special piece for it?

[Superdude1250]

would this work to hook my computer up to the internet and have a router off of the same cable

[radiorental]

Very nice, and you can send other info down your spare wires if needed. You talk about PoE, its also worth mentioning that makers should be very careful not to connect this to a PoE enabled supply (it will cook one of the receiving cards), nor should they expect a PoE device such as phone or webcam to work. Also, it is probably marginally more expensive to get a low cost hub and hang it off the end of the wall jack... would open up four ports instead of two. But this is a nice instructable all the same - thanks

[cokebottle tuque]

actually as long as you use the splitter at both ends of the cable you should be able to use this on a network with PoE being as the pins on the female jack that the PoE would connect to are not connected. so you can use the splitter on a PoE network but not PoE on the splitter.

[such_momjeans]

THANK YOU!!! Your directions saved me money. The comments are helpful, too.

[viperc]

IS IT POSSIBLE TO NETWORK TWO PC WITH A USB CABLE THAT DOES NOT HAVE A BRIDGE ON IT. CAN THE BRIBGE BE MADE AT HOME?

[Junkyard John]

Can this work with USB too? If so, which wires go where?

[DELETED_Beanwaur]

(removed by author or community request)

[Junkyard John]

Then i'll have to open my existing USB cord. :(

[sparky]

also, the maximum length a usb cable can transfer data is 5 meters (16.5 feet), so if you are extending beyond that, it will not work

[Fake_Name]

Bull! I've strung multiple unpowered 16' USB extension cables together, and got full datarates with USB 2.0

[AzurusNova]

This looks usefull, but would it be able to split a single connection to a LAN cord to two different computers to allow them to gain access to the internet?

[Demosthenes]

Actually, it wouldn't. It merely takes two unused (with 10/100 applications) pairs in an existing cable and uses them to transmit data as the two used pairs for another cable. Basically, this takes two half-used cables and makes them into one entirely-used cable with two tips at each end. It does not act as a hub.

[CatNumber5]

If you need a pair but don't want to make them yourself, search eBay for 'Ethernet Splitter'. You will also see another style of this same idea that uses plugs on all 3 ends.

[chrismake]

stienman -> Thank you very much for your two wise remarks. You're absolutely right, that's clever, I should have use two different colors on each adapter !

[radiorental]

or simply use a marker to tag one. You can easily test which cable is which using the link LEDs on the switch

[nothingmuch]

IIRC ethernet allows transmissions on the same line to be made by several machines (maybe this is just from the coax age?). Basically every ethernet sending host writes what it wants to write, and if it doesn't get back what it got, it waits a random time, and writes it again. A checksum at the end of the packet will make it be ignored by other hosts due to corruption. This way when two hosts interrupt each other they wait a random time, and hopefully don't interrupt each other the second time. IIRC this is also the reason why ethernet hubs don't scale well. Can someone confirm?

[radiorental]

wow!! thats a blast from the past, yes - coax. Its not stricky true to say hubs dont scale well. In conjunction with switchs they can be a very cost effective implementation. And, badly configured switches dont scale well either... it has more to do with the way you plan your network than it has to do with the equipment you use.

[jeasterlingtech]

i agree that you should use 2 different colors on each adapter (keep things streight) these are a great "short term" solution like when ralph in shipping gets a new computer and you need to transfer stuff to it before takeing the old one down

[stienman]

This will work for 10base-T and 100Base-T networks (10/100), but gigabit ethernet (1000Mbps) requires all 4 pairs in the cable. Depending on the card and switch, gigabit may automatically fall back to 100, or it may simply report no connection. Also, I would suggest using one red and one white jack on each end, and matching the pairs so red goes to red and white to white. This will help immeasurably when tracing connections... -Adam