# Tapping into Existing Phone Line



## Moony_Lupin (Jul 2, 2011)

Hi Guys!

I'm finishing out our basement (finally!) and I want to tie into our existing phone line so we can have access in the basement.  The single cat5 line running outside to the phone box is readily available to me since the walls are still not drywalled.  I was wondering how best to tie into the line.  Is it acceptable to simply splice the matching colored wires together or will that have some negative impact on my line?  

If I recall correctly, the original run upstairs would go into the gang box and another wire would run out to the next box and so on until the final wire ran to the outside of the house.  Does that sound right?  If that's the case, I see no issues with simply splicing into the wire.

Cat5e was used in the original run and I have some left over cat6 from another project.  Can I use the cat6 to connect/splice into the cat5 and be ok or will I need to match it with cat5e?

Thanks for the help!


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## Blue Jay (Jul 2, 2011)

The cat 5 will work ok, I would do the splice in the junction box closest to where you want the new outlet for phone not in the middle of the line. Without the proper connectors you *WILL* have trouble down the road.


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## Moony_Lupin (Jul 3, 2011)

Thanks for the tip.  I can easily run this new line out the wall to the phone box outside instead of splicing into the old run.  Would it just be better to wire the new line into that box?  Is that even possible?  I assume it's the same as any other junction.

Thanks!


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## Blue Jay (Jul 3, 2011)

Yes you can run it to the demark point on the outside of the house. If all outlets were done this way it would make trouble shooting much easier.


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## Moony_Lupin (Jul 5, 2011)

Update: I decided not to mess with splicing or running the new line out to the box that was chaotic and confusing.  Instead I took the risk and drilled up from the basement into one of the upstairs bedrooms and tapped into the phone line there.  After some measuring and careful drilling, I came in right underneath the gang box and fished the new wire up from the basement.  I ran the new phone line and tested it.  Worked like a charm!


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## Blue Jay (Jul 5, 2011)

Sounds like you are good to go.


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