Physically extend Phone Lines?

Question

When I first moved into my house I installed a media box to connect all of my Cat5e Network cables to a central location. The media block I bought also supports phone lines but I never bothered to connect it. Now I would like to change that and route my phone lines through the media box.

My issue is that the 10 phone lines in the house all connect to the phone company line at a point which is about 40 feet away from where the media box is. For the phone company line I am just going to run a new Cat5e line to the media box. But for the existing phone lines in the house it would be next to impossible for me to run new lines. Instead I would like to extend those lines so they run all the way to the media box.

I am trying to think about what would be the best way to do this. Ideally I would like to do this with in-line connectors but would it just be easier to attach standard phone jacks to the existing lines and use couplers? Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Answer 1

It all depends on how your system is wired right now.  If you have 10 outlets and they all run inside the walls to the MPOE (phone lingo for the grey plastic box on the side of the house- Maximum point of entry) then you'd be better off to just leave it like it is.  If you have to run the lines through the media center, then lay 2 runs of 4-pair cat5 cables from the mpoe to the media center and connect them up in pairs.  To make the splice from the Cat5 to your existing runs, do NOT use couplers/outlet jacks.  The best choice is to go to a phone wiring supplier and get some crimp connectors that you crimp with any type of pliers.  They require no stripping of the wires and you can crimp at least 5 wires, probably more.  Phone installers call them maggots or chiclets.  I would leave it the way it is though ;)

Answer 2

think you have your terms messed up.. if you have 10 lines, there is no way that a cat5 will carry that many dial tones, there are only 4 twisted pairs in a cat 5 wire, so only 4 dial tones can run on a cat 5 cable... i think you mean you have 5 extensions, or inside wire runs...

if you must extend inside wiring you should not twist the wires and tape them, that is the worst method... splices only create future trouble spots...  

ideally you should re-run new wiring, but to extend existing wiring, you can add a jack at the point of the splice, and extend the wire by connecting to the screws inside the jack

if all your wires are at a common point, and you want to extend them from there, you can use a 66 block

if you must splice them, i suggest 3m squeeze connectors, also known as scotch-loc's (some techs call them goomies, or mike and ikes) they are self striping, and gel filled, so the connections should remain water proof...