Connecting sky+ box to Ethernet cable

[str]

Have a new sky+ box that can be connected to the Internet and I have an Ethernet cable inthe right place.

The sky man gave me a little connecting cable that has a connector that takes the individual wires.

It's coloured up for blue, white/blue, orange and white/orange but my cat 5 cable is coloured purple/ white, blue/white, green/white and orange/white!

Anyone any idea if the two will be compatible and how they should be connected?

 

[spinynorman]

The Sky+ box uses a standard ethernet cable with RJ45 plugs to connect to your router for internet access. Is it possible that the cable you're trying to connect is for the modem and has an RJ11 plug on it? These are similar at first glance to an RJ45 ethernet plug but are smaller and have fewer wires as they are intended for connection to the phone system. Phone cable uses the wire colours you mention.

http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Wiring/UK_telephone/uk_telephone.html
If so, and you have a spare phone socket, it would be simpler to use a phone cable with an RJ11 plug at one end and a BT plug at the other. The individual wires can be connected inside a BT socket but you'd need a special (Kron) tool to press the wires in place on the IDC connectors. Cheap plastic versions work well enough.

 

[str]

Its definitely a cat5 cable as it had a RJ45 plug already connected at each end, but I had to cut this off to feed it through the wall to its current position.

My description of the individual wires was a bit misleading, I have 8 in total, each coloured wire has a white wire wrapped round it.

I was given a little connection piece by the sky enginner which is basically a short length of cable with a RJ45 plug at one end and a connector block at the other, which is colour coded but only has 4 "ports", if that makes sense?

 

[Spark123]

Purple or Brown?
The normal sequence is:
pair 1 White/blue + Blue
pair 2 White/orange + orange
pair 3 White/green + green
pair 4 White/brown + brown

It could be that you only need two pairs i.e. pair 1 and pair 2 but best check with a sky engineer first!!

 

[str]

Could definitely be brown rather than purple!

 

[danechip]

copy the colours on the plug end, you need pins 1, 2, 3 and 6

both orange, solid blue and solid green.

yes it is brown and not purple. only 2 pairs needed, pair for each rx and tx.

all 4 pairs are needed for 1000/gigabit lan, and cross over cables not required (auto sensing)

dan.

 

[Astra99]

Unless you have the correct crimping tool, trying to crimp an RJ45 plug to the cable is nigh-on impossible. Go out and buy an RJ45 socket, connect the cables as indicated on the socket, and use a patch-cord to connect to the sky box or router. Note that the IDC connectors are not suitable for use with stranded cable though.

 

[unclebob1]

The sky man gave you the connector for one end or two?

If its just the one, and you have a multimeter or good eye site, try and figure out what wire on the connector goes to which pin, (ie blue/white to which pin, blue to which pin etc).

Then on your fixed cable, figure out what colour is in the same location and connect it accordingly.

The sky box doesn't use the full 8 cables, - 4 is sufficient if using the connector provided.

Alternatively, just leave the sky connector to one side and use a standard Ethernet cable. That's how mine is connected using a straight through cable. If it doesnt bother you (and anyone else) you could try soldering the wire back together again from where you cut it after its passed though the wall. You may have more noise line but i don't think the sky box will complain the same way a desktop/laptop etc would.

 

[Monkeh]

Please just crimp a plug on the end of your cable: Orange/white, orange, green/white, blue, blue/white, green, brown/white, brown, left to right, with the pins facing up at you. A crimper and connectors can be had for a matter of a couple of pounds on ebay.

If it doesnt bother you (and anyone else) you could try soldering the wire back together again from where you cut it after its passed though the wall. You may have more noise line but i don't think the sky box will complain the same way a desktop/laptop etc would.

I think it will have exactly the same problems a desktop, laptop, or any other device with an ethernet transceiver will have.

 

[unclebob1]

I think it will have exactly the same problems a desktop, laptop, or any other device with an ethernet transceiver will have.

crimp would be the better option if your not going to put a plate on it and then a patch cable, though i have known someone to solder the wires back, and used it for their ps3 online for gaming and streaming without any problems. I guess speed is the biggest issue (be it dropped packets or lag), but seemed to be enough for the ps3...

Each to their own - personally, I've always crimped or put a plate on it.