# How Do I Use The Ethernet Ports Already In My House?



## Speedma11229

Networking Box? Do you mean a router or a switch? Do you have your own router? Or does the ISP have everything hooked up for you?


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## Phaedrus2129

Are you sure it's not for telephones?


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## kz26

Well those ethernet lines have to terminate somewhere. In most residential properties this would be in a basement or utility room. You would plug the ethernet lines into a router, typically.


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## Jayjr1105

Hook up your router & modem where the interface box is located (with all the room labeled wires) and plug them in to the router to make them all "hot". If you cant get your modem/router near this area, run a long ethernet cable to the area and use a 5 port switch ($15 on newegg).


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## JozefH

How I have my home set up is Cable modem -> Wireless router-> switch-> all the room connections
that way I still have wifi for my laptops and wired for stationary devices

note if you can not hook the modem up in the same area as the wires find one of the rooms/ports that you will not need to use to have your devices hooked up then plug that line into the internet port on your router in the area where all the wires meet

2nd note switch is only if you have more lines/ports than your router can support like when I did my house I put 2 lines in each room so I had a total of 10 ports


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## Dannnnn_the_man

Sounds like phone lines to me. I have the same exact thing around my house.


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## Jayjr1105

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *michaelz33*
> 
> In every room of my house there is a wall plate that has an ethernet port as well as a cable port.
> I tried plugging my laptop into one of the ports with an ethernet cable but it did not work.
> I went into my networking box and it has ethernet cables in it that have the names of the room written on them.
> I currently have Charter as my ISP with cable internet. Please tell me how I can use these ethernet ports (sorry for the noob question).


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Phaedrus2129*
> 
> Are you sure it's not for telephones?


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dannnnn_the_man*
> 
> Sounds like phone lines to me. I have the same exact thing around my house.


He said he plugged his laptop into it and it didn't work, not didn't fit. RJ45 wont fit into an RJ11 (phone) port, it's too wide. Unless of course its an IP phone but highly doubtful in a residential setting.


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## ZFedora

You have to actually patch the port in on a patch panel, and from there, plug the patched end into a switch or router. RJ45 ports dont magically work on their own


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## JozefH

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ZFedora*
> 
> You have to actually patch the port in on a patch panel, and from there, plug the patched end into a switch or router. RJ45 ports dont magically work on their own


the way it sounds is they all all individually terminated within the little area they all come in


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## linkinparkfan007

Could be he has a Switch that isn't plugged in?

But easiest way is just get a Switch and a device on the other side.


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## Alex20038

*Where do I find the interface box?*



Jayjr1105 said:


> Hook up your router & modem where the interface box is located (with all the room labeled wires) and plug them in to the router to make them all "hot". If you cant get your modem/router near this area, run a long ethernet cable to the area and use a 5 port switch ($15 on newegg).


Where can I find the interface box in an apt.?


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## Distractor_Beam

I made a video that might help anyone in the future get through this process:


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