Answering All Your Questions
About Telecom Wiring
Make Sure You’re Wired for the Future
As your full-service telecommunications cooperative, United Telephone, provides the wiring materials and services for the inside wiring of homes and businesses. It is our recommendation that your inside wiring be done by a telecommunications wiring professional to ensure it meets FCC standards and is equipped to meet all of the telecommunications uses of today and the future. For instance, wireless LAN’s computers, Internet/DSL and even video over the copper wire.
For those who wish to wire their own buildings, United Telephone provides the following specifications and guidelines, including the minimum technical, material and workmanship standards for basic telephone exchange service. For individual line basic telephone exchange service, such wiring must be used only with FCC registered or grandfathered telephone sets and associated ancillary devices.
The standards set forth in this document are subject to change as technology and installation and maintenance methods evolve. UTC reserves the right to submit revised standards when a need arises.
All building and electrical codes applicable in the jurisdictions served by UTC shall be complied with. Article 800, entitled Communication Circuits, of the National Electrical Code. and other relevant sections of that Code are hereby incorporated and must be complied with.
- Key Points To Remember About Wiring
- Most Frequently Asked Topics On Wiring
- Connecting To the Network
- Technical and Safety Considerations
- Material Standards: Wire
- Material Standards: Jacks
- Wire Connection Routing and Separations Standards
- Separation and Physical Protection for Premises Inside Wiring
If you have a wiring question you would like to ask our pros, send it to us by e-mail at:
Key Points To Remember About Wiring
The Telephone Company protector on the outside of the premises should be easily accessible
- Telephone Company wire should not be altered.
- All customer provided inside wiring must meet our specifications.
- All customer provided telephones and ancillary equipment should be checked for trouble prior to calling telephone company repair service to avoid a possible service charge. UTC charges a $75.00 service charge on repair calls when it is determined that the customer-provided equipment is causing the problem with the connection. This could mean an answering machine, cordless phone or even your computer. When experiencing problems with your connection, especially after a thunderstorm, follow the following checklist before calling UTC:
- Unplug all phones and equipment from each phone jack.
- Plug in a regular type phone (not cordless) into each jack to see if you have a dial tone. If you have a dial tone with the regular phone, then you’ll know the problem is with your equipment and not the telephone line.
- If you still do not have a dial tone on that line, then unplug all phones/equipment from all jacks and then plug each phone in each jack one at a time, checking to make sure you have a dial tone each time. This will let you know which equipment or jack has the problem.
- If, after you’ve tried all phones and all jacks for a dial tone, you still have no connection, please call UTC. For maintenance plan customers, a repair technician will be out to make the necessary wire or jack repair.
UTC Repair Line: 1-800-779-2227
Most Frequently Asked Topics On Wiring
• Connecting To the Network
The physical and electrical demarcation between customer premises inside wiring and telecommunications network is a telephone company provided Station Protector or Network Interface. Connection of the customer premises inside wiring to the Station Protector shall be completed by the telephone company upon notification by the customer that the inside is complete and ready to be connected to the telecommunications network.
• Technical and Safety Considerations
Wiring may only be used to conduct the operating signals, voltage and currents normally found on basic telephone exchange service lines. Premises inside wire must be capable of being exposed to, and conducting without damage, possible induced lightning surges and 60 Hz power line disturbances. This standard requires that such wire and its associated hardware be designed, installed, and maintained so as to operate safely when conducting these signals, surges and disturbances.
Telephone connections may have varying amounts of electric current in the bare wires and terminal screws. Therefore, customer premises’ wiring should be accomplished only by qualified personnel.
In the event any customer premises inside wiring fails to comply with the standards or conditions set forth herein the phone company shall not be required to maintain, such inside wiring under the inside wire maintenance plan until the customer achieves compliance.
• Material Standards: Wire
• Two pair wire shall be twisted in a four conductor spiral or as two twisted pair, Three pair wire shall have the conductors twisted together to form pairs and then grouped together to form the cable core.
• The wire pairs shall be covered with a jacket of polyvinyl-chloride or a functionally equivalent compound which has a 1500V RMS minimum breakdown rating.
• Each conductor shall be solid annealed copper individually insulated with distinctly colored high density polyethylene or a functionally equivalent compound.
• Inside station wiring shall be either 22 or 24 gauge wire.
• Pairs within cables cannot be split. Table A sets forth typical wire types and appropriate pair color code matches used to insure pair integrity.
Click “Here” to view the table on wire selection.
• Material Standards: Jacks
All jacks used in conjunction with customer premises inside wire must comply with Subpart P of Part 68 of the Federal Communication Commission's Rules (i.e., the Registration Program).
• Wire Connection Routing and Separations Standards
• The continuity of the wire color code must be maintained through all connections (e.g.i red wire connected to red).
• Customer premises inside wire must be securely fastened by the appropriate means to any surface encountered, without abrading or puncturing the insulating jacket. Typical fasteners and spacing intervals are shown in Table B.
Click “Here” to view Table B.
• Removal of wiring jacket or individual conductor insulation for connections shall be accomplished by removing the minimum amount of insulation necessary to make the connection to the jacks.
• Wire Routing
• Wire located in walls (in case of prewire) should not be stapled to wall frames. Wire should be routed through 1/2” drilled holes in wall and ceiling headers or through conduit. All holes should be filled.
• Wire shall be installed so as to assure that there is adequate insulation of telephone wiring from commercial power wiring and grounded surfaces. Wiring is required to be sheathed in an insulating jacket in addition to the insulation enclosing individual conductors. It shall be assured that this physical and electrical protection afforded by the insulating jacket and insulation enclosing individual conductors shall not be damaged or abraded during installation.
• Telephone wire shall not be placed in the same conduit or raceways with wires that conduct electricity.
• Judgment should be used in selecting the locations for placement of inside wire. The following are examples of locations which should be avoided:
- Damp locations.
- Wire runs which provide support for any objects.
- Excessively hot locations, steam pipes, heating ducts, hot water pipes, etc.
- Locations where wires will be subjected to abrasion or corrosion.
- Between two structural studdings when electrical wiring is present.
- Areas above suspended ceilings used for return air plenums.
• Place wiring where it will be least likely to be broken or detached.
Provide protection if necessary. Wiring shall always be suitably supported by means which do not affect the integrity of the wiring insulation.
• Wiring should follow joists: however, if it becomes necessary to span joists, run no more than three (3) inches from a wall to avoid possible damage to the wire.
• Whenever wire conduit is available or is required by applicable codes, it should be used. However, be sure conduit does not contain electrical wires that are not associated with telephone equipment If it does, do not use the conduit.
• All inside wiring should be run from each individual jack to a common point on the outside of the exterior wall near the commercial power meter or to the station protector if already installed. Extra footage on each station wire shall be provided at this point, approximately six feet per wire, for connection to the station protector by the telephone company.
• Minimum separations are required in or on buildings, between telephone wiring and other conductors or metallic objects. The wiring separations specified in Table C are required for crossing and parallel runs. For wire crossings, alternatives to the minimum separations are also shown on Table C.
• Separations of less than six (6) feet between inside wiring and lightning rod wires are permissible under the following conditions.
- Where telephone, power, and lightning rod ground connections are made to a common bonding point that is properly grounded.
- Where separately driven ground rods are used for telephone, power, and lightning rod installations, and the ground rods are bonded together.
In no case shall the separation be less than four (4) inches.
• An explanation of the terms used in Table C is provided in "Glossary of
Terms/”
Separation and Physical Protection for Premises Inside Wiring
Click “Here” to open a table on this topic.
Ancillary Equipment: |
Equipment which provided supplementary features, such as answering sets, speakerphones, and dialers. |
| Armored or nonmetallic: | An assembly of two or more insulated conductors having an outer sheath of moisture resistant, flame retardant, nonmetallic material. |
| Bare Wire: | An electrical conductor having no covering or insulation whatsoever. |
Bridle Ring: |
A device used to loosely hold telephone wiring where appearance is not a factor. The bridle ring screws into the supporting surface. It is usually used where the wire is run below six feet and contains no sharp or hazardous edges. The telephone wire is inserted after the ring is in place. |
| Cleats: | Porcelain fasteners which are used to fasten electric power wires that are insulated but do not have an outer protective jacket. |
| Coaxial Cable: | A two conductor cable for transmitting electrical signals that consists of a tube of conducting material surrounding a second centrally located conductor which is held in place by insulators. |
Conduit: |
A plastic or metal pipe or tube used to carry telephone or electrical wiring |
| Connecting Block: | A device used for terminating premises telephone wiring and a means of connecting telephone sets to such wiring. |
| Dial Light: | A small light bulb powered by low voltage and used to illuminate a telephone set dial in dark locations. |
| Drive Rings: | A device used to loosely hold telephone wiring in place where appearance is not a factor. The nail in a drive ring is driven into the supporting surface and the ring is open to permit placing of the wires. A drive ring must be used at least six (6) feet from the floor so that its nail will not present a hazard. |
Drop Wire:
|
Wire used to transmit telephone service into a customers premises. It may be aerial or buried. |
| Ground: | Earth ground. Part of an electrical path or connection. |
| Ground Connections: | Metal paths (wires, metal water pipes, rods and clamps) which connect electric circuits to earth ground, usually for protective reasons. |
| Ground Rods: | A solid metal rod or pipe which is driven into the earth in order to provide an earth ground for electrical circuits. |
Hardwired: |
The term “hardwired” as applied to a telephone set means the connection of the telephone set line (mounting) cord to a connecting block with screw terminations. Under the FCC’s Registration Program for terminal equipment only those telephone sets which were connected to the telecommunications network in a “hardwired” manner prior to July 1, 1979, may remain connected or be reconnected in such fashion. |
| Inside Wires: | Wire designed to carry a telephone circuit(s) around a customers premises. Typically it consists of four insulated conductors encased in an insulated jacket. |
| Station Protector: | The point of interconnection between terminal equipment or premises inside wire and the telecommunications network. The Standard Station Protector which serves as the interface must be provided by the Telephone Company. |
Knobs: |
Porcelain fasteners used to affix electric power wires which are insulated but do not have an outer protective jacket to a surface. |
| Modular: | The term “modular” as used herein applies to the connection of a telephone set mounting cord to the telecommunications network via plugs located on the end of such cords and jacks used to terminate premises inside wire. |
| Open Wiring: | A wiring method using cleats, knobs, tubes, or flexible tubing for the protection and support of insulated conductors run in or on buildings and not concealed by the building structure. |
Protector: |
A device used as protection from hazardous voltages. It is normally mounted outside the premises. If mounted outside, it will be covered with a plastic or metal housing. |
| Raceways: | A metal or plastic channel used for loosely holding and telephone wires in buildings. A raceway is usually located in the floor and is usually encased on three or four sides by concrete. |
| Registered Terminal Equipment: | Terminal equipment which is registered for connection to the telecommunications network in accordance with Subpart C or Part 68 of the FCC's Rules. If a terminal device has been properly registered, it will have an identification number permanently affixed to it. |
Ring: |
As used herein, refers to that side of a two wire telephone circuit which is connected to the negative side of a battery located at the telephone company central office. It is like the "hot” side of a residential lighting circuit. |
| Telecommunications Network: | The public switched telephone network. |
| Tip: | As used herein, “tip” refers to that side of a two wire telephone circuit which is connected to the positive side of a battery at the telephone company central office. It is like the material side of a residential lighting circuit |
| Transformer: | As used herein, a transformer is an electrical device which reduces the voltage in electrical house wiring to a low voltage in order to operate a dial light. It plugs into an electrical outlet and has externally located low voltage connections which are extended by inside wiring to the telephone set dial light. |
Wire Clamp: |
A device used to secure telephone wires to a surface. One end is U shaped for placement over the wire. The other end contains a tab, which is affixed to the mounting surface with a nail or screw. |
| Wire Guard: | A length of plastic (round or U shaped) used to protect telephone wiring from abrasion or foreign voltages. |
What To think About When Wiring For A New Home
- Wire Type
You need to wire the entire house with at least 3 Category wire. It is also recommended to use a 5 Category wire for high-speed Internet connections. - Wire Placement
When you run the wires, you need to make sure that they don’t sag under the house. If the wires touch the ground, there is a chance moisture will cause the wires to deteriorate. Also, you shouldn’t have a splice under the floor because that increases the chance for moisture to get in as well. - Wire Planning
It is best to run your wires to a central location. I also recommend that people put a jack in every room in the house, just in case. Even if you think you won’t need a jack in a specific room, it’s a lot easier to put a jack in now than later. - Jack Placement
You need to think about where furniture will go in each room, and where you want a computer when thinking about installing jacks. It’s easier to plan ahead.
Technology Wiring Is All About Preparation And Quality
A few things to consider when it comes to wiring for technology.
- First, consult a professional. That just makes sure that everything is installed correctly and helps to avoid possible problems later on.
- When consulting a professional, make sure they are installing Category 3 or Category 5 wiring. These give you the greatest capacity for anything you want to do, high-speed Internet or whatever.
- And finally, planning and preparation are the real keys to successful wiring for a new structure. It’s smart to think about where you will put furniture or a computer for example. In fact, I recommend people put two jacks in every room. That way, if you move furniture around, you’ll always have a nearby jack to connect into.
What Are The First Steps In Identifying Wiring Problems?
Things that can cause a problem are: poor splices or taps, loose connections to outlets anywhere in the house, devices (fax machines, telephones, answering machines, etc.), or even the line cord you use to connect the modem to the phone jack.
• Try a different line cord from the modem to the phone jack.
• Unplug all other phone devices on the line. If performance changes, plug them back one by one to isolate the problem.
• To verify it is a device and not the jack or the wire to the jack, plug the problem device into another phone jack, and check its line cord.
• Before you install new wire, find the network connecting point on the outside of your house (called the protector). It should have a customer-accessible area with a modular connector - if you unplug the connector, all the wiring inside your house is disconnected, and the line is only available in that (now empty) jack. Then, run a line cord from your telephone to that jack and test - if your performance doesn't change, you don't have a problem with your inside wiring.
Wiring Your Broadband Connection
Networking for broadband services can be as simple as one wire to a computer, or a complex network with multiple hubs, switches, routers, servers, printers, and computers, that are linked together by a combination of wired and wireless devices.
“The first question to ask yourself is, what do I want my broadband connection to do?”
You should consider whether you want to surf the web and check e-mail on just one computer, run a business, provide access for multiple users, or maybe host a website. Another consideration is the feasibility of running physical wiring. Physical wiring is usually cheaper, and more secure, but sometimes wireless makes more sense.
- Usually in a complex network, Category 5, or better, wiring is run to a central location.
- All devices are hubbed, or wired, back to connect at this point.
- Connections are typically made with RJ45 (8 pin) connectors and specified conductors, depending on which Ethernet protocol is used to carry, transmit and receive data.
- Crossover cables are needed when connecting like devices, unless the port negotiates a connection.
