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Telecommunications

     
   
Testing, Repairing and Installing Home telephone Wiring - Multiple Phone Line Installation


Two lines can be connected to single jacks or two lines can be wired to double jacks according to the following diagrams and using the terminals and wires (or their color equivalents shown in the table below):

twoLines1Jack           twoLines2Jacks

Four lines can be set up on double jacks using the pattern below:

fourLines2jacks

The chart below shows wiring patterns and jack/plug names for installing up to three phone lines using single jacks and plugs:

Pin
RJ25
RJ14
RJ11
Pair
T/R
Color
Old

1

X

   

3

T

Pair 3 Wire 1 Cat 5e/6white/green

Pair 4 Wire 1orange

2

X

X

 

2

T

Pair 2 Wire 1 Cat 5e/6white/orange Pair 2 Wire 1 Oldblack

3

X

X

X

1

R

Pair 3 Wire 2 Cat 5e/6blue or
Pair 1 Wire 2blue/white
Pair 1 Wire 2 Oldred

4

X

X

X

1

T

Pair 1 Wire 1 Cat 5e/6white/blue Pair 1 Wire 1 Oldgreen

5

X

X

 

2

R

Pair 3 Wire 1 Cat 5eorange or
Pair 2 Wire 2orange/white
Pair 2 Wire 2 Oldyellow

6

X

   

3

R

Pair 1 Wire 1 Cat 5egreen or
Pair 3 Wire 2green/white
Pair 3 Wire 2blue

For key systems and other multi-line equipment, 4-pair cable can be connected to RJ-61 plugs and jacks that allow up to four phone lines.  They have a wider 8-pin plug and an 8-terminal jack as shown below:

phonePlug phoneJack

In such installations a phone or fax machine with a standard plug can still be connected to a properly wired RJ-61 jack to access the first or second line, but an RJ-61 plug would be needed to use the third or fourth line.

Wiring patterns can vary for specific 4-line (RJ-61) and data (RJ-45) installations so you will want to reference a guide for your specific equipment or specific data application.

Wire Category Table:

Cat XX wire reference is a specified category of performance for inside wire and cable systems.

Category
Cable Type
Application & Speed Supported

1

Unshielded Twisted Pair

Analog Voice

2

Unshielded Twisted Pair

Digital Voice, 1 Mbps Data

3

Unshielded Twisted Pair/Shielded Twisted Pair

16 Mbps Data

4

Unshielded Twisted Pair/Shielded Twisted Pair

20 Mbps Data

5

Unshielded Twisted Pair/Shielded Twisted Pair

100 Mbps Data

5e

Unshielded Twisted Pair/Shielded Twisted Pair

Up to 1000 Mbps Data

6

Unshielded Twisted Pair/Shielded Twisted Pair

1000 Mbps Data

7*

Unshielded Twisted Pair/Shielded Twisted Pair/Fiber

1000 Mbps Data

(Table from Newton’s Telcom Dictionary)

* Proposed Standards