Cannot get my cat5 wall jacks to connect to internet.

[sparksmix]

I have cat5 wall jacks in every room of my house, but when i connect my computer to the jack, it doesn't respond. It doesn't connect to the internet or anything. i have tried two different computers and 3 different jacks. no response. I have a dsl modem connected to the cable line and i have a wireless router connected to the dsl modem. That gets internet fine. Its just the cat5 wall jacks that dont work.

[wbrost]

when you say does not work are you saying that you get no link lights on the PC when you plug in a network cable or are you saying that you can connect to your home network but not the internet?

Also I am assuming that this happens with every jack in your house?

[mroilfield]

Are the Cat5 jacks hooked into your router or another device?

[sparksmix]

When i say they dont work i mean that nothing happens when i plug into the cat5 jack. it doesn't connect, it doesn't say that anything was connected, no lights or popups. Nothing. And what do you mean are they hooked into the router? how do i hook them into the router?

[wbrost]

he is asking if you are using punch down blocks or if the cables that go from the jacks (in the walls) run to a switch or router.

[sparksmix]

What are punch down blocks? and what cable that run from the jacks? i use a an ethernet cord from the jack to my computer. Is that what you mean?

Sorry, im not a networking kind of person. im more of a software person lol.

[mroilfield]

The Cat5 wall jacks are just like the power outlets in your house. The cables that are inside the walls have to go some where and be connected to something in order for them to work.

Each jack should have a cable that is running to a central location. At this central location there should be something that resembles your router and all of these cables should be connected to it. Can you have a look around and see if you can find something like this?

Also are you using Broadband or DSL? How do you know that these are all Cat5 jacks?

[wbrost]

ok no problem there needs to be two connections for the jacks to work. One is the incoming from a patch panel (or other punch down block) or a network switch / router. These connections are you use for a wired network. the other type of network is wireless where you have a wireless device that is connected to the internet that broadcasts the signal for devices to connect to.

using either method you need a physical connection to the internet/router/switch. You could try and open the jack back up and check to make sure that there is a cable connected to the back side of the wall jack. After we know that we can help you further.

Please let me know if you have any questions or are still not sure how/what to do.

[sparksmix]

I am using dsl. And i dont know what you mean by a central location or what it would look like. And i know they are all cat5 jacks because they all have a label printed on the covers that says "cat5".

What is a patch panel?and i am still not sure what you want me to do.

[mroilfield]

where is your DSL router located?

[sparksmix]

it is in my office. it is plugged into the cable. and my wireless router is plugged into the dsl router

[wbrost]

ok so do you have a wireless card or such connected to your computer? other wise you will need to run cables from the router to each of the wall jacks.

[sparksmix]

i have a wireless card in my laptop but not in my desktop. which is why i wanted to have the cat5 jacks work so i can connect my desktop in my room.

[mroilfield]

other wise you will need to run cables from the router to each of the wall jacks.

There should already be cable run to the jacks and these cable should all go from the rooms with the jacks to one location.  So there should be no need to run the wires again unless the jacks and wall plate were installed with out any cables initially being run to them and if that is the case the OP would need to hire some one to come in and complete this step in order to be able to use them.

Sparksmix,

you need to locate where the cables from the jacks are ran to with in your house before we can offer any more advice on how to get the jacks working.

[wbrost]

to do that you should do the following:

using a screw driver open the face plate of the jack (usually two or four screws). Then remove the jack by taking out the screws to the left and right. After that you should see a network cable running behind the wall that is connected to the jack on the back side.

let us know if you are still not sure how to proceed.

[sparksmix]

ok. i figured it out. i had a friend come over and show me how to do it. it was actually way easier than i thought. i guess its just the way you guys weere putting it made it sound complicated lol. thanks for the assistance.

[mroilfield]

Can you let us know how you got it working?

[Aegis]

i guess its just the way you guys weere putting it made it sound complicated lol

Yeah, that must've been it.