Any Phone Panel Block 66 experts out there?.....

[Cut-Throat]

I am trying to add a phone jack next to my Blockk 66 panel in my basement. I am going to plug my DSL router into it. The wiring is not real intuitive. Can someone here tell me which pins I need to connect to? - Do I need more than 2 wires for a DSL connection?

 

[SteveR]

Give this site a shot.

http://www.broadbandhomecentral.com/bbhl/about.html

 

[BigMoneyJim]

You only need one pair. You'll punch down white on the top and blue just below it.

I haven't seen a layout quite like yours, so I'm not sure where to put it. How many lines do you have?

All the 66 blocks I've dealt with are like this: For each row, the left two punchdowns are the same connection, and the right two are. The incoming feed is either punched down on one side, out on the other with a jumper block in the middle (which you have none) or there's an Amphenol connector that feeds the pins and the punchdowns are out. But neither of those seems to match with what you've got.

If you have one line and the DSL is on the main line, get a continuity tester (or ohm meter) and see if

Oh, I get it now. Each station run cable and feed cable is punched down on the outside, and there are cross-connects on the block.

First, if your DSL is on your primary line you'll be coming off of a blue/white pair. If it's on your secondary line you'll source off the orange/white pair. In either case the jack for the DSL will use the blue/white pair (center pins).

The proper next step is going to be to place your jack and punch the cable down on an outside column like Kitchen, MasterBed and so forth. Same color sequence. After that you're going to have to replace the long blue/white pair that starts at the FEED inside column and winds through each inside column by the other cables and extend it to the blue/white pair inside column for the DSL jack. NOTE: If your DSL is on your primary line, your DSL jack will be on the blue/white FEED pair. If your DSL is on your secondary line it will come from the orange/white FEED pair but still punch down to blue/white on the jack cable.

You may be tempted to punch two wires into one slot...not recommended.

EDIT: In short, all jack cables are punched down in order. A long jumper (cross connect) pair goes from the blue/white of the FEED to each cable's blue/white that wants to be on the primary line. Another long cross connect goes from the orange/white of the FEED to each cable's blue/white pair that wants to be on the secondary phone line. It doesn't look like you have any dual jacks, so we won't worry about that.

EDIT 2: It took me a while to figure it out because in my environtment the 66 blocks host scores of inbound connections, and all my station runs (jack cables) are on separate BIX blocks.

EDIT 3: Added illustration from sailor's reference. This is how each row of your punchdowns are connected behind the plastic. Your station runs (jack cables) are terminated on the outer column and fed by the inner column. Your current setup uses a long strand to run through the inner columns, but you could cheat for one or two connections by using a bridge across the center punchdowns and feed the other side of the block.

 

[sailor]

Two wires are enough for DSL (in the small RJ-11 telephone plug this is a middle pair)
Do you already have DSL on your 1st or 2nd line and you just need additional phone jack?
What kind of DSL - do you know if you need a splitter or two?

I'm assuming you have a bridged 66 punch block.
If DSL is on your 1st line:
If you don't need splitters (or you already installed them), you want to trace where the wires are coming from the top feed (blue and white/blue wire, with letters FE).
Since I can't tell (the wires are behind the tabs), let's assume that it winds down to MA (in "MASTER").
The easiest would be to buy a pair or bridging clips (you can use temporary use tinfoil for the test if you you don't have bridging clips handy) and bridge two rows in the middle.
Than connect blue and blue/white wires from your new outlet to the right punches at the same level (so they will end up two levels below N (in KITCHEN).
Inside the outlet connect the two wires to "the most middle" pair.


Here is a link which shows the bridging clips in action:
http://www.swhowto.com/CWP_Ch2.htm


if I'm not clear, please let me know,
sailor

 

[BigMoneyJim]

Bridging clips could work, like sailor said. Sailor, it looks like they're just winding from the feed through each pair...a really long cross connect; if you stare at the photo long enough you can see which of his rooms are on the first line and which are on the second...well, almost. Not how I do it at work, but it works I suppose. The only problem with using briding clips is that it doesn't match how the rest of the block is done and will further confuse future efforts to modify things.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Thanks guys for all the help! - I am still pretty confused and will have to study this a bit more. Mostly because I don't understand the 'lingo' - (cross connects e.g.) etc.

I only have one phone line and DSL is on it. I used to have 2 lines and used one of them for dial-up. I have got one of those simple phone jacks that has 4 wires. Red, Green and Yellow, Black. That is what I want to place next to the panel to hook up my DSL router to.

The bridge clips sound simpler. I am at the stage right now, where I need "hook the green wire to the clip that is on the outside that is N-number from the top"

 

[BigMoneyJim]

I only have one phone line and DSL is on it. I have got one of those simple phone jacks that has 4 wires. Red, Green and Yellow, Black.

I'm pretty good at making something hard harder. Sorry about that. If you have only one phone line and the red-green-yellow-black jack, then you can try one of the following:

- (ugly ugly ugly ugly but easy and should work) Use alligator clips, paperclips or whatever you can imagine to attach the red and green wires from the jack to the punchdown terminals as shown in photo #1.

- (better, but still a hack) Get 2 bridge clips, put them where I have the grayed out boxes and punch down the red and green as shown in the 2nd photo. (I'm now guessing you don't have a punchdown tool; if so you can use a flat screwdriver to coax the wire in there to the back...don't spread the terminal, just push the wire down right by the terminal.)

EDIT: Yellow and black aren't needed.

 

[Cut-Throat]

BMJ, sailor

Many thanks! - It all makes sense. And yes, I bought a punch down tool (a cheapie) this morning! - I think I'll use the clips and avoid the 2 wires on a connection!

 

[Cut-Throat]

Anyone know what store may carry these Bridge Clips for connecting the jumpers?

 

[BigMoneyJim]

Graybar and Anixter jump to mind. I'm sure there are plenty of places, but I haven't had to hunt for them before since someone at work knows where to go. You're in Minnesota, right? You might check these out. They may only sell by bagfuls of clips, though.

I've been browsing the yellow pages trying to figure out where my local company sources are categorized. I don't know. I'm sure you have a local place, I just don't know how to find it. Here are some local retailers for the big guys:
_________________________________________________
Graybar:
Burnsville, MN (Counter)
Duluth, MN
Mankato, MN
Minneapolis, MN
Plymouth, MN
Rochester, MN
St. Cloud, MN
St. Paul, MN

Anixter Distributor:
Electrical & Electronic Wire & Cable
6055 Nathan Lane North No. 14
Plymouth, MN, 55442
Tel: 763-559-2417
Fax: 763-551-7933

 

[sailor]

Anyone know what store may carry these Bridge Clips for connecting the jumpers?

If you can wait for USPS, PM me your address and I'll send you couple of these.
ADDED: You can use tinfoil in the mean time (yes, an ugly hack but works for a while)

sailor

 

[REWahoo]

If you can wait for USPS, PM me your address and I'll send you couple of these.

Sailor, according to Jarhead, Cut-Throat spends money like a drunken...er...you. Be sure to charge him for shipping, handling, carrying, insuring, packaging, processing and anything else you can come up with.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Thanks guys, but I got the bridge clips this morning. I hooked my DSL Line and now I have Wired and Wireless connections throughout the house!