ADSL Line - Copper Cable

[Gadget Man]

Lightning took out our telephone system. The ADSL filter has blown and it seems parts of the cable as well. Fortunately we have disconnected everything before the strike.

Now I need to replace the cabling in the house from the incoming point outside. Can you use any copper cable, or is it a special telephone cable. I have a roll of copper cable used for speakers (multithread, but two core cable 1.5 sqmm). Will this do?

Any advice here will be appreciated.

 

[Gambit]

It is best to use solid core twisted pair cable for best results. The twisted pairs help with cross talk over long distances and is what phone companies (including telkom) usually use. If you can't find telephone cable (which i think is cat 1 cable) then you can also use cat 5 cable (computer network cable) as this is also twisted pair and higher quality than standard telephone cable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twisted_pair

 

[Voicy]

Normal Scooby wire or solid core twin flex will suffice. However, you have a 70V DC signal running on the copper line - and no access to the tap off junction box. I highly suggest you log a call with Telkom to let them do this for you. If lightning strikes it and -worst case- your house burns down, you will be held liable. If you fry the local junction box by shorting out the line, Telkom is not going to be a happy camper with you - neither are your neighbours.

But yeah - it's doable.

 

[Leftfoot]

Firstly, why do you have to replace the telephone cable? You rent the copper from Telkom and they will replace it unless its beyond the particular PABX contract you have.
Secondly, If to really want to replace the cable to its original state then its 0.4mm to 0.7mm solid copper multi core cable. For a simple extension or house line the standard is QUAD cable or 2 twisted pair cable (twisted to reduce induction from other lines or AC appliances).
Try not to use things like multi-strand twin flex etc as they have different transmission properties and impedances and may end up "reflecting" the ADSL signals resulting in errors (usually only on longer runs)

 

[Gadget Man]

Thanks for the input. I have a junction box outside the house. The cable is then wired through a conduit to the ceiling, where there is a 3 way split. One goes straight to the home-office, and has an end junction. From the junction it goes to the router and the filter to the telephones. The other two way split goes to a filter and off to the alarm and house phone. We had a direct strike on Tuesday last week and I have ascertained that between the incoming junction box outside and the split in the ceiling, there is a break in the cable. It easier the pull through a new cable (about 15 m). I have access to Cat 5e cable and from the responses this will do.

Now, I need to get a filter. Telkom in the area is all out ... the storm was wide spread.

Thanks all.

 

[Gambit]

Thanks for the input. I have a junction box outside the house. The cable is then wired through a conduit to the ceiling, where there is a 3 way split. One goes straight to the home-office, and has an end junction. From the junction it goes to the router and the filter to the telephones. The other two way split goes to a filter and off to the alarm and house phone. We had a direct strike on Tuesday last week and I have ascertained that between the incoming junction box outside and the split in the ceiling, there is a break in the cable. It easier the pull through a new cable (about 15 m). I have access to Cat 5e cable and from the responses this will do.

Now, I need to get a filter. Telkom in the area is all out ... the storm was wide spread.

Thanks all.

Standard phone lines are 2 wire. You must use two wires in your cat5 cable that are twisted together. Don't use 1 wire from one twisted pair and another wire from another twisted pair.

 

[Leftfoot]

Not recommended but still possible: If the section that is faulty has more than one pair, then you could just divert to that pair as a temporary measure. A telkom 2 pair cable has Blue/white as one pair and Turquoise/purple as the 2nd pair. Private cabling has orange/white twisted together for the second pair. The second pair is usually never used and is spare.

 

[GPErasmus]

I stay in a high theft area. After a year now I have grown tierd of IBurst and 3G's slow connection in this area, it appears i would need to install my own 0.7mm solid copper multi core cable. The neighbour has done so but doent want to say how or by whom. Do you guys know of another way I would beable to connect this up to the exchange for me? Not saying that I tried getting the answer from the call centre without being shot down every time.Tried several times.

 

[Messugga]

Sorry for the bump, but I don't see my post warranting a new thread. I'm in an apartment building which was renovated a while ago. The contractors seem to have severed the internal telephone cabling and Telkom says that they would only connect me up after having replaced the cabling for the entire building, which everyone knows simply won't happen.
The building's distribution box is completely open (and in terrible condition, but it seems to still work) with four or so lines running from the terminals, up the outside of the building, to various other apartments.

The lines that are currently connected are functional, although they are very poorly done in my opinion, by electricians or possibly the residents themselves. I'm thinking I'm going to pull my own cable (Properly) and then give the request for a line another bash. Do you guys see this being a problem? I'd go wireless, but any LOS products won't do due to the towers being blocked by other buildings on the side of ours and Cell C's 5GB, which I'm currently using, just isn't enough.