Install an Ethernet Jack in a Wall

In today’s world, Ethernet cable and jacks are installed in commercial buildings for network connectivity almost as much as electrical wires and sockets are installed for electricity. Therefore, it is important to know how to install and connect an Ethernet cable jack in a wall. The following steps describe how this can be done.

Steps

  1. Turn off all electricity to electrical circuits that you will be working in close proximity to.
  2. Review the networking key map in order to determine a location for your Ethernet cable jack. A popular place for this to be located is on the opposite side of a stud from where an electrical socket is located.
  3. Using a measuring tape and a stud finder mark the location where the Ethernet outlet will be located.
  4. Using a torpedo level, place the wall plate mounting bracket on the wall and trace the inner part of the bracket on the wall.
  5. Cut a square hole in the wall using a drywall saw and the traced lines from the previous step. Be sure not to cut too big of a hole. If you cut the hole too small you can always go back and cut a little more out using a drywall saw.
  6. Install the wall plate mounting bracket into the wall according to manufacturing directions.
  7. If necessary drill at least a 1” diameter hole in the top of the wall directly above where your Ethernet outlet will be located.
  8. Run a fish tape from the top of the wall to the hole for the Ethernet outlet.
  9. Attach a very durable, but small in diameter, rope to the end of the fish tape and pull the fish tape out of the wall while pulling the rope into and out of the top of the wall. Ensure that the rope is long enough to have a foot of extra rope above the top of the wall and at least a foot of rope out of the Ethernet outlet hole.
  10. Attach the rope above the wall to the Ethernet cable coming from the main panel box. Ensure that the cable is the correct one for this particular outlet. It is recommended that a combination of a good knot and electrical tape is used to attach the rope to the cable. Pulling the cable down to the outlet opening can be especially difficult if there is insulation in the wall where you are pulling the cable.
  11. Once the cable has been pulled through the outlet opening with about a foot of extra cable, use a wire stripper to remove approximately 2” of the cable jacket at the end of the cable. Do not nick any of the small wires that are part of the cable when using the wire strippers to remove the cable jacket.
  12. Untwist the wires just enough so that the wires can be installed on the RJ45 female jack. Do not twist the wires any more than necessary due to the potential for interference on the wires if the cables are untwisted too far.
  13. Place the wires by hand into the color coded notches on the jack. The wires should be installed into the jack with the ends of the wires going out towards the sides of the jack. The wires will be installed using an A or B type color code. Both color codes are sufficient but should be used uniformly throughout the building.
  14. Using a punch down tool fully seat the wires to the RJ45 jack. Trim off any excess wire from the jack
  15. Install the jack into the wall plate and screw the wall plate to the wall plate mounting bracket. Push any excess cable back in the wall.
  16. Test the connection using a cable tester.

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