RJ45 (ethernet network socket, toma de red)

What an RJ45 socket is

An RJ45 socket is the network outlet in your wall (toma de red). The name comes from the clear plastic eight-contact plug on ethernet cables. Behind the socket runs a cable with four twisted pairs to the router or to a network cabinet.

What it is for

Connecting by cable the devices that move the most data or need a stable connection:

• Televisions and high-resolution streaming players.
• Home office computers and video calls.
• Games consoles.
• Wifi access points on other floors or in other rooms.
• IP security cameras and video door entry systems.

A wired network does not suffer interference or lose speed through walls, unlike wifi.

Which cable to choose

Cable is graded by category. In homes and offices today the usual choice is Category 6 or 6A UTP, which handles gigabit speeds or more and will last many years. What matters is that cable, sockets and patch leads are the same category and that both ends are wired to the same scheme.

How it is installed

• One cable per socket, from the router or a switch, with no joints.
• In its own conduit, or shared only with other telecoms cables, kept apart from 230 V wiring.
• In large houses, a small cabinet with a switch where all the cables arrive.
• Each point tested with a network tester.

Cost

As a guide, an installed network point costs 60 to 120 euros plus VAT, depending on the route and whether there is free conduit. See data cabling in Seville, Spain.