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CAT5 on/off switch

Last response: in Networking
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I would like to make a switch to turn on/off my network connection. I am thinking just a small hobby box with a toggle switch and two RJ45 plugs or two pigtails to go from my router to the cable modem.

Questions; how many of the 4 wires used in the CAT5 should I run through the switch. Would 1 be enough or 2 be better?
And, would I be seeing any noticable signal loss going through a standard SPST or DPST toggle switch ?

I could get the same results by unplugging a cable but the switch would be easier.

Logic goes away if it is not the first or seemingly obvious answer to a problem. :eek: 

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Only 2 wires are used but you may skrew up the cat 5 rating as it is kinda picular about some things. Keep your wires short untwisting only what you have to. Depends on your punchdown but on most blue/whiteblue are the wires you will want to switch. If it works great, if not you learned what won't work.

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You will get some noticeable signal loss if the strands of wire are long. If it is a short segment, hopefully it will be good enough. You are usually not supposed to unwrap the twisted pair (which is cat 3 utp and beyond) for more than an inch. hope this helps

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<b>All the world's problems can be solved through COMMON SENSE<b>

do u mean just your computer from the rest of the network or block others from using the network? in XP u can have the connetion icon in the sys tray. when u want to disconnect from the network u can just disable or disconnect that nic. to me that would be a lot easier and safer than trying to make a switch. whats everyone else think?

100105,7,473829 said:
www.JustHitTheButton.com sell an internet cut off switch. AKA internet panic button. it is exactly what you described and it works great!! go to


Personaly I put a little 5 port gigabit switch in line and use a timer on the power cord on top of the timer is a slide switch off and on so it turns the conection off and on and I can leave it set to cut it off at night if I forget i got the netgear swtch for $8.95 and the timmer was about $3.00.
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