"David L. Largent" wrote:

> During the end of next week we will be relocating our corporate
> offices into a new facility.  We have had CAT-5 wire installed in the
> new building w/ a patch panel in anticipation of installing a
> network.  All the cabling has RJ-45 connectors.

So far, so intelligent :-)

> My desire (and assumption) is to use the CAT-5 cable we've installed
> in the new facility instead of the current cables.  I plan to use a
> short cable between PC and wall.  This will get the signal to the
> patch panel.  I'd then run a cable from the patch panel to the DTC.

For heaven's sake, forget the DTC and connect over the network!  You
want to run RS232 serial cables over RJ45/Cat5?  Do you really?

> The problem is what connectors to get, and where to get them.  I
> believe all the new cabling has been wired "straight thru", so I
> presume I need a connector somewhere in the line that will swap pins
> 2 & 3.  I'll need connectors that convert from 9-pin to RJ-45 (PC)
> and 25-pin to RJ-45 (DTC).

Your internal wiring is very likely straight-through as most are.  If
it was done by a reputable contractor it is likely T568B (United States)
or T568A (Canada/Europe/Asia) compliant.  In both standards you have
four twisted pairs on pins 1-2, 3-6, 4-5, and 7-8.  In Telco terminology
these are pairs 3,2,1,and 4 (T568A) or 2,3,1 and 4 (T568B); or in more
layman's terms, green/orange/blue/brown or orange/green/blue/brown.
If you are looking at a wall jack, pin 1 is on the left.  If you're
looking at the business end of a male plug, pin 1 is on the right.

I don't know of an "official standard" RS-232 to RJ-45 scheme although
there may very well be one (that was before I need to know this trivia).
10BaseT however uses 1-2 and 3-6 (pairs 2 and 3) [green and orange].
I will leave it to perhaps Ross Scroggs, Randy Medd, or another serial
connection guru to tell you how to interface Cat5 to *cough* serial.

> I'd like somebody to confirm my above asumptions (or set me
> straight!), and to head me in the direction of a good (and quick!)
> source for the connectors.  Phone numbers and part numbers would be
> icing on the cake!

If you're on MPE 5.5, network those turkeys!!!  Telnet works great!

Jeff Kell <[log in to unmask]>