Skip to Content

Can You Plug Ethernet into Wall? (All You Need to Know)

With the advancement of modern technology, the internet has become a commonplace around the world in both offices, educational institutions and homes. In order to get the best internet usage experience, we often install many additional components or change the connection type. 

This article discusses one popular connection type, the ethernet, and whether you can plug it into the wall.

Plugging ethernet into wall:

If your Internet service provider has properly configured your wall outlet and the jacks properly then you can plug your ethernet cable into the RJ-45 port in the wall and expect to have access to the internet. Ethernet connections increase the use of wires and could be messy if not organized well.

You can plug an ethernet cable into the wall outlet that has been set up and configured by your internet service provider, however you should not use the internet directly from the outlet. 

Using it directly from the wall limits your usage to one device and also puts you at a security risk, in order to alleviate that you can set up a router to be the intermediary between your devices and the wall outlet. 

How it works: 

In order to have internet connection to your computer and other devices from the wall using ethernet, you first need to determine where the wall outlet connection leads to. 

If the wall outlet is not set up and connected to the ISP’s servers, then you won’t get any internet even if you connect ethernet cable to the wall outlet. 

Therefore, you must first set up your wall outlet by contacting your ISP and they will set up the wall outlet for you to use ethernet into it. 

Despite being able to plug ethernet into the wall, it is wise to not do that because it limits the wall outlet to just one device it is connected to and also poses some security issues. 

Instead, your ISP would install a router that is connected to the wall outlet through ethernet and another ethernet connection will run from the router to your computer.

Before that, you need to ensure that your computer has an RJ-45 port, many laptops do not have that port and therefore rely only on wifi for internet access.

Ethernet is a popular mode of connection for users in offices to connect a large networking infrastructure together and to the internet where they can get internet connection by simply plugging the cable into the wall.

Things you need for plugging ethernet into the wall: 

Before plugging your ethernet into the wall, there are some prerequisites that need to be checked and fulfilled in order to allow a proper and stable internet connection. 

Your wall outlet may not be set up if you haven’t used ethernet from the wall outlet before or if your RJ-45 port was damaged. In case of damage, you would need to call a technician to repair the outlet. 

For new connections – first you would need a cable, the most common cable used in home networks is CAT6 which provides the optimal and best connection. 

Another thing you need is RJ-45 connectors that are used to connect the cable to different points such as the computer, the wall socket or the router. 

And in order for the wall outlet to accept the RJ-45 connector, the wall outlet must have a wall socket that accepts RJ-45 connectors as well. Lastly, you would need wall face plates to cover the wall sockets. 

Pro and cons of plugging ethernet into the wall:

Since there are many types of connecting to the internet, it is best to judge whether you should plug ethernet into the wall or shift to other modes of internet connection. Below stated are some of the pros and cons that would help you make the choice:

Pros:

No loss or interference:

Faster and more reliable connection to your device since the internet is being transmitted through wire and due to that reason, there is no loss or interference from obstacles and thus letting you get the full speed and performance.

Better security:

Better security since the data packets are not exposed over the range of the wifi signal and no sharing of the bandwidth which means you will be getting the full bandwidth that is being provided by the ISP.

Top notch reliability:

The reliability and stability of ethernet connections are top notch because unlike wifi, they face no interruptions or loss of quality due to distance and therefore, they are unlikely to have random disconnections or slowdown in the speed.

Consume a low amount of power:

The ethernet cable CAT6 is known to consume a low amount of power which is lower than using the internet through wifi connections, so if you wish to think green – ethernet is a viable option.

Cons:

Cost:

Ethernet is a cabled connection, therefore they can be used to provide internet connections to a short distance and if you want to connect devices that are far away, the cabling costs will add up and make it a time consuming and costly process. 

Besides this would need to reconfigure routers and switches.

Limitation of users:

One of the major issues of ethernet is its limitation of users. If you are using a single ethernet cable, then you are restricted to the usage of one device and not more. 

Multiple devices would need multiple cables and cannot be set up readily – which makes it a messy process.

Limits the mobility:

Nowadays, most of our devices are carryable and if you use an ethernet connection with a laptop – chances are that you won’t always be in the same spot when working. 

Using ethernet limits the mobility to the wire’s length and you cannot cross that distance.

How to plug ethernet into wall?

If you do not want to spend additional costs into setting up the ethernet outlet at your home, you can do it by yourself if you have some basic electronic expertise. 

However, we suggest that you hire a technician to do the job for you if you do not have prior experience with electrical work. The steps below explains how you can set up and plug ethernet into the wall:

Taking the necessary preparations:

In order to set up the wall outlet, you need to find a convenient location, ideally where you do your work or plan to use the internet. 

The location should be clear and free of obstacles so that the wiring can stay organized and well within the reach of your computer and other internet devices. 

Install the wall plate:

To cut the ethernet outlet into the wall, you need to place the wall plate mounting bracket on the wall where you plan to set up the ethernet outlet and use a pencil to mark the outline of the mounting bracket.

Next shut down the mains electricity supply before cutting into the wall by tracing the outline you made previously. Place the wall plate on the wall and prepare to run the cable through.

Connecting the wall jack:

In order to have an internet connection, the ethernet jack must be put onto the wall outlet to be connected to your computer or other device. 

You should have a minimum length of 6 inches of the cable coming out of the hole you cut in order to connect to the router or computer. 

There are two ethernet connections to be made, one from the outlet to the ISP and the other is from the outlet to your computer or other device.

First, you need to set up the portion of the ethernet that will be connected to your ISP, which is on the other side of the outlet. 

To do so, pass the ethernet cable through the other side of the wall outlet into your desired working space, while the other portion of the wire goes to your cable box from which your ISP will set up your connection.

Setting the connectors onto the cable: 

In order to connect the keystone connector’s color coded slots to the wire, you will have to cut open two inches of the outer sheath from the wire. 

You will notice multiple wires underneath the sheath you cut and then connect each of the wires to the keystone connector. Once they are attached, connect the wire to the ethernet jack outlet to establish a connection from your computer to the internet.

Final thought

You can insert your ethernet cable into the RJ-45 port in the wall and have access to the internet if your Internet service provider has set up your wall outlet and the jacks correctly. The use of wires increases with Ethernet connections, which could result in mess if not properly organized.