Outdoor RJ45 hookups

[JonR]

I would like to put RJ45 in a screen porch that is exposed to the elements. What methods are there for weather-proofing the jacks?

Thanks,
JonR

 

[royalj7]

Well, I can tell you the way I did one, might not be the best way though. There was a cat5 line running from the gate camera to the house that wasn't fully buried. Well, the lawn guys didn't see it and nicked a couple wires. So, I spliced it with a jack and put it in a waterproof conduit box. Used Great Stuff expanding foam on the inlet and outlet to make sure no moisture got in. Seems to be working ok. We've had a couple nice rains since then, and I've checked the box with no signs of moisture.

 

[rfdesq]

Look in the electrical department of your local hardware store. There are weatherproof plastic outdoor housing that are used for electric outlets. That should do the trick.

 

[Steve]

I guess the ultimate would be an IP68 rated connector like this one. Be sure to look at the instruction sheet on the page for detail. And I don't know if they are made or how to find them, but telcos use an RJ11 in their demarc box which has like a silicon blob that protects the pins and moves out of the way when a plug is inserted. Not sure if they make an RJ45 version of this or not.

The electrical box cover will certainly keep it dry but most of them are not completely watertight and in time the jack could possible corrode/tarnish, etc. but depending on the exact application probably will be fine.