10 Surprising Ways to Repurpose Ethernet Cables Beyond Networking

First method: use it as a network cable. A single Ethernet cable can serve as two cables; pins 1‑2 and 3‑6 carry the differential pairs. For 100 Mbps only the 1‑2‑3‑6 pairs need to be connected, but Gigabit Ethernet requires all eight wires.

Note: Beware of low‑quality cables where the 4‑5‑7‑8 pairs differ in material.

Second method: use it as a telephone line. Any two wires can act as a phone line, commonly the brown‑white pair.

Third method: replace video cable for analog CCTV. Using baluns, one Ethernet cable can carry video for 1‑to‑4 or even up to 1‑to‑7 cameras.

Choose the appropriate cable type: indoor cable for short runs, solid‑copper outdoor cable for long distances (120‑300 m), often a carrier‑provided link cable.

Installation: strip two wires (e.g., orange‑white‑orange) and connect them to a balun—one side to the camera, the other to the recorder.

Note on 1‑to‑7: Share a ground wire; connect the shield to one wire and the seven center conductors to the remaining seven wires.

Fourth method: power high‑definition CCTV. Ethernet can supply power to HD cameras; for long distances fiber is required. One cable can power one or two cameras using the 1‑2‑3‑6 pairs.

Fifth method: emergency power line. Two wires can be used to carry DC power when a dedicated power cable is unavailable; ensure connectors are safe and clearly labeled.

Sixth method: audio line. Ethernet can replace an audio cable for synchronized recording; ordinary cable quality is sufficient.

Seventh method: USB extension. Ethernet can be repurposed as a USB extension cable; detailed wiring guides are available online.

Eighth method: PCB jumper wire. Stripped Ethernet conductors work well as jumpers during soldering.

Ninth method: VGA replacement. Map VGA pins to Ethernet wires as follows: 1‑Pin = Red, 2‑Pin = Green, 3‑Pin = Blue, 4‑Pin = Address, 5‑Pin = N/C, 6‑Pin = Red Ground, 7‑Pin = Green Ground, 8‑Pin = Blue Ground, 9‑Pin = Reserved, 10‑Pin = Digital Ground, 11‑Pin = Address, 12‑Pin = Address, 13‑Pin = Horizontal Sync, 14‑Pin = Vertical Sync, 15‑Pin = Shield.

Tenth method: serial port cable. Using three wires you can build a short serial cable for electronic display modules, useful when standard cables are too short.

These ten uses demonstrate the versatility of Ethernet cables; readers are invited to share their own experiences.

Source: Adapted from the public account “Weak‑Current Engineer’s Circle”.