Using Cat5e telephone runs for gigabit ethernet

[computerpro3]

I just moved into a condo, and literally every single room is wired with a phone jack. Since the place was remodeled in 2004 and is fairly nice, on a hunch I took off a jack to check the cable jacket and sure enough it's cat5e.

I'm aware that I can switch out these phone jacks for ethernet jacks, but my question is regarding where they all lead to. I cannot find a patch panel anywhere in my unit; it must be somewhere else in the building. I'll go searching for it tomorrow, but what are the implications of this? I assume I would have to re-terminate at both ends to make gig-e work, not just in my apartment? If so, this may not be possible.

My condo is one of four units in a house-like building, so I'm thinking the four units might have one central location where the phones are connected?

Any idea how I should approach this? A gigabit network doesn't much help me if I have nowhere to plug my switch into. Am I SOL if I can't find a patch panel in my apartment (otherwise, where would I plug my switch into)?

 

[Red Squirrel]

Hopefully they all lead to a central location, then you can just change the ends there too. Though since it's a condo, that location may not even be accessible to you.

Though since they used this for phone, it's quite possible they are just daisy chained off each other or that there are "junction boxes" where the lines just tap off a single line.

 

[ChRoNo16]

If theres an attic or crawl space, check in there, check all closet cielings, and check near any circuit breaker panels, I know lots of them hide them near that too.

Also check around the outside of the building, may be a plastic junction box out there and its just connected outside.