These are the old 50 pin (25 pair) cables that the old style key phones (phones with several line buttons on the bottom and a red hold button). The problem is that the wire used are just loose pairs and don't make any of the cat 5 etc... standards that the more modern digital multiline phones that people use are.
I'd yank it out and put in regular cat5 or cat6.

Thanks

Those are called amphenol connectors, they are old school crud. Boot em! Happy New Year!!

"Those are called amphenol connectors, they are old school crud. Boot em! Happy New Year!!"

No, they are RJ21 connectors, originated by Amphenol, and are still used today. The cables and connectors, while not meeting current specs for network uses, are still reported to meet CAT5 specs for shorter limited length runs.

I would leave the cables in the walls and accessible for future low voltage options.

You know, people said coax in the walls was "old school" and they should not bother installing it. Well, MoCA is being used today for high-speed cable/satellite video, internet, and LAN media distribution.

http://www.cablesondemand.com/pcategory/150/category/MPTELCO/URvars/Catalog/Library/InfoManage/AMPHENOL_25-PAIR_TELCO_CABLES.htm

" The RJ-21 50-pin telco connector, **also known as an Amphenol Connector**, was invented by Amphenol over 50 years ago and is still prevalent today in intra-building voice and data systems"

If you are going to pick nits, for the Op's sake, at least be factual. And, they are still junk and should be replaced.

tj,

I was being factual in stating they are RJ21 connectors, since the term Amphenol connector means totally different things whether they are used in Telco/data, Centronics (data/printers), SCSI, Leslie speakers, musical instrument amps, or military communications equipment.

Are RJ21's junk? Well, they do need occasional cleaning of the contacts just like other types of connectors - and 50 pins does increase your odds of failure. But I have seen them used for years without a single problem.

My recommendation, however, was not in keeping the R21's but in keeping the cable in the wall which may be able to be used for some other purpose - i.e. doorbell, security camera using baluns, data I/O, and even short LAN runs.

This is getting more interesting all the time!

Thanks

It's not the connectors that are junk, it's the bulk 25 pair cable that they are connected to that is. Unless you are dealing with analog voice circuits, and even then it is a bit finicky, those cables aren't worth a whole lot. Fortunately, every hole that they are pulled to is big enough to pull a couple of cat5/6 4-pair cables through.